The Marshall Liberal Government is seeking community feedback on a suite of changes to the way development applications are lodged and assessed, which are aimed at unlocking investment and speeding up development.
The changes form part of the biggest modernisation of the planning and development system in 20 years, which will commence later this year.
“The improvements in development assessment will not only save home-owner’s time and money, it will enable them to make improvements to their property more easily,” said Minister for Planning, Stephan Knoll.
“The proposed changes will unlock investment, and enable desirable development to happen more quickly.”
Chair of the State Planning Commission Michael Lennon said the current development assessment process has become unnecessarily complex and confusing for applicants.
“The changes bring common sense into the planning and development system and ensure proposals that have a higher profile and interest for the community are the focus of professional and rigorous assessment”, said Mr Lennon.
The new development assessment system will also mean that:
- simple and expected proposals will no longer require an assessment
- timeframes to move developments through the system will be shortened
- publicly-notified development will require site signage, enabling the community see what development is proposed in their local neighbourhoods
- there will be new ways to tailor an application process to suit the applicant.
“The improvements will ensure every development application undergoes an assessment process that is commensurate with its complexity, freeing up simple development and ensuring that complex development undergoes appropriate due diligence,” said Minister Knoll.
“Crucially, planning authorities will be required to process development applications within set timelines, creating more accountability in the system. This will mean that applicants who do not receive a decision from their planning authority within the required timeframe will be able to apply for automatic consent.”
The changes to the way development assessment is done in South Australia will be introduced from mid-2019 in the outback before commencing in regional council areas from late-2019 and metropolitan council areas by mid-2020. By this time, South Australia’s new assessment process and planning system will be fully operational across the state.
From late-2019, applicants will be able to prepare, lodge and track their applications 24-7 from the comfort of their own homes, via the SA Planning Portal.
The regulations that will guide the new development assessment system are on public consultation from 16 January to 1 March 2019.
South Australians are encouraged to get involved by visiting:
