July 2022

Message from the Chair of the State Planning Commission

The purpose of our trip was to visit some of the latest mixed, adaptive, and integrated use developments in and around Melbourne and to identify elements which could inform development in South Australia.

Of particular interest were some of the new communities developed adjacent the established tram and rail infrastructure routes. Melbourne is well-served by these modes of public transport, enabling urban renewal and development to be located within walking distance, and thus reducing people’s reliance on the use of private cars.

One of the key sites we toured was the Nightingale apartments in Brunswick which were designed with the explicit aim of being “socially, financially, and environmentally sustainable”, and which have since inspired similar developments across the country. Interestingly, Nightingale provides a financial incentive in their by-laws for residents who do not require car parking, an incentive which feeds into their carbon neutral policy.

I would like to thank Stuart and the VPA team for an enlightening and productive trip. Melbourne is a city with some great examples of “density done well” which can help inform the Commission’s current work on precinct planning for the South Australian Regional Plan Program, and the update to the 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide.

Closer to home, the Miscellaneous Technical Enhancement Code Amendment was released for public consultation this week. Initiated by the Commission, this Code Amendment proposes a series of technical improvements which aim to enhance the general performance and operation of the Planning and Design Code (the Code), based on stakeholder feedback. You can read more about this Code Amendment in the article below.

Craig Holden
Chair, State Planning Commission

Message from the Acting Executive Director, Team PLUS

In other news, an updated Guide to the Planning and Design Code has been published on the PlanSA portal.  The guide aims to assist both planning practitioners and interested community members in understanding how the Planning and Design Code (the Code) works by providing a general overview of the Code’s structure and content. Thank you to all those involved in the update.

I would also encourage people to view the Development Application Processing (DAP) page on the PlanSA portal which has just been updated with details of the DAP system enhancements completed over the past quarter, and those planned for next quarter. To date, over 350 enhancements have been made to our e-planning system based on customer feedback.

Sally Smith will be back from leave this week – refreshed and ready to go no doubt - and I will return to my role as Director, Growth Management.

Paul Bennett
Acting Executive Director, Planning and Land Use Services

Meet David Reynolds, our new Chief Executive

David is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a National Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia. He also sits on a number of Boards to help shape the future of national policy and leadership including:

• CEDA’s National Council on Economic Policy
• Infrastructure SA
• SA Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee

Passionate about constantly improving the public sector for the benefit of the broader community, David places a strong focus on staff and actively supports development, flexibility, equality, and diversity to promote talent and drive performance.

He is also committed to building strong networks and collaboration with the private sector under the shared goal of a prosperous and thriving South Australia.

A focused and dedicated leader, David looks forward to fostering success at PLUS.

“Having spent the past 27 years in various roles within the South Australian Public Sector, I am excited to see the functions of planning, trade and investment come together to help us grow South Australia’s economy. Planning and land use is instrumental in helping to achieve long-term investment in our state that supports the growth of our economy and creates vibrant spaces for our community.” – David Reynolds

Population update for South Australia with Chris Rudd, Manager of Analytics and Forecasting at PLUS

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released the first results from its August 2021 Census of Population and Housing. In 2021, the census took place during the height of COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns and as a result two million more people were at home on census night across Australia compared to 2016. According to the ABS this has led to much improved response rates and data quality.

Each census provides a new baseline from which the ABS can recalibrate its quarterly population estimates. For South Australia it’s been good news with our total population estimate revised upwards by around 30,000 people. Our total population is now just over 1.8 million.

The new data also provides the opportunity to look at change over the past 30 years. Since 1991, South Australia’s population has grown from 1.4 million to 1.8 million, at an average annual rate of 0.9%. While at the same time the total dwelling stock has increased from 569,000 to 775,000, at an average annual rate of 1.2%.

From a planning perspective the census provides the foundation for developing new population projections that inform future regional plans, including the 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide. In short, it helps us to understand who we are planning for.

Consultation opens on Miscellaneous Technical Enhancement Code Amendment

Public consultation is now open on proposed technical amendments which aim to enhance the general performance and operation of the Planning and Design Code (the Code).

The Miscellaneous Technical Enhancement Code Amendment is primarily focused on addressing technical and operational elements within the Code, as opposed to changing policy intent or outcomes.

It represents the first of what will be a regular review and “tune-up” of the technical or operational aspects of the Code based on stakeholder feedback.

