On 1 August 2017, the State Planning Commission assumed the functions of the Development Policy Advisory Committee (DPAC).
Any functions previously performed by the DPAC are now the responsibility of the Commission, through appointing a Hearing Panel as necessary to deal with the matter.
In accordance with section 29(1)(c) of the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (PDI Act), the Commission can appoint a Hearing Panel or a committee as necessary to act on its behalf to carry out designated functions or the exercise of its powers.
Heritage Sub-Committee
In April 2020, the State Planning Commission appointed a specialist Heritage Sub-Committee for a period of two years.
In April 2022, the State Planning Commission re-established the Heritage Sub-Committee for another term, expiring on 27 April 2025.
The Heritage Sub-Committee is responsible for providing advice to the State Planning Commission relating to the listing of Local Heritage Places, and/or additional areas to be included in the Historic Area Overlay in the Planning and Design Code, including at the Proposal to Initiate stage of a Code Amendment under section 73 of the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016.
At the final stage of the Code Amendment process, members may hear and consider submissions from owners of proposed Local Heritage Places, objectors to proposed listings and/or affected councils.
Members will provide advice to the State Planning Commission on how to proceed with proposed listings as prescribed in Practice Direction 2 – Preparation and Amendments of Designated Instruments.
Members will also provide advice to the State Planning Commission on other heritage matters as requested by the State Planning Commission.
The Heritage Sub-Committee membership is as follows, with three members required to consider each proposed Code Amendment:
- Stephanie Johnston (Chair) (Member of the State Planning Commission)
- Bruce Harry
- Deborah Lindsay
- Ron Danvers
- Elizabeth Little
- Jenny Newman
- Dr Louise Bird (DEW)
- Anna Pope (DEW)
- Michael Queale (DEW).
Building Fire Safety Committee (BFSC)
Local government councils are required through the provisions of the Planning, Development & Infrastructure Act 2016 (PDI Act) to form a Building Fire Safety Committee (BFSC) to take on the role of investigating building fire safety.
Councils play an important role in protecting the safety of people that visit, live and use buildings. To ensure buildings are safe to use, it is important that fire safety items installed as part of the building approvals are operational and maintained.
The BFSC are responsible for undertaking delegated building-related fire safety investigation functions in protecting the ongoing safety of building occupiers and users and ensuring building owners are maintaining proper levels of fire safety for the protection of all who use these buildings regularly and/or occasionally.
On 24 October 2019, the State Planning Commission established the Building Fire Safety Committee (BFSC) for Out of Council Areas as an ‘appropriate authority’ for the purposes of section 157 of the PDI Act to review and monitor building fire safety in South Australia’s out-of-council areas.
Prior to establishing the BFSC for Out of Council Areas, the Commission assumed these responsibilities and functions for out-of-council areas – a role that was previously the responsibility of the Development Assessment Commission under the Development Act 1993.
Under section 157(17) of the PDI Act, the Commission has appointed the following members to the BFSC for Out of Council Areas:
- Jodie Evans (Chair)
- Colin Paton (CFS Fire Safety Officer)
- Emma Bradley (Senior Building Officer)
- Mark Brown (Outback Communities Expert)
Hearing Panels
There are no Hearing Panels currently appointed by the State Planning Commission.