Proposed amendments to SA's planning regulations

We are seeking your feedback on proposed changes to the state’s planning regulations.

What's being decided?

To implement the Housing Roadmap, recommendations of the Expert Panel for the Planning System Implementation Review, and required technical administrative changes, we are proposing to amend SA’s general planning regulations.

Background

The draft Planning, Development and Infrastructure (General) (Miscellaneous) (No 2) Amendment Regulations 2025 (Amendment Regulations) propose several amendments to the Planning, Development and Infrastructure (General) Regulations 2017 (General Regulations).

Proposed key amendments to the General Regulations would:

• make local council the authority for assessing minor variations
• enable councils to maintain trees in a timely manner
• ensure that land divisions that meet relevant design standards do not require council consent for vesting of public land
• increase the time to assess complex applications and gather information to assist decision-making
• ensure planning consent decisions can only be made by accredited planning professionals
• clarify that under certain conditions, planning and land division consent can be issued over an allotment that is yet to be created
• give landowners easier access to documentation relevant to their property through local council
• provide both public and private schools equal exemptions for performing tree maintenance works
• exclude electric vehicle charging stations from the definition of 'development'.

Get involved

Find out more:

• read the draft Amendment Regulations
• take a look at the summary of proposed changes, which provides an overview of each proposed amendment
• read the draft verification complexity criteria, which support the proposed Amendment 9(1) – Amendment of Regulation 31(1).

Have your say by:

• taking our survey below and telling us what you think of the proposed changes
• completing the PlanSA online submissions form
• emailing a submission to PlanSASubmissions@sa.gov.au (subject line: Amendment Regulations)
• posting your written submission to:

Planning and Land Use Services
Department for Housing and Urban Development
GPO BOX 1815
ADELAIDE SA 5000

What are the next steps?

We will consider all feedback that we receive.

Feedback will be captured in an engagement report that will be provided to the Minister for Housing and Urban Development to assist with final decision-making.

Once a decision has been made, the engagement report, including all feedback received during consultation, will be published on this webpage and the PlanSA website. Names and organisations will be included with published submissions but addresses, email addresses and phone numbers will be redacted.