Proposed SA planning shake-up to allow more response time to local development applications

South Australians will get increased time and opportunity to respond to development applications in their neighbourhoods under a proposed planning shake-up.

South Australians would have increased time and opportunity to respond to development applications in their neighbourhoods under a proposed planning shake-up.

Draft regulations released by Planning Minister Stephan Knoll include extending the existing 10-day consultation to 15 days for simple applications, and to 20 days for complex ones.

Planning Minister Stephan Knoll

The regulations will build on sweeping planning reforms passed by the former Labor government, that will come into effect gradually from mid this year.

The proposed changes would extend the amount of people allowed to provide a submission to a development, permitting anyone who saw a sign outside a proposed development to do so, instead of limiting it to people who share a fence line with a proposal.

“This is a win for communities where more people will be able to have their say on projects slated for their local area,” Mr Knoll said.

As revealed by The Advertiser in October, the proposal would also allow for new homes to be automatically approved if councils take too long to make a decision.

Mr Knoll said the improvements would save homeowners time and money and a proposal to fast track modifications like cubby houses and wood ovens would allow them to make home improvements more easily.

“The proposed changes will unlock investment, and enable desirable development to happen more quickly,” he said.

Consultation on the proposed regulations closes on February 22.

The planning changes will be introduced in outback SA from the middle of the year, in regional SA from late this year and in metropolitan areas by mid-2020.

Labor planning spokesman Tony Piccolo said he welcomed measures that reduced red tape but said planning “must not be a rubber stamp”.

“I will be talking with relevant stakeholders … about these proposed reforms to ensure we get the balance right,” he said.