Engineering Requirements for Land Division

Consultation has concluded

Have your say on proposed engineering requirements for land division, which aim to streamline assessment processes and enable more houses to be built faster across South Australia’s growth areas.

What's being decided?

The draft Design Standard 1 – Engineering Requirements for Land Division provides technical guidance, building on existing planning rules to deliver more transparent and consistent design standards, construction specifications and infrastructure costs for land divisions.

The draft engineering design standard specifies:

  • pavement design
  • stormwater design
  • road design
  • road corridor design
  • service infrastructure
  • water sensitive urban design
  • street landscaping including trees.

The draft engineering design standard also provides pathways for considering climate resilient design and a suite of standard drawings for use in design and construction to significantly reduce assessment timeframes.

A draft technical manual has also been prepared, underpinning the design standard and providing detailed, best-practice engineering specifications for these types of infrastructure, which is also available for feedback.

The draft engineering design standard applies to land division for large residential developments in Master Planned Zones that includes constructing a public road or infrastructure that will become council property.

Background

Design standards are a new planning instrument that support the Planning and Design Code by promoting good design in our streets, parks and other public places, help manage the interface between public and private realms and contribute to delivering high-quality infrastructure as part of new developments.

This engineering design standard is set to be the first design standard adopted under the new South Australian planning system, which was adopted in March 2021.

The State Planning Commission worked closely with South Australian government agencies, councils and industry to prepare the draft engineering design standard.

Standard engineering requirements provide developers, councils and community with greater certainty, clarity and consistency for civil infrastructure design, assessment and construction across the state’s growth areas.

Introducing consistent engineering standards for infrastructure not only aims to streamline assessment processes and reduce approval times but also reduce costs for new residential developments.

This is part of the South Australian Government’s Housing Roadmap to deliver more homes for South Australians.

Get involved

Learn more by reading:

Find out more by:

Have your say by:

Hard copies of the draft design standard, technical manual and standard drawings are available for viewing during standard business hours at level 9, 83 Pirie Street, Adelaide.

What are the next steps?

We will consider all feedback in finalising Design Standard 1 – Engineering Requirements for Land Division, technical manual and standard drawings.

All feedback will be captured in an engagement report that will be provided to the State Planning Commission and the Minister for Planning 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 personal addresses, email addresses and phone numbers will be redacted.

Have your say on proposed engineering requirements for land division, which aim to streamline assessment processes and enable more houses to be built faster across South Australia’s growth areas.

What's being decided?

The draft Design Standard 1 – Engineering Requirements for Land Division provides technical guidance, building on existing planning rules to deliver more transparent and consistent design standards, construction specifications and infrastructure costs for land divisions.

The draft engineering design standard specifies:

  • pavement design
  • stormwater design
  • road design
  • road corridor design
  • service infrastructure
  • water sensitive urban design
  • street landscaping including trees.

The draft engineering design standard also provides pathways for considering climate resilient design and a suite of standard drawings for use in design and construction to significantly reduce assessment timeframes.

A draft technical manual has also been prepared, underpinning the design standard and providing detailed, best-practice engineering specifications for these types of infrastructure, which is also available for feedback.

The draft engineering design standard applies to land division for large residential developments in Master Planned Zones that includes constructing a public road or infrastructure that will become council property.

Background

Design standards are a new planning instrument that support the Planning and Design Code by promoting good design in our streets, parks and other public places, help manage the interface between public and private realms and contribute to delivering high-quality infrastructure as part of new developments.

This engineering design standard is set to be the first design standard adopted under the new South Australian planning system, which was adopted in March 2021.

The State Planning Commission worked closely with South Australian government agencies, councils and industry to prepare the draft engineering design standard.

Standard engineering requirements provide developers, councils and community with greater certainty, clarity and consistency for civil infrastructure design, assessment and construction across the state’s growth areas.

Introducing consistent engineering standards for infrastructure not only aims to streamline assessment processes and reduce approval times but also reduce costs for new residential developments.

This is part of the South Australian Government’s Housing Roadmap to deliver more homes for South Australians.

