FAQs

The Planning and Design Code contains the planning rules and policies that guide what can be developed in South Australia. Planning authorities use these planning rules to assess development proposals.

A Code Amendment is a proposal to change the policies, rules or mapping within the Code, which can change the way that future developments are assessed.

Code Amendments must be prepared according to certain processes set out by legislation (the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 and associated Regulations).

The Assessment Improvements Code Amendment was initiated by the State Planning Commission in line with its commitment to regularly review how the Planning and Design Code is functioning based on feedback from users.

The Code Amendment has been informed by feedback received from local councils, planning industry professionals and other users of the Code, and seeks to improve clarity and the user experience in applying the Code.

The draft Code Amendment also forms part of the state government’s response to the Planning System Implementation Review, implementing some of the recommendations of the Expert Panel supported by the state government. 

The draft Assessment Improvements Code Amendment builds upon the Miscellaneous Technical Enhancement Code Amendment, which came into effect on 1 June 2023.

The Assessment Improvements Code Amendment proposes a series of technical amendments that aim to enhance the general performance and operation of the Planning and Design Code. 

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

The key areas of focus in the Assessment Improvements Code Amendment include: 

• improvements to the Rules of Interpretation in response to recent case law
• review of language and policy consistency
• ensuring policies are reasonable and practical
• improvements to Land Use and Administrative Definitions
• review of Referrals to government agencies and industry.

Other areas reflected in the proposed amendments concern demolition policy for local heritage places and car parking rates for major open spaces.

The details of each proposed amendment are listed in the draft Code Amendment document. 

The draft Code Amendment draws on investigations undertaken to support the recommendations of the Expert Panel in undertaking the Planning System Implementation Review. Planning and Land Use Services has also undertaken investigations on behalf of the Commission to understand and respond to matters raised by Government agencies and practitioners such as policy refinements and reviews of referrals.

We welcome feedback on the draft Assessment Improvements Code Amendment. Feedback is important and will help to shape the final Code Amendment presented to the Minister for Planning for a decision.

Public consultation will run for 12 weeks from 9 am Tuesday 10 December 2024 to 5 pm Tuesday 4 March 2025. All written submissions in response to the Code Amendment are required by the close of consultation.

Feedback, comments and questions can be made via

• PlanSA online submission form
• Email: PlanSASubmissions@sa.gov.au, subject: Assessment Improvements Code Amendment

• Post: Submission – Assessment Improvements Code Amendment, Code Amendment Team, Planning and Land Use Services Division, Department for Housing and Urban Development, GPO Box 1815, Adelaide SA 5001.

All feedback on the Assessment Improvements Code Amendment is to be submitted by 5 pm Tuesday 4 March 2025. 

All written submissions received will be made publicly available on the PlanSA portal when the Engagement Report is released, following the conclusion of the consultation period. Names and organisations will be included with published submissions but addresses, email addresses and phone numbers will be redacted.

Once the consultation period for the Code Amendment is closed the next steps are:

• Submissions (feedback on the proposed Code Amendment) are reviewed.
• A ‘what we heard’ summary is prepared, outlining the key topics of feedback received, and this is provided along with an engagement evaluation survey to those who made a submission on the proposed Code Amendment.
• The State Planning Commission prepares an engagement report.
• The Minister for Planning makes a decision on the proposed Code Amendment.
• If approved, the Minister’s decision and the engagement report are published on the PlanSA website.

If you have further questions about this Code Amendment, please contact the PlanSA Service Desk: 

Phone: 1800 752 664

Email:  plansa@sa.gov.au