May 2022

Message from the Chair of the State Planning Commission

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of attending and speaking at the Greening Adelaide Leaders Event organised by Green Adelaide. The event formed part of a series of collaborative engagements aimed at progressing an Urban Greening Strategy for metropolitan Adelaide.

The State Planning Commission shares Green Adelaide’s vision for a cooler, greener and more liveable Adelaide and it was great to join together to discuss, among other issues, greening our neighbourhoods, improving biodiversity and addressing the loss of mature trees. A series of subsequent workshops and events to progress the Urban Greening Strategy are planned for the coming months.

Speaking of collaboration, in a few weeks’ time myself, fellow Commission member Steven Griffiths, and members of the PLUS planning team including Executive Director Sally Smith will be travelling to Port Augusta to take part in the Regional Priorities Forum organised by the Upper Spencer Gulf Common Purpose Group which is a strategic partnership between the cities of Port Pirie, Port Augusta and Whyalla.

The forum will be an opportunity to discuss the future of this critical region, and how the Commission can work with Upper Spencer Gulf councils as part of the Regional Planning Program to map out and support a prosperous future for the area.

Craig Holden
Chair, State Planning Commission

Pictured: Craig Holden (Chair, State Planning Commission), Dr Ariella Helfgott (Director Strategic Foresight, Department of the Premier and Cabinet) and Professor Chris Daniels (Presiding Member, Green Adelaide Board) at the Greening Adelaide Leaders Event.

Message from the Executive Director, Team PLUS

On the topic of performance monitoring, the ePlanning team recently produced some impressive stats which show the performance of the ePlanning system over the past 12-months. In its first year of operation, the new system has significantly reduced development application assessment timeframes.

The chart below shows the average time for a development application to be completed from 'Lodged' to 'Planning Consent' from 19 March 2021 to 19 March 2022.

All assessment pathways are operating well within statutory planning assessment timeframes. Thank you to our technical team who do a fantastic job maintaining and updating the ePlanning system from the back end.

And thank you particularly to the planning and building sector for achieving these timeframes. While the new system assists the process, it’s the human effort which makes it happen.

Recently, senior PLUS staff met with an Assessment Managers group facilitated by the Local Government Association (LGA) to discuss further ways to improve the functioning of the ePlanning system. While indications look good, we know there are more improvements to be made and we look forward to continuing to work with practitioners to make the system easier and to continue to improve efficiencies.

Sally Smith
Executive Director, Planning and Land Use Services

Welcome Paul Bennett, Director Growth Management

With a career that commenced in building design and construction, and a passion for property development and urban planning, he has extensive experience in the integration of land use and transport having held positions at both a strategic and operational level.

With a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh), Paul has a unique skillset that combines high level policy development and planning capability with technical engineering and infrastructure expertise.

Welcome Paul and thank you to Brett Steiner who has been acting in the role of Director, Growth Management since late last year. 

New branding for Accredited Professionals

A new Accredited Professionals brand identity has been developed for use by planning and building professionals accredited under the Accredited Professionals Scheme.

Use of the new Accredited Professionals logo/branding is permitted by those who hold active accreditation under the Scheme; however terms of use apply and are outlined in the supporting brand style guide available on the PlanSA portal.

The Accredited Professionals Scheme enhances decision-making in the planning system and gives applicants greater confidence in the way that their development applications are assessed.

For further information on the scheme and the new brand identity, visit the Accredited Professionals Scheme page on the PlanSA portal.

Port Pirie Master Plan Project study tour

Last month Ben Murphy and Hannah Connell (pictured) from the PLUS Regional Plans Team travelled to Port Pirie for a study tour and meetings with key partners on the Port Pirie Master Plan Project.

Announced as part of a State Government Action Plan in late 2021, the Port Pirie Master Plan Project is being led by PLUS as part of a cross-government initiative to reduce blood lead levels in young children and to reduce risks from lead in the Port Pirie environment. The project also provides the community with the opportunity to agree on a vision for future growth which promotes long-term community wellbeing and increased climate change resilience.

Accompanied by members of the consultant team from JensenPLUS, the group toured the city’s key development sites and held extensive discussions with senior representatives of the Port Pirie Regional Council. The team also met with Peter Dolan, Executive Director of the Targeted Lead Abatement Partnership, and with Daniel Wilson, the Economic and Workforce Manager of the Yorke and Mid North RDA. Information gained from these discussions are critical inputs into the baseline investigations phase of the project, and will help to frame the more detailed mapping and engagement exercises in the months ahead.

The tour provided the team with valuable insights into the key land use planning considerations for the city, the challenges posed by the ongoing need to manage lead risk, and the significant economic opportunities on the horizon.

Ben and Hannah also thoroughly recommend Kupsch Bakery in Crystal Brook; a mid-north community institution and a great spot for a pastie, coffee and an impromptu dial-in to a team meeting!

PlanSA ePlanning system user survey

The first of what will be an annual ePlanning system user survey will launch in June. The survey will be an important tool for tracking the system’s performance and identifying areas for improvement.

In the coming weeks, users of the online planning system will be invited by email or phone to participate in the survey. Independent research company Action Market Research will be conducting the survey on our behalf.

Participation in the survey is greatly appreciated and will help us continue to refine and improve the system for all users. The results of the survey will be summarised and made available once the process is complete.

For further information about the upcoming survey please contact Action Market Research on 1800 077 789.

Hamilton Reserve project provides more open space for the community

      Photo credit: Simon Casson

The Town of Walkerville recently completed the Hamilton Reserve project (formally known as Stewart Avenue Park), which received State Government funding of $319,825 in the 2020-21 Open Space Grant Program, financed via the Planning and Development Fund.

The Open Space Grant Program supports local councils through the development, management and acquisition of land, to implement open space and public realm projects in the local community.

The Hamilton Reserve project improves community and visitor access to the Linear Park, with a focus on long-term vegetation and environmental improvements. The Reserve’s beautiful new unstructured children’s play facilities, as well as the new exercise, play and barbecue areas, provides more quality green open space for the community to enjoy.

National Construction Code 2022 preview released

The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has released a Stage 1 'Preview' of the National Construction Code (NCC) 2022. The draft package includes the three Volumes, the proposed Housing Provisions Standard, and the Liveable Housing Design Standard.

The package excludes the state and territory specific amendments/variations to the NCC and some provisions relating to energy efficiency and condensation management; these are still being finalised and are anticipated to be released as part of the Stage 2 preview in August.

Further information, including next steps, can be found on the ABCB website.

Clarifying the verification process

Following feedback from users of the planning system, a new set of Frequently Asked Questions and a checklist have been developed to assist with the Development Application Verification process.

Verification is the process of checking and verifying the details of development applications and includes:

• reviewing the provided documents (plans, technical drawings, reports, etc.)
• sending requests for required documentation to verify the application
• determining the planning assessment pathways (Accepted, Deemed-to-Satisfy, Performance Assessed, etc.)
• invoicing and payment of associated fees to lodge the development application

The verification Frequently Asked Questions and checklist can be found in the PlanSA support library.

PlanSA portal refresh

The PlanSA portal homepage has been given a “refresh” to help make navigation easier.

The ‘quick link icons’ have been edited and updated.  From the Public Development Application Register to the new Community Toolkit, the updated icons can help you find what you need faster.