Commission projects

The State Planning Commission is progressing a range of projects that will enhance the planning system and consider the future needs and growth of South Australia and its communities.

Roadmaps of the Commission’s in-progress and completed projects from its 2022-23 Work Plan are available:

The State Planning Commission is committed to ensuring that the planning system is responsive to climate change.

The Planning for Climate Change brochure outlines how the planning system can respond to climate change risks and the specific planning projects we have implemented and planned to address climate change challenges and take advantage of climate-related opportunities.

The Commission has already implemented a range of important environment and climate related policies as part of the new planning system including:

  • ‘State Planning Policy 5: Climate Change’ – the highest level of planning policy in the new system that addresses the key strategic priorities for South Australia.
  • New residential infill policies to encourage tree planting, soft landscaping and stormwater detention and reuse to be incorporated into residential development.
  • Water Sensitive Urban Design for commercial, master planned residential and infill development.
  • New Native Vegetation Overlays to ensure removal is considered upfront in a planning assessment.
  • A range of Overlays protecting key environmental assets, such as coastal areas, watercourses, and the River Murray, including referrals to relevant state agencies.
  • Environmental performance policies for large scale mixed-use and commercial development.
  • Improved hazard mapping through the creation of overlays for bushfire, coastal and terrestrial flooding, and acid sulfate soils.
  • Promotion of walkable communities by promoting a greater mix of land uses in suburban areas, and a continued focus on infill development in well serviced locations.
  • Updated renewable energy policy to reflect new forms of energy generation and storage and policy to address overshadowing of solar panels.

In addition, there are a range of climate change initiatives currently being progressed by the Commission and Department, including:

Each of these projects will further improve climate related policies in the Planning and Design Code and continue to position South Australia as a leader in the development of planning policies in response to climate change.

Co-housing Project

A significant number of older residents face few choices to ‘downsize’ in their current neighbourhood when their housing no longer suits their needs or when they wish to avoid living alone.

The State Planning Commission worked in partnership with the Office for Ageing Well, the University of South Australia (UniSA) along with the Cities of Unley, Burnside, Prospect and Walkerville on a co-housing project to test what housing options might be possible in response to the needs of older residents. The project involved four detailed design studies focusing on new opportunities for existing housing.

This project, significant in its scope and broad in its application, for the first time explored a major gap in housing opportunities – the ‘missing middle’ of Adelaide’s older suburbs. The project responded to demographic data that illustrated by 2036 that one in three households in South Australia is anticipated to have just one occupant, many of whom will be over the age of 65.

The project investigated how existing older houses in Adelaide might be altered and extended to create one or more additional dwellings on an existing site to create socially cohesive co-housing arrangements for older residents wishing to stay in their own home – often referred to as ‘ageing in place’.

In May 2021, the ‘Co-housing for Ageing Well Project’ won the Community Partnerships and Collaboration category of the Local Government Professionals Australia’s SA Leadership Excellence Awards Program and has been shortlisted as a finalist the 5thGuangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation.

Future Living Code Amendment

A key recommendation of the ‘Cohousing for Ageing Well Project' was to amend the Planning and Design Code or the ‘planning rules’ to recognise co-located housing as a distinct type of development.

The draft Future Living Code Amendment achieves this by proposing to introduce a new ‘Co-located Housing Overlay’ and ‘co-located housing’ land use definition into the Planning and Design Code.

The South Australian Government has worked in partnership with the University of South Australia, Alexandrina Council, City of Unley, Town of Walkerville, City of Campbelltown, City of Burnside and City of Prospect to develop the draft Code Amendment.

While this new form of housing was conceived for older people wishing to downsize in their own community, co-located housing is expected to appeal to a range of South Australians looking for more diverse, small affordable housing options.

The State Planning Commission is seeking feedback on the draft Future Living Code Amendment by 7 November 2024.

For more information on the draft Code Amendment, the proposed co-located housing model and how to share your feedback, visit the YourSAy website.

The monitoring of land supply and demand is a core activity of Planning and Land Use Services (PLUS) within the Department for Trade and Investment. The Land Supply Report (LSR) for Greater Adelaide is a component of our Growth Management Program and provides data and information on land supply and demand. The LSR was formally called the Metropolitan Growth Management Plan, but has been renamed to better reflect its role in the broader management of growth and development across the State. The key components of the Growth Management Program are outlined below:

Growth Management Plan: Land Supply Reports; Population Projections; Regional Plans; Code Amendments; EFPA and CPD other policy reviews; On-line mