Draft engineering requirements for land division - stage 2 consultation

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

What's being decided?

The State Planning Commission has prepared the final draft engineering design standard for land division, which provides technical guidance and builds on existing planning rules to deliver more transparent and consistent design standards, construction specifications and infrastructure costs for land division.

The draft Design Standard 1 – Engineering Requirements for Land Division applies to land division for large residential developments in Master Planned Zones, including constructing a public road or infrastructure that will become council property.

It specifies requirements for:

  • road and pavement design
  • stormwater design
  • stormwater quality
  • earthworks
  • service infrastructure
  • street landscaping, including trees.

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.

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 set out clear, consistent requirements for infrastructure as part of new developments.

This engineering design standard for land division would be the first design standard to be adopted under the new South Australian planning system, which was adopted in March 2021.

It incorporates previous work relating to a design standard for residential driveway crossovers.

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

Introducing consistent infrastructure standards also aims to reduce costs for new residential developments.

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

The Commission has decided to reconsult on the updated draft engineering design standard and associated documents because significant changes have been made to the initial documents, and due to the importance of ensuring the engineering design standard supports timely and efficient land division assessment and housing delivery.

Get involved

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, by Thursday, 21 May 2026.

Learn more by reading the:

Find out more by:

Have your say by:

If you would like to view hard copies of the draft design standard, technical manual, standard drawings, regulations and practice direction contact us during standard business hours to arrange a time.

What are the next steps?

We will consider all feedback in finalising Design Standard 1 – Engineering Requirements for Land Division, technical manual, standard drawings and associated changes to the regulations and Practice Direction 12 – Conditions.

All feedback from both the first stage and this second stage of consultation 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.


Note: The version of the draft technical manual published for consultation was updated on 13 April. This version includes a revised format and structure to improve navigation and referencing, more streamlined information regarding water sensitive design and removed sections regarding construction and environmental management plans. This replaces an outdated version published on 9 April.

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

What's being decided?

The State Planning Commission has prepared the final draft engineering design standard for land division, which provides technical guidance and builds on existing planning rules to deliver more transparent and consistent design standards, construction specifications and infrastructure costs for land division.

The draft Design Standard 1 – Engineering Requirements for Land Division applies to land division for large residential developments in Master Planned Zones, including constructing a public road or infrastructure that will become council property.

It specifies requirements for:

  • road and pavement design
  • stormwater design
  • stormwater quality
  • earthworks
  • service infrastructure
  • street landscaping, including trees.

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.

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 set out clear, consistent requirements for infrastructure as part of new developments.

This engineering design standard for land division would be the first design standard to be adopted under the new South Australian planning system, which was adopted in March 2021.

It incorporates previous work relating to a design standard for residential driveway crossovers.

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

Introducing consistent infrastructure standards also aims to reduce costs for new residential developments.

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

The Commission has decided to reconsult on the updated draft engineering design standard and associated documents because significant changes have been made to the initial documents, and due to the importance of ensuring the engineering design standard supports timely and efficient land division assessment and housing delivery.

Get involved

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, by Thursday, 21 May 2026.

Learn more by reading the:

Find out more by:

Have your say by:

If you would like to view hard copies of the draft design standard, technical manual, standard drawings, regulations and practice direction contact us during standard business hours to arrange a time.

What are the next steps?

We will consider all feedback in finalising Design Standard 1 – Engineering Requirements for Land Division, technical manual, standard drawings and associated changes to the regulations and Practice Direction 12 – Conditions.

All feedback from both the first stage and this second stage of consultation 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.


Note: The version of the draft technical manual published for consultation was updated on 13 April. This version includes a revised format and structure to improve navigation and referencing, more streamlined information regarding water sensitive design and removed sections regarding construction and environmental management plans. This replaces an outdated version published on 9 April.

Page last updated: 13 Apr 2026, 03:36 PM