June 2025

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

Over the past month Commission members and PLUS staff have hosted community information sessions in Robe, Mount Gambier, Renmark, Bordertown, and Tailem Bend, as well as online. The sessions were well-attended and featured thoughtful, constructive conversations with councils, elected members and community members. We’ve been encouraged by the strong interest and early feedback received so far and I encourage everyone with an interest in these areas to participate before consultation closes on 17 June. More information can be found at the Murray Mallee Regional Plan and the Limestone Coast Regional Plan YourSAy pages.

A critical point of discussion for all the regional plans has been how we can prepare for and mitigate against climate change while transitioning to net zero and driving sustainable practices. To this end, it was an honour to participate in a panel titled ‘Future Cities - Challenges and Opportunities for SA’ at the recent SA Industry Climate Change Conference. The panel was hosted by Dr Ariella Helfgott, who has previously worked with the Commission on the Regional Planning Program, and comprised Jane Lomax-Smith, Lord Mayor of Adelaide, Chris Daniels, Chair of Green Adelaide and Larry Ng, Board of Architects Singapore. The discussion was rich and proved to me that if we act with intelligence and courage, we are well placed to chart a sustainable future for all South Australians, despite the challenges.

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

And while it was led by Analytics and Forecasting team, the creation of the dashboard involved expertise from across the department and industry.

I was fortunate to attend this year’s PIA congress and honoured to participate in a panel discussion with planning department heads from across Australia. It’s always a pleasure to gather with colleagues from across Australia and this year was no different. With a substantial contingent in attendance, and a full schedule of talks, workshops and study tours, congress continues to be annual industry highlight.

Of particular note was the large number young and emerging planning professionals who attended. Impressive and passionate, they point to a bright future for planning in Australia.

Sally Smith accepting the award on behalf of the Department, presented by Emma Riley, National PIA President

DHUD win at the national PIA Congress 2025

DHUD Analytics and Forecasting team members from L to R: Fiona Falzon, Chris Rudd, Jo-Anne Raglass, Debbie Burrows and Greg Van Gaans

Last week the Department’s Analytics and Forecasting team, led by Greg Van Gaans, Chris Rudd and Jo-Anne Ragless, won the ‘Technology and Innovation Award’ at the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) National Congress in Darwin.

The award was in recognition of their work to create the Land Supply Dashboard - a key innovation which displays land supply and development activity across Greater Adelaide.

The dashboard – the first of its kind in Australia - makes urban land supply and development data more timely, accessible, transparent. It integrates development application data from our state’s planning system, with existing land and property data, to provide an up to date and shared understanding of the land supply market aimed at improving housing supply and affordability over time.

SA Industry Climate Change Conference 2025

Jane Lomax-Smith, Lord Mayor of Adelaide, Craig Holden, Chair of the State Planning Commission, Chris Daniels, Chair of Green Adelaide, Larry Ng, Board of Architects Singapore and Dr Ariella Helfgott, SA Futures Agency, during the ‘Future Cities - Challenges and Opportunities for SA’ panel

In May, representatives from DHUD attended the SA Industry Climate Change Conference 2025 (ICCC 2025) to hear from industry leaders on transitioning to net zero emissions and adapting to climate change impacts.

The biannual conference was hosted by the State Government and the Premier’s Climate Change Council and had over 700 attendees. Speakers included the Premier and Deputy Premier, and State Planning Commission Chair Craig Holden who participated on a panel on the future of cities.

While the projections for future changes to our climate were often sobering, the speakers also outlined a range of promising initiatives and actions being taken by industry both nationally and internationally.

Numerous speakers also discussed the very real chance that South Australia may host CoP31 (the 31st Conference of the Parties) in 2026 – a key opportunity for our state.

DHUD and the State Planning Commission remain committed to pursuing ways in which our state’s planning system can adapt to challenges and opportunities in addressing climate change.

First stage of Future Living Code Amendment adopted

On receipt of the final engagement report, the Minister for Planning has decided to divide the Future Living Code Amendment into two separate parts, adopting Part 1 on 26 April 2025.

Part 1 introduces new policies into the Planning and Design Code, including the new land use definition, new Co-located Housing Overlay, and amendments to the Established Neighbourhood Zone, overlays and general development policies.

