No images? Click here
Special edition: Have your say
Today sees the launch of the Kangaroo Island Regional Plan and ground-breaking Regional Planning Portal, as well as consultation on our Community Engagement Charter.
An additional in-person information session is also being held this evening, followed by an online session next week, with the Bushfire Hazards Overlay Code Amendment now extended to 5 April.
Shaping and future-proofing Kangaroo Island for next generations
The draft Kangaroo Island Regional Plan (KIRP) has been released by the State Planning Commission for a 12-week public consultation period. To support the launch of the KIRP, PLUS has developed Australia’s first 100% digital, dynamic and interactive Regional Planning Portal.
The KIRP is the first of seven new regional plans for South Australia, to be developed in the innovative platform. Allowing for real-time updates which will ensure the plan remains contemporary and provides users easy access to the regional plans via the accessible interface.
The KIRP addresses key priorities for the region, such as preserving the island's pristine natural environment, promoting economic prosperity and ensuring there is enough housing. It is a visionary 30-year roadmap for Kangaroo Island, aimed at fostering a resilient, prosperous, healthy, and connected future for the island’s communities. Climate change mitigation, convenient transport infrastructure, and diverse housing options will be integral to achieving this vision of sustainable growth and community well-being. The KIRP delivers on these key outcomes.
The KIRP maps out the South Australian Government’s long-term vision for sustainable growth across the state and plays a significant role in identifying appropriate land for future housing, employment, commercial uses, and the necessary supporting infrastructure.
Key highlights in the KIRP include:
- population growth projections estimate 6,876 residents by 2054
- the need to address housing challenges, including seasonal worker accommodation
- emphasis on sustainable growth that is resilient to natural disasters such as bushfires, and the protection of primary production land by focusing residential development in the established towns of Kingscote, Parndana, American River and Emu Bay
- Kingscote, Penneshaw and American River are identified as key employment and service centres
- climate change considerations are integrated into planning to safeguard against natural hazards
- infrastructure improvements across the island, including transport connectivity, are prioritised.
All feedback received during the 12-week consultation period will be reviewed and considered for inclusion in the draft KIRP, before final amendments are made ahead of the plan’s formal endorsement and adoption in late 2024.
To have your say on the draft Kangaroo Island Regional Plan, visit the YourSAy website.
Regional Planning Portal launched
The ground-breaking Regional Planning Portal will give all South Australians unprecedented access to state-wide planning and infrastructure framework that will:
- provide a long-term vision for the region, with supporting targets and actions for land use, transport infrastructure and the public realm through interactive maps, dynamic data and spatial plans
- increase the availability, accuracy, and relevance of data to inform integrated land use and infrastructure decisions, including current and forward projections, statistical data and analysis
- facilitate deeper up-front engagement with community, landowners, agencies, and other stakeholders, about plans for their area and how it will affect their land, neighbourhood or townships
- allow fast implementation of planning strategies to respond quickly to housing demand or employment growth by streamlining zoning changes.
To view the Regional Planning Portal and for further information regarding the draft Kangaroo Island Regional Plan, visit: regional.plan.sa.gov.au.
Consultation open on updating the Community Engagement Charter
Share your feedback on proposed improvements to the Community Engagement Charter and have your say on how stakeholders and community are involved in key planning decisions across the state.
The Community Engagement Charter guides public participation in preparing and amending designated planning policies, strategies and schemes. It was established in 2018 as part of South Australia’s new planning system to help build community trust and confidence in the planning system by providing an engagement framework that is robust and adaptable.
The proposed changes, which follow the Commission’s inaugural 5-year review of the Charter, aim to:
- ensure engagement is inclusive and respectful for all South Australians by highlighting the need to consider appropriate opportunities for the following communities to influence planning decisions that affect or interest
them: First Nations; youth; culturally and linguistically diverse communities; people living with disability and neurodiverse communities; businesses, workers and employers
- streamline delivering changes to planning rules such as rezoning land, where the community has had an opportunity to give their views and influence the decision as part of the regional planning process; these changes, referred to as ‘complying changes’, would be subject to a streamlined engagement process where it is clear the change was anticipated in the relevant regional plan
- better reflect that the Community Engagement Charter is now a well-established part of the South Australian planning system and the mandatory engagement requirements outlined in the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016.
A more in-depth review of the Community Engagement Charter will be carried out following the conclusion of the Regional Planning Program.
For more information about proposed changes to the Community Engagement Charter and submit your feedback, visit the YourSAy website.
Consultation extended: updating SA’s bushfire hazard mapping and planning rules
The State Planning Commission is seeking your feedback on proposed changes to the bushfire hazard mapping and overlays in the Planning and Design Code and has extended the consultation to provide communities, councils and industry with additional time to share their local knowledge and contribute to finalising the proposed changes.
The draft State-wide Bushfire Hazards Overlay Code Amendment proposes to:
- review and update the mapping and policy framework of the current six bushfire hazard overlays
- deliver improved policy within the Code
- ensure the right measures are in place to keep our state’s people, property, infrastructure, economy and environments as safe as possible.
The proposed changes aim to better reflect bushfire hazards across the state and introduce new rules to help save lives and build more climate-resilient communities.
Information sessions
Throughout February, PLUS has hosted drop-in sessions across the state for community to meet with the team, find out more about the proposed changes, ask questions, share ideas or concerns and provide feedback.
The following additional information sessions will be taking place in March:
- Thursday, 14 March, arrive at 6:00 pm for 6:30 pm start, Sturt Lions Clubrooms, Karinya Reserve, Eden Hills (hosted by MP Catherine Hutchesson)
- Wednesday, 20 March, 11:00 am to 12:00 noon, online, register on Eventbrite.
These follow events held in Kingscote, Kadina, Stirling, Port Lincoln, Kapunda, Golden Grove and online, where communities have shared their local knowledge to help improve the proposed bushfire hazard mapping and planning rules.
For more information about information sessions, the proposed changes and how to have your say, visit the YourSAy website.
