Message from the Chair of the State Planning Commission

Clarifying procedures and increasing transparency around development application assessments within our scope, has been an important priority for the Commission and the State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP) this year. Recently, we have published two new guidelines for applicants, on the PlanSA website, that provide information about the assessment process and the scope of requirements related to:

• Crown-Assessed Applications and
• Impact-Assessed Applications.

In addition to these, we have responded to feedback from applicants and stakeholders by reviewing the procedural requirements for the assessment of ‘restricted’ and ‘impact assessed developments’, resulting in amendments to ‘Practice Direction 4 - Restricted Development’ and the new Practice Direction 17 - Impact Assessed Development. We trust these improvements will assist applicants in the future.

On a final note, I would like to thank the PLUS Regional Planning team and our colleagues at the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) for their efforts to deliver the first regional plan visioning workshop, held with Kangaroo Island Council and key stakeholders on the Island, earlier this month. The workshop was productive, highly-engaging, and set the tone for many more successful stakeholder workshops early next year as part of the Regional Planning Program.

On behalf of the Commission, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year – see you in 2023.

Craig Holden
Chair, State Planning Commission

Image from L to R: Dr. Jessica Porter (Senior Planning Officer, PLUS), Dr. Sam Culley (Strategy and Policy, DPC), Parika Verma (Strategic Foresight Officer, DPC), Wendy Campana (Consultant - Governance and Government Relations), Craig Holden (Chair, State Planning Commission), Bret Woods (Engagement Specialist, PLUS), Nicholas Kretschmer (Planning Officer, PLUS).

Message from the Executive Director, Team PLUS

2022 has certainly been a big year in planning, and not just at PLUS. I would like to congratulate all the winners at this year’s South Australian Planning Institute (PIA) awards. From the Brown Hill Keswick Creek Stormwater Project by the Cities of Adelaide, Burnside, Mitcham and Unley, to the land division public information videos by the City of Salisbury and Click Films, there has been incredible planning and design work achieved throughout the year. View the full list of SA’s PIA award winners.

Suffice to say, we were in good company, when PLUS won the Technology and Innovation Award for our PlanSA ePlanning system. We endeavour to continuously improve our system, which is driven by valuable suggestions from users, and we thank you for the time taken to respond to our Annual Survey and through suggestions to our PlanSA service desk and other regular forums.

On that note, I would like to wish everyone a refreshing break over the festive season. And for those with Christmas shopping still to do, our colleagues within the Department for Trade and Investment are running a great campaign designed to help support Murray River businesses. Visit the Spend Your Support website to find out more.

Sally Smith
Executive Director, Planning and Land Use Services

The State Planning Commission’s Annual Report and Performance Indicators Scheme Annual Report

The State Planning Commission’s 2021/22 Annual Report outlines the work of its members to progress and improve South Australia’s planning system.

The report details several important planning projects completed over the past year including the Local Design Review Scheme and the inaugural review of the Environment Food Protection Areas, the provision of advice on over 53 code amendments, as well as the significant progress made on the Regional Planning Program and the Open Spaces and Trees Project.

In addition, the Commission has also released its Performance Indicators Scheme Report for the financial year 2021/22. The Performance Indicators Scheme obtains data from the PlanSA ePlanning system which collects, retains and analyses data, including the value and types of development occurring across the state.

Key statistics in the Performance Indicators Scheme Annual Report 2021/22 include:

• 40,164 development applications lodged
• 8,255 building inspections undertaken
• 2,646 statutory referrals undertaken
• 2,333 applications publicly notified
• 89% of decisions made within the statutory timeframe
• An estimated $6.1 billion of development approved

As a single data source, the Performance Indicators Scheme presents data associated with all applications within the planning system and plays a significant role in both monitoring and identifying opportunities for system improvements.

Regulation changes to support councils and communities in flood affected areas

Two key amendments have been made to Planning, Development and Infrastructure (General) Regulations 2017, to support flood affected councils and communities in South Australia.

The changes, outlined below, apply to the following councils:

• Alexandrina Council
• The Berri Barmera Council
• The Coorong District Council
• The District Council of Karoonda East Murray
• District Council of Loxton Waikerie
• Mid Murray Council
• Rural City of Murray Bridge
• Renmark Paringa Council.

Changes to fast-track temporary flood levees

Councils preparing for impending flooding on the banks of the Murray River, no longer require development approval to construct temporary levee banks. A similar exemption already exists in favour of State agencies, so the change appropriately brings councils into line with State agencies.

Where a council determines that they want a temporary levee bank or mound to remain permanently, they will need to apply for development approval in the future.

Private landowners can also construct flood levees on private property if it is urgently required to protect people or buildings. Property owners do, however, need to notify the council of the work when it’s undertaken and then apply for development approval within 28 days.

Changes to fast-track temporary accommodation

The construction of temporary accommodation, and certain types of storage facilities, can commence in flood affected areas without needing prior development approval – a process which can sometimes take weeks.

In place of prior development approval, the amendments require the local council is notified of construction immediately, and that an application for development approval is lodged within 28 days, although this timeframe can be adjusted by the council as needed.

Development for temporary accommodation in these areas will be classified as ‘accepted development’, meaning it will only require building consent to confirm that the accommodation is safe, and meets basic standards in relations to power, water, and sewage connections.

These changes will help fast-track the construction of temporary, emergency accommodation which will keep people safe, and able to stay living close to their community and support networks.

For more detail on each of the above amendments, visit the Development Regulation Amendments webpage.

