Repeal of the Development Act 1993

Did you know that South Australia has recently undergone the biggest modernisation of its planning system in 20 years? While it’s been a few years in the making, the Development Act 1993 has now been fully repealed and replaced with the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016.

The implementation has taken place over three phases, beginning in July 2019. The main feature of this new Act is the introduction of the new Planning and Design Code, through which development applications will be managed through a 24/7, online ‘ePlanning’ portal.

The first phase was essentially a test, piloting the new planning system in South Australia’s outback, which are ‘out of council’ areas. Despite this area making up 70% of South Australia, the population here is minimal. This made it a great place to test out how the new process would work in areas that are key to driving our economy, particularly when it comes to mining, food production and energy generation. The other benefit of piloting the new Act here is that these areas are managed by state government, resulting in minimal impact to councils.

After seeing success with the new Act in the outback, phase 2 commenced in July 2020, with the implementation of the Act in rural council areas with small towns and settlements.

As of 19 March 2021, Phase 3 of the implementation commenced in urban areas, with the previous Development Act 1993 officially repealed and completely replaced by the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016.

So what are the benefits of this new planning system? One of the key benefits is that we now have a state-wide approach to planning, with the consolidation of 72 complex development plans into one easy-to-understand set of rules. There are also plenty of other benefits including:

  • A collaborative, long-term strategic planning direction for South Australia
  • More opportunities for South Australians to help shape their community
  • An easy to use, online ePlanning system, with one centralised placed for the whole state’s planning and development matters
  • A focus on better quality design
  • Easier to monitor the performance of planning activity
  • Protecting our environment and important agricultural assets.

Looking for more information on this Act and how it might apply to you? Get in touch with us and we’d be happy to point you in the right direction.