February 2025

A message from the Chair of the State Planning Commission - Craig Holden

It’s hard to overstate what an important piece of policy this is, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone - from industry, government, and the community - who contributed to the Plan, and by doing so helped shape the future of our State. I also of course want to thank the PLUS planning team for their hard work, dedication, and professionalism in ensuring this policy is smart, robust, future-proof and reflects the feedback from our community and key stakeholders.

And while the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan has launched, community consultation is now in full swing for the five remaining country regional plans which you can read more about in the articles below.

Last month Commission members, myself included, had the pleasure of attending some of the 18 community information sessions held from Clare to Kadina as part of the Upper Spencer Gulf regional plans. It was wonderful to speak directly with the local community and hear how they want their communities to grow and thrive.

Eight community sessions are being held across the south east in the coming weeks, and once again, I encourage anyone with in interest in these areas to join a session either in person or online to learn more and take part in this unique opportunity to help plan the future of our regions.

Green Adelaide Chair Professor Chris Daniels, Deputy Premier Susan Close and State Planning Commission Chair Craig Holden at the launch of the Urban Greening Strategy for Metro Adelaide

Message from the Deputy Chief Executive, Department for Housing and Urban Development - Sally Smith

Critical to Greater Adelaide is the Housing Roadmap, with several initiatives completed or well underway. This includes: the launch of the new Code Amendment Tracking System (CATS), the new assessment panel to support the land division assessment process, commencing the rezoning of land in Smithfield for up to 3,000 new homes and, the completion of a pilot trialling new AI technology to speed up simple planning approvals, to be implemented by the end of the year after rigorous testing.

This is in addition to a range of Expert Panel recommendations that continue to be implemented and reported on quarterly. You can read more about these projects in the articles below.

South East Regional Plans - now open for consultation

New code amendment tracking system launched

The *CATS* out of the bag – our new Code Amendment Tracking System (CATS) is now live.

CATS has two key parts:

• a publicly available register and dashboard which tracks all proposed changes to the State’s Planning Code (known as code amendments) including proposals to rezone land for more housing options
• a new central location where those submitting code amendments can more easily submit and track their proposed amendments.

The public register and dashboard provide industry and the community with a clear overview of all code amendments currently in the system.

And for those submitting code amendments - planning professionals, developers and local councils - CATS acts as a ‘one stop shop’ making it easier and quicker to submit and track proposed amendments.

New assessment panel set to boost land division efficiency

The state government has delivered another significant Housing Roadmap initiative set to support the land division assessment process and avoid delays in the creation of land for new homes.

To expedite the assessment of applications for large scale land division proposing twenty (20) or more allotments, the government has created the Land Division Assessment Panel (LDAP), which is capable of assessing land division applications where councils have not met statutory assessment timeframes or where there have otherwise been delays with the assessment of applications.

The LDAP’s seven members are appointed by the State Planning Commission. They hold diverse qualifications and experience in town planning, urban development and urban design, traffic and transport, civil and services engineering, master planning, and planning and infrastructure law.

Consultation closing soon on proposed amendments to the General Regulations

Land rezoning proposal to deliver up to 3,000 new homes in Smithfield

The South Australian Government has initiated a code amendment to rezone land in Smithfield to support the delivery of up to 3,000 new homes and to investigate revitalising the area.

The Smithfield Regeneration Code Amendment includes the former Smithfield barracks as well as the Smithfield and Broadmeadows Train Stations, the Munno Para Shopping City complex, existing residential areas located to the north and south, and several nearby reserves, gardens and ovals.

It replaces the original Konanda Road Smithfield Medium-High Density Residential Code Amendment which only looked at rezoning the 33.5-hectare former barracks site that was obtained by the state government as part of the AUKUS land transfer.

The new expansive rezoning covers a total of 163.1 hectares that could be redeveloped for medium to high density housing, as well as new retail and open space opportunities that will improve future liveability. The barracks site is anticipated to provide between 1,500 to 3,000 new homes.

The Affected Area for the rezoning proposal has been expanded to enable a ‘masterplan’ approach to planning for the area. This will identify opportunities for revitalisation of these spaces over an extended period of time.

Updates to Council Inspections Practice Directions

On 10 April 2025, the Commission published updated versions of the following practice directions:

• Practice Direction 8 – Council Swimming Pool Safety Inspections 2019
• Practice Direction 9 – Council Inspections 2020

The updates (which will become operational on 1 July 2025) have been made as a result of feedback from councils and other stakeholders to improve consistency and councils’ reporting capacity against the Practice Directions.

The updates include:

• clearer definitions and improved consistency
• clarification on how and when mandatory inspections are counted
• inspection requirements for buildings constructed off-site
• inclusion of mandatory inspection requirements for private bushfire shelters
• accreditation requirements for authorised officers.

Land Supply Dashboard update 

New AI technology to boost planning efficiency

The PlanSA team currently trialling new AI technology to speed up planning approvals. The Automated Decision-Making Pilot represents a significant leap forward in modernising SA’s planning assessment process.

The 6-month pilot tested a new AI technology which automatically assesses simple development applications. The key focus is on streamlining the approval of detached dwellings by volume builders in greenfield areas that already fall into the ‘Accepted’ or ‘Deemed to Satisfy’ assessment pathway.

The technology allows users to submit CAD drawings to be automatically evaluated against prescribed criteria. The system then provides a detailed report outlining the results against each relevant planning provision.

It provides near real-time feedback on plans before they are submitted, offering clarity and certainty to applicants.

A group of volume builders were engaged to put the AI technology ‘through its paces’, testing the system and contributing to an iterative build and test process to ensure accuracy and usability.

The testing process is almost complete with implementation expected later in the year. At implementation, the technology will be integrated with the existing PlanSA assessment systems resulting in a seamless transfer of information. Further information will be provided closer to implementation.

Empowering conversations at the HIA Building Women Breakfast

A key message resonated throughout the morning: never say no to opportunity. Whether it’s a new challenge, a leadership role, or a chance to grow — each “yes” can lead to something remarkable.

Events like these provide an important space to celebrate, support and empower women across the industry.