First regional planning workshop kicks off on Kangaroo Island

The first key stakeholder workshop as part of the State Planning Commission’s Regional Planning Program kicked off in Kangaroo Island at the beginning of the month.

The ‘visioning workshop’ was held with Kangaroo Island Council and key local community and industry representatives who came together for a full day of discussions to capture their hopes and aspirations for the region over the next 30 years.

This is a critical first step in the engagement process to develop a regional plan for the island, identifying long-term land use and infrastructure needs to support sustainable growth.

In the new year, stakeholder workshops will continue in the Yorke Peninsula, Limestone Coast, Eyre and Western, Far North and Greater Adelaide regions, with a new draft regional plan for each area expected to be available for community feedback by the middle of 2023.

Following ongoing consultation with the Local Government Association, it has been decided to defer (for 12 months) work to prepare a new Murray Mallee Regional Plan.

Postponing the plan will allow communities and council to focus the necessary time and resources to weather the flood event and its effect. The efforts to rebuild will be incorporated into long-term planning for the towns.

Declined code amendments

A code amendment is a proposed change to the Planning and Design Code. The Minister for Planning can decline a proposal to initiate a code amendment and can also decline a code amendment at the final stage of the process, following the completion of community engagement.

The reasons for declining a code amendment vary, and can include inconsistency with the State Planning Policies, significant environmental, social, or infrastructure constraints, or inappropriate impacts on primary production land or the efficient growth of townships.

Importantly, while the Regional Planning Program is underway, the Minister has determined that it would not be appropriate to proceed with code amendments that propose “rural living” at this time. Some of the activities associated with rural living development such as horse keeping, hobby farming or horticulture, could have a significant impact on land use planning surrounding townships, potentially constraining future urban growth or impacting on the efficient delivery of services and infrastructure.

Code amendments proposing rural living may be considered again in the future if councils seek to initiate them after the regional planning process is complete, having regard to what the updated regional plan outlines for each area. For further information, visit the PlanSA portal.

2022-23 Open Space Grant Program now open – Land purchase for pocket parks

Councils across South Australia and organisations representing outside of council areas can now apply for grant funding under the 2022-23 Open Space Grant Program to purchase land for the creation of future pocket parks. Pocket parks are parcels of open space, most often located in urban areas, with a primary purpose to provide passive recreation and respite opportunities.

The grant program delivers on the state government’s election commitment to allocate 10 per cent of developer contributions to the Planning and Development Fund to support councils with purchasing land for the development of open space.

The new grant round has a revised set of guidelines, which include criteria for eligible land purchases. Applications will need to demonstrate alignment with grant program objectives as well as state and local planning priorities. There is no minimum or maximum request for grant funding, however councils should be able to match the requested funding.

The new grant round is open for ten weeks, with applications closing at 12:00 pm Friday, 17 February 2023. If you have any questions about the Grant Program, contact the Open Space Team at the Office for Design and Architecture SA via OpenSpace@sa.gov.au or 8402 1852.

To download a copy of the 2022-23 Open Space Grant Program guidelines, please visit the planning and development fund page on the PlanSA portal.

Customer feedback informs ePlanning system improvements

Following an in-depth review of feedback received as part of the inaugural PlanSA ePlanning platform customer survey, a series of major improvements have been outlined and an Action Plan developed.

PlanSA has written to survey respondents and customers, thanking them for their insights into how the system can be enhanced in ways that make it more user-friendly and intuitive, reducing administrative effort.

Read the Action Plan on the PlanSA portal.

Riverbank Code Amendment changes

Image credit: Riverbank Precinct, Adelaide; Michael Waterhouse Photography

Last month the state government announced that it would remove the zoning changes made to Helen Mayo Park by the former government.

The zoning change removes the Entertainment Subzone that was placed over the park as part of the Riverbank Code Amendment in January 2021, and reinstates the Adelaide Park Lands Zone to Helen Mayo Park.

These changes ensure no future development can occur on the banks of the River Torrens.

In addition to the zoning changes, the government has updated ‘Concept Plan 125 – City Riverbank West’ to ensure that the riverbank area is identified as Park Lands (Open Space).

These zoning changes came into effect once they were published in the Planning and Design Code on December 8, 2022.

Expert Panel Planning System Implementation Review update

A big thank you to everyone who attended a workshop or provided feedback as part of the public consultation for the Expert Panel’s Planning System Implementation Review. Public consultation is now closed, with the Expert Panel having received over 700 submissions.

Over the coming months the Expert Panel will be considering all submissions received throughout the engagement process, and deliberating on the recommendations it will make to the Minister for Planning. The Panel’s recommendations are expected to be delivered early in the new year.

Built Environment Education Liaison Group

The Minister for Planning, the Hon. Nick Champion MP has established the Built Environment Education Liaison Group (BEELG) to address the skills shortage and limited tertiary education pathways for built environment professions including planning, land surveying, architecture, conveyancing, valuation, landscape architecture and building surveying.

This is a great initiative with the group aiming to:

• investigate strategies to help address the skills shortages and the limited tertiary education pathways
• establish and maintain clear pathways from entry level courses to Undergraduate and Masters degrees
• investigate strategies to promote and protect established pathways.

With the first meeting proposed for early 2023, the BEELG will be chaired by the Minister for Planning with Planning and Land Use Services' Bradley Slape, Surveyor-General of South Australia as Deputy Chair. The BEELG will include representatives from UniSA, Flinders University, University of Adelaide, TAFE SA, relevant industry boards and peak bodies, including key representatives from DTI.