Land And Transport Planning

Provide strategic land use and transport planning and development function supporting government policy and strategic objectives

A comprehensive review of South Australia’s 20 year old planning system and legislation by the Expert Panel on Planning Reform culminated in a final report with 22 wide-ranging recommendations. The report, The Planning System We Want, was the result of almost two years of consultative work aided by DIT specialists.

The State Government’s response includes a framework for investigating and implementing the recommendations. The department will progress the reforms and develop new planning legislation in continuing consultation with Councils, industry and community stakeholders. Planning reform is essential to underpin urban renewal, as well as support the State’s economic sustainability and competitiveness.

Continued planning reforms and streamlined assessment practices for the City of Adelaide and inner suburbs have been instrumental in unlocking over 100 development proposals with a combined estimated value of $4.2b since 2012. These projects have the potential to generate an estimated 55 400 jobs in the property industry and development sector.

The Inner City Metropolitan Development Assessment Committee, which is a subcommittee of the Development Assessment Commission (DAC) and determines applications for developments with a value of more than $10m in the city, granted Development Plan Consent to 22 projects with a combined estimated value of $805m.

To support private sector development and simplify regulation, the Government expanded the role of the Coordinator-General to coordinate development proposals with economic significance to the State and an investment value over $3m. This was backed up by changes to the Development Regulations 2008 enabling the Coordinator-General to assign the DAC as the planning authority for such proposals, and the expansion of DIT’s Case Management Service to help proponents navigate the planning and development system.

As a result, 32 proposals with a combined estimated value of $348m were considered eligible for assistance; of these, 11 proposals with a combined estimated value of $151.5m were granted Development Plan Consent. The estimated direct and indirect employment impact of this industry investment is about 2 121 full-time jobs during the construction phase alone.

A major project underway is the department’s Inner Metro Growth Project, which involves inner metro councils in planning for zoning changes to allow for a mix of new homes, offices and shops in key locations such as along existing transport corridors close to the CBD. The project aims to revitalise the inner suburbs, support improvements to roads and public transport, and reduce Adelaide’s spread into surrounding agricultural and natural areas.

The rezonings are being introduced through development plan amendments (DPAs) initiated by the Minister for Planning. Stage one of the project involved rezoning to increase building heights and housing density for key corridors; the value of Stage one development approved and under assessment at 30 June 2015 exceeded $338m. The second stage saw the initiation of the Inner and Middle Metropolitan Corridor Infill DPA, which extends the project to additional council areas.

A change to the Urban Renewal Act 1995 enabled the amendment of development plans to adopt precinct master plans and the assessment of developments in precincts established under the Act. Precinct business cases are to be submitted for consideration by the Minister for Housing and Urban Development.

The department also embarked on a comprehensive update of The 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide, which was first released in 2010. The Plan sets out ways to manage land to accommodate population growth and demographic change—such as an ageing population and smaller households—and guide decisions about where housing, jobs, transport and other infrastructure should be located.

The update will modify directions in the Plan to reflect current thinking around the regeneration of Adelaide’s existing suburbs in order to reduce expansion on the urban fringe, and new ways to unlock opportunities for investment, employment and economic growth. The first stage of the update involved early engagement with local Councils. The draft Plan will be released for wider public consultation in late 2015.

The draft Integrated Transport and Land Use Plan (ITLUP) was finalised in preparation for release in mid 2015. It will guide private, federal, state and local government decisions about improving, managing and sustaining the transport system for the next 30 years.

The Mount Barker, Littlehampton and Nairne Strategic Infrastructure Plan, released by the State Government and the District Council of Mount Barker, identifies the strategic infrastructure such as transport, power, water, education, health, emergency services, and community facilities, needed to support new urban growth in the area.