Initiated by the State Planning Commission, this Code Amendment is informed by valuable feedback received from local council, planning industry professionals and other users of the Code in its first year of operation.

The Miscellaneous Technical Enhancement Code Amendment is focused on:

• technical matters
• policy clarity and interpretation
• consistency with drafting principals
• system efficiency and procedural matters.

During consultation, the Department will be running online public information sessions about the Miscellaneous Technical Enhancement Code Amendment. These sessions will offer the opportunity to learn more about the proposed changes and ask the Code Amendment team any questions.

Further information about the Miscellaneous Technical Enhancement Code Amendment including information on how to provide feedback and register for one of the public information sessions, can be found on the PlanSA portal.

Automatic Mutual Recognition now available for building related accredited professionals

From 1 July 2022, under the Automatic Mutual Recognition (AMR) scheme, building related accredited professionals who are currently accredited in another state or territory and wish to work in South Australia, will be able to do so by notifying the Accreditation Authority via the Automatic Mutual Recognition notification form.   

The AMR scheme recognises interstate building licences and registrations for various occupations, making it easier for building industry workers to take up job opportunities across most of Australia.

South Australian building related accredited professionals, regulated by the Accreditation Authority under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure (Accredited Professionals) Regulations 2019, are able to take up the benefits of AMR  in participating jurisdictions when looking to carry out work interstate using their SA accreditation.

This means SA building professionals can use a current accreditation without having to apply and pay for a new one when working interstate. It is important however to check local arrangements with the state or territory regulator where you are intending to work to determine if you are eligible for AMR.

When fully implemented across the various occupations and jurisdictions, it is estimated that AMR could lead to an additional $2.4 billion in economic activity over ten years as a result of savings to people and businesses, productivity improvements and extra surge capacity in response to natural disasters.

For more information on AMR visit the PlanSA portal.

Changes to the decision notification form

The decision notification form is an approved form under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act. A notice of decision of a consent or approval by a relevant authority or council must be made on this form.

On the 7 July 2022, changes to the decision notification form were published in the Government Gazette with the following updates:

• inclusion of an “Additional Location Information” field within the address information
• the removal of hard-coded advisory notes
• an amendment to the building advisory note to confirm that a Certificate of Occupancy will not be required for new houses or additions (known as Class 1a buildings) completed prior to 1 January 2024

The changes to the decision notification form are effective from the 22 July 2022.

ASEAN-Australia Young Leaders Forum

Over the course of four days in June, PLUS Planning Officer Nick Kretschmer was honoured to have been chosen as one of 50 delegates attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Australia Young Leaders Forum.

ASEAN is a political and economic union comprising ten member nations, and the online forum was hosted by the ASEAN-Australia Strategic Youth Partnership. Highlights across the four days included:

• keynote diplomacy class from former Foreign Affairs and Defence Minister, Professor Stephen Smith
• classes held by academics and professionals covering behavioural economics, climate financing, sustainable public policy, leadership by virtue, and the role of Australia in South-East Asia
• hypothetical diplomacy exercise, requiring ten regional actors to reach an agreement on the closure of coal-fired power plants in a fictional SE Asian nation
• an interactive cooking class to prepare ‘Chilli Oil Noodles’ with the 2017 Winner of MasterChef, Diana Chan

The intensive online leadership experience aimed to cultivate the next generation of leaders in ASEAN and Australia, and Nick says he will apply his learnings to PLUS, the Regional Planning team and in his career. Well done, Nick!

Advisory Notice for Private Bushfire Shelters

Earlier this month, an additional Advisory Notice Building (02/22) was published. The Notice reiterates the approval process for developments involving Private Bushfire Shelters (Class 10c buildings under the Building Code) and clarifies that there are no accredited products currently available in South Australia relating to prefabricated Class 10c buildings.

This Notice should be read in conjunction with the previously published Advisory Notice Building – 07/20 – Private Bushfire Shelters. For more information and to view both notices, visit the Notices page on the PlanSA portal.

PlanSA portal: trending topics and resources

The PlanSA Service Desk have been busy fielding calls and providing resources to help people better understand and navigate the PlanSA portal and the planning system. Here are this month’s top 3 trending topics and resources. Click on the questions to be taken to the relevant resource:

1. How can builders and applicants submit building notifications?
    
2. How can applicants upload mandatory documentation into the application?
    
3. How can applicants provide further information requested during assessment?

A full suite of guides and instruction sheets are available for a large range of topics, please visit the Support Library to find out more!