Draft Landscape South Australia Regulations

Consultation has concluded

Consultation Process


Now Closed

This online engagement was hosted on YourSAy from 2 April to 27 April 2020. Below is a record of the engagement.


We want your feedback on the draft regulations for the new Landscape South Australia Act 2019. 

What’s being decided?

We are undertaking significant reform to improve how our landscapes and natural resources are managed.

From 1 July 2020, the new Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (the Act) will replace the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 (NRM) as the new framework for managing the state’s soil, water, pest animals and plants, and biodiversity.

The Landscape SA

Consultation Process


Now Closed

This online engagement was hosted on YourSAy from 2 April to 27 April 2020. Below is a record of the engagement.


We want your feedback on the draft regulations for the new Landscape South Australia Act 2019. 

What’s being decided?

We are undertaking significant reform to improve how our landscapes and natural resources are managed.

From 1 July 2020, the new Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (the Act) will replace the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 (NRM) as the new framework for managing the state’s soil, water, pest animals and plants, and biodiversity.

The Landscape SA summary explains what is included in the new Act.

As part of these changes, we have created landscape regulations to underpin the Act’s operation, including:

The regulations were prepared following a review by the Department for Environment and Water with input from other agencies who administer regulated matters.

Current NRM regulations still required under the new Act have been included in the new draft regulations with some operational improvements which aim to create a simpler and more accessible system. Other minor updates have also been made to ensure consistency with the new Act. The Key changes under the new draft regulations tab provides an overview of these improvements

To help you understand what these changes mean to you, we have also put together a Regulations explanatory paper.

Get involved

To provide your feedback, read the Regulations explanatory paper, the key changes under the new draft regulations and view the three draft regulations summaries:

Then have your say:

  • Join the online discussion
  • Complete one or more of the online surveys:
    • Landscape South Australia (General) Regulations 2020 survey
    • Landscape South Australia (Water Management) Regulations 2020 survey
    • Landscape South Australia (Fees) Notice 2020 survey
  • Email your feedback to Landscapeservices@sa.gov.au
  • Post your feedback to:

The Governance Officer
Landscape Services
Department for Environment and Water
GPO Box 1047
Adelaide SA 5001

How can your input influence the decision?

Your feedback will be used to finalise the Landscape SA regulations.

What are the next steps?

Your feedback will inform the development of the final regulations. A feedback report will be made available via this website following the consultation.

The regulations will be operational at the full commencement of the Act on 1 July 2020.

Once finalised, the regulations will be available on the South Australian Legislation website.

You can keep informed by subscribing to the landscape reform updates.

Contact details

For general enquiries, please email LandscapeServices@sa.gov.au

Closing date: 5pm, Monday 27 April



Background


Now Closed

This online engagement was hosted on YourSAy from 2 April to 27 April 2020. Below is a record of the engagement.


The new Act enables the establishment of new regional landscape boards and eight new regional landscape boards have been established to administer the new Act. A new entity Green Adelaide will also bring an integrated approach to managing Adelaide’s urban environment.

The new legislation will give communities and landholders a greater voice in managing their landscapes including the opportunity to elect three out of seven board members from 2022. Landscape SA also includes a Grassroots Grants program and the flexibility for levy funding to be distributed from Green Adelaide to regional South Australia through a Landscape Priorities Fund.

Presiding Members have been appointed to lead each of the eight new regional landscape boards by the Minister for Environment and Water. Single member national resource management (NRM) boards will be responsible for administering the NRM Act until it ceases and new regional landscape boards will administer full statutory responsibilities under the new Act when it fully commences on 1 July 2020.

To ensure certainty and a smooth transition for communities and land users across the regions, current regional services in the management of natural resources will continue to be delivered until 1 July 2020.

For more information, including the Act, policy overview and FAQs, visit the Landscape South Australia website.

Consultation has concluded

  • Regulations approved

    The Landscape South Australia (General) Regulations 2020 and the Landscape South Australia (Water Management) Regulations 2020 were approved by the Governor in Executive Council and brought into operation on 1 July 2020.

    The Landscape South Australia (Fees) Notice 2020 was approved by the Minister for Environment and Water and brought into operation on 1 July 2020.

  • Key changes under the new draft regulations

    Now Closed

    This online engagement was hosted on YourSAy from 2 April to 27 April 2020. Below is a record of the engagement.


    Current NRM regulations still required under the new Act have been replicated in the new draft regulations.

    The opportunity has been taken to improve the operation of some existing regulations and create some new regulations to align with the landscape reform policy directions such as red tape reduction, streamlining and creating a simpler and more accessible system.

    Some minor updates have also been made to ensure consistency with the new Act. For example, the requirements to provide notice in newspapers in regards to applications for permits or approvals have been replaced with more flexible public notification requirements.

    Below are the key changes and improvements that are being made under the new draft regulations for the new Act.

    Levy collection arrangements

    Additional measures have been included in the draft regulations to further the Minister for Environment and Water’s commitment to create an efficient, cost effective and simplified process for councils to be reimbursed for the costs associated with levy collection or debt recovery. This includes new arrangements for councils to be reimbursed for unpaid land levies and costs associated with transitioning to the new landscape levy collection arrangements. Cost recovery arrangements for councils to claim costs for levy collection have also been streamlined.

    Water licensing and planning arrangements

    To improve water licensing and planning outcomes, new draft regulations provide:

    • Greater flexibility in relation to separation (unbundling) of water rights, and
    • Clarify the ability for appropriate water management arrangements to be adopted in water planning based on stakeholder feedback.

    Pest plants and animal control measures

    Increased flexibility is provided to improve responsiveness to the management or control of pest plants and animals including through provision for control measures to be declared by notice in the Gazette rather than only by regulations, and for exemptions to apply for movement or release of declared animals or plants in a broader range of circumstances where the control risk can be effectively managed.

    Annual reporting

    To ensure transparency and accountability, in addition to matters required under the Act, board annual reports will need to include an assessment of the extent to which the board has succeeded in implementing its business plan, any water allocation plans, and policies, as well as meeting attendance by board members, any changes to board functions and delegations.

    Fees

    To reduce red tape and transaction costs associated with water licensing-related applications, clarifications have been made under the new draft regulations to allow no technical assessment fee to apply in instances where scientific assessments are not required.

    Streamlined requirements

    In delivering a legislative framework that is more focussed on outcomes rather than prescriptive processes and to enable processes to evolve over time, certain existing provisions or processes are now set out in regulations rather than the Act. This includes offences that the Environment, Resources and Development Court has jurisdiction to hear, matters that may be considered in confidence at board meetings, and certain requirements for consultation and approval of plans and policies.