Part 2 will introduce where the Co-located Housing Overlay will apply to the Established Neighbourhood Zone, following the six participating councils’ consideration of the approved policy.

A number of changes have been made to the Code Amendment in response to feedback received during consultation, which are outlined in the engagement report.

Have your say on draft engineering requirements for land division

The State Planning Commission is seeking feedback on draft engineering requirements for land division that aim to streamline assessment processes, reduce approval times and reduce costs for new residential developments.

The draft Design Standard 1 – Engineering Requirements for Land Division provides technical guidance, building on existing planning rules to deliver more transparent and consistent design standards, construction specifications and infrastructure costs for land divisions.

This is part of the South Australian Government’s Housing Roadmap to deliver more homes for South Australians.

 Feedback is open until 15 July 2025.

Draft changes to site contamination assessment 

The State Planning Commission is proposing changes to Practice Direction 14 (Site Contamination Assessment).

 The Site Contamination Assessment Scheme has been operating in South Australia since March 2021. The Commission has identified the need to review and amend the Scheme to reduce the regulatory burden and cost for lower risk scenarios where site contamination investigations are proving to be unwarranted.

 Feeback on the proposed changes is open until 1 July 2025.

Code Amendment approved to rezone land in City of Playford

Following extensive consultation and investigations, the John Rice Avenue Elizabeth South Residential Code Amendment has now been finalised and adopted by the Minister for Planning.

Up to 300 new homes will be built on a vacant parcel of land in the northern suburbs after the South Australian Government approved the rezoning for future housing.

The vacant site was set aside for commercial or industrial purposes but was never developed. It will now be able to accommodate low to medium density housing. Renewal SA currently has the land on the market.

The 12-hectare site is ideally positioned near hospitals and health services, shopping centres, schools, jobs, public transport, park lands, and the Little Para River Nature Reserve.

New Practice Direction 19 (Minor Variations)

The inconsistent application and consideration of minor variations in development applications is a long-standing area of contention in the planning system (and the former planning system under the Development Act 1993).

To address this, the State Planning Commission published Practice Direction 19 (Minor Variations) on 23 May 2025. The new practice direction is now operational and can be viewed on the Practice Directions page on the PlanSA website.

Accommodation Diversity Code Amendment - what we heard

The draft Accommodation Diversity Code Amendment was open for consultation from 5 December 2024 to 27 February 2025.

More than 420 submissions were received from community, councils, advocacy groups, industry and state government agencies during the consultation.

While submissions covered a range of topics, key areas of feedback regarding co-living and student accommodation related to shared toilets and bathrooms, on-site car parking, rates of communal/private open space for student accommodation, and concern that the guidelines for communal recreational spaces and shared facilities is too prescriptive.

The main topics of feedback regarding retirement facilities and supported accommodation included concern regarding buildings heights and interfaces with neighbouring residences

All feedback is now being collated and considered in greater detail. To access the full ‘What We Heard’ report and for more information on the proposal visit the YourSAy webpage linked below.

Assessment Improvements Code Amendment - what we heard

Consultation on the Draft Assessment Improvements Code Amendment closed on Tuesday 11 March 2025. The Code Amendment proposes a number of technical amendments to South Australia’s Planning and Design Code to improve interpretation and consistency in its application.

There were 138 submissions received during the consultation from community, councils, industry and government agencies. Key areas of feedback included the proposed changes to Rules of Interpretation, the assessment of Community Title land divisions, and the Resources Overlay exclusion.

All feedback is now being collated and considered in greater detail. To access the full ‘What We Heard’ report and for more information on the proposal and next steps, visit the YourSAy webpage linked below.

Stables make way for homes in bold housing solution

Land once used for horse racing activities near Morphettville Racecourse has been unlocked for residential development. This initiative will allow for hundreds of new houses to be created at Glengowrie by repurposing underutilised land to meet growing community needs.

Two code amendments, the Lots 51 & 52 (86-88) Morphett Road, Glengowrie Code Amendment and the Morphettville/Glengowrie Horse Related Activities Code Amendment will rezone nearly 14 hectares, shifting land from recreation and horse-related uses to urban neighbourhood and suburban neighbourhood zones, supporting medium to high-density housing close to the CBD, public transport and established amenities.

The changes will make it easier to build different types of homes, not just large standalone houses, but also townhouses, row houses, and small apartment buildings.