Get involved

Learn more by reading:

Find out more by:

Have your say by:

Hard copies of the draft design standard, technical manual and standard drawings are available for viewing during standard business hours at level 9, 83 Pirie Street, Adelaide.

What are the next steps?

We will consider all feedback in finalising Design Standard 1 – Engineering Requirements for Land Division, technical manual and standard drawings.

All feedback will be captured in an engagement report that will be provided to the State Planning Commission and the Minister for Planning 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 personal addresses, email addresses and phone numbers will be redacted.

Consultation has concluded

  • Draft engineering requirements for land division - stage 2 consultation

    The State Planning Commission is seeking feedback on the final draft engineering requirements for land division.

    This is the second stage of consultation, following a comprehensive review of the initial draft engineering design standard and associated documents released for consultation in May 2025.

    As a result of the feedback received during the initial consultation, substantial changes are proposed, including:

    • streamlining the draft engineering design standard to only specify requirements for matters assessed during land division consent and removing references to the technical manual to make it clear whether design requirements have been met
    • updating Practice Direction 12 – Conditions to introduce mandatory conditions to land division consents (where the design standard applies), to reduce the need for detailed information up-front and enable negotiation with councils at the detailed design phase
    • introducing draft PDI (General) (Land Division Design Standard) Amendment Regulations to make the design standard’s role in land division assessment clearer, as well as amending land division requirements
    • revising the draft technical manual and standard drawings, limiting their role in the assessment process to one of the ways to satisfy mandatory conditions and to provide best-practice guidance for land division design and construction.

    Aspects such as climate resilient design and active transport have also been moved from the design standard and included in the technical manual to ensure updates can be made easily, in-line with contemporary best practice.

    Visit the YourSAy consultation page to have your say on the draft engineering requirements for land division, including the draft engineering design standard, technical manual, standard drawings, regulations and practice direction. Consultation closes Thursday, 21 May 2026.

    The State Planning Commission is seeking feedback on the final draft engineering requirements for land division.

    This is the second stage of consultation, following a comprehensive review of the initial draft engineering design standard and associated documents released for consultation in May 2025.

    As a result of the feedback received during the initial consultation, substantial changes are proposed, including:

    • streamlining the draft engineering design standard to only specify requirements for matters assessed during land division consent and removing references to the technical manual to make it clear whether design requirements have been met
    • updating Practice Direction 12 – Conditions to introduce mandatory conditions to land division consents (where the design standard applies), to reduce the need for detailed information up-front and enable negotiation with councils at the detailed design phase
    • introducing draft PDI (General) (Land Division Design Standard) Amendment Regulations to make the design standard’s role in land division assessment clearer, as well as amending land division requirements
    • revising the draft technical manual and standard drawings, limiting their role in the assessment process to one of the ways to satisfy mandatory conditions and to provide best-practice guidance for land division design and construction.

    Aspects such as climate resilient design and active transport have also been moved from the design standard and included in the technical manual to ensure updates can be made easily, in-line with contemporary best practice.

    Visit the YourSAy consultation page to have your say on the draft engineering requirements for land division, including the draft engineering design standard, technical manual, standard drawings, regulations and practice direction. Consultation closes Thursday, 21 May 2026.

    Consultation has concluded

  • Engineering design standard: what we heard

    Consultation on the draft engineering requirements for land division was open from 20 May to 15 July 2025.

    More than 90 submissions were received from councils, industry, state government agencies, planning professionals and the community.

    View a summary of what we heard during the consultation.

    All feedback on the draft Design Standard 1 – Engineering Requirements for Land Division, the technical manual and standard drawings is now being collated and carefully considered.

    Further work will be undertaken in response to feedback regarding aspects of the design standard’s operation and technical details in the documents.

    Consultation on the draft engineering requirements for land division was open from 20 May to 15 July 2025.

    More than 90 submissions were received from councils, industry, state government agencies, planning professionals and the community.

    View a summary of what we heard during the consultation.

    All feedback on the draft Design Standard 1 – Engineering Requirements for Land Division, the technical manual and standard drawings is now being collated and carefully considered.

    Further work will be undertaken in response to feedback regarding aspects of the design standard’s operation and technical details in the documents.

    Consultation has concluded