Local Government Association of SA warns local voice will be lost in proposed planning reforms
PLANNING reforms must “nail” good design, says the Local Government Association which is concerned about councils’ reduced role in shaping their neighbourhoods.
COUNCILS must be given a stronger role in designing their neighbourhoods under proposed reforms of the state’s planning system, the Local Government Association of SA says.
The state’s peak council body has also warned that a proposed planning and design code — which will replace 72 council development plans with a single planning assessment rule book — is weak on enforcing good design.
The State Government says the code, out for public consultation, will streamline the development assessment process and increase certainty around planning decisions.
But in a submission the LGA, which broadly supports the intention of the code, says the proposed new policy will reduce council involvement in the development of local planning policy.
“This makes South Australia inconsistent with all other states in Australia, where a stronger role for council in planning for their areas is provided for,” the submission says, adding there has been a lack of “true collaboration” with local government in developing the code.
“Sensible local policy (variations to the statewide policy library) is fundamental in achieving development which maintains the identity and character of local areas.”
The LGA also says the new planning system has created “high council and community expectations” of legally-enforceable design outcomes.
“It is disappointing to note that following the considerable work and consultation undertaking to develop design guidelines … there appears to be no clear mechanism to incorporate these within the planning and design code,” the LGA says.
“This raises uncertainty about the extent to which good design outcomes can (be) enforced in the planning system, particularly in relation to higher density infill developments.”
The LGA has also requested that heritage conservation zones should be protected under any transition to the new code.
The government intends to have the new code in place by July 2020.
LGA executive director Public Affairs Lisa Teburea said it was crucial that the code has closer involvement of local government in developing planning policy.
“There’s strong community support for local government to be the local decision maker,” she said.
“There’s a risk in moving towards a standardisation that we are going to lose what’s valuable about local areas.”
She said the new design code must also “nail” design aspects of the planning system.
“If you are going to design a new planning system and at the end of it not have a system that delivers better design outcomes then you really have let everybody down,” she said.