SA planning and design code final version to come into force across metropolitan Adelaide on March 19

A single set of rules for building planning will come into effect from March - overriding the existing ones from dozens of councils.

The State Government has today announced that its much-delayed new planning system will be fully operational across the state from March 19. Picture: Emma Brasier

Dozens of councils responsible for more than 90 per cent of the state’s planning applications will have their development policies scrapped and replaced with a single statewide rule book within weeks under a long-waited overhaul of the state’s planning system.

The State Government has today announced that its much-delayed new planning system will be fully operational across the state from March 19 requiring all applications lodged from that date to be assessed against a new planning and design code.

The document is already operating in regional and small council areas but from March 19 any applications lodged with 35 metropolitan and major regional councils - who handle more than 90 per cent of plannning applications - will have to be judged against the new planning blueprint.

The date is a watershed moment in a delayed, ambitious and in some quarters unpopular reform started by the former Labor government to overhaul and standardise planning policy across the state.

All applications will also need to be lodged through a new e-Planning portal, which will allow residents to type in their address to find out planning policies for their property.

The Advertiser understands that councils, building practitioners, developers and community groups will be privately briefed on the final code - which has been redrafted twice - before it goes live on March 19.

On that day a final report outlining the changes to the code in response to community feedback will also be made public.

The government claims the new planning system will provide a clear and consistent planning rule book, streamline planning policies and accelerating development assessment, while also allowing councils to consider local policies in determining applications.

But concern remains that the proposed code - which went through a further six weeks consultation late last year - will reduce appeal rights for neighbours, allow more housing subdivisions, allow commercial development in residential streets, accelerate tree loss and fails to lift the design quality of new housing.

The code has already been operating in Outback and small regional councils but the sticking point has been how the final code would apply to metropolitan and major regional municipalities.

The final phase of the reforms were anticipated to be in place by September, after an initial two-month delay, but Planning Minister Vickie Chapman pushed back the start date to the new year to allow more feedback after concerns the code was being rushed.

She said the code, which has been developed under the auspices of the State Planning Commission would improve “consistency and certainty” in development decision-making and assessment.

“It’s the biggest reform of planning in South Australia in 25 years and represents a whole

system transformation that will deliver contemporary policies via a modern digital system,”

she said.

She said councils and industry groups have seven weeks to ensure they were “business-ready” and prepared for the new planning system.

Ms Chapman revealed in November that the cost of the new planning system was set to hit $43.6m, almost double its initial costing

Commissioner Michael Lennon said the new system provided a better platform for “local, regional and state policy”.

“The public should be assured the new system preserves the best of our past and looks ahead in a balanced but sure-footed way,” he said.

Government planning staff will hod community sessions for the public demonstrating how the new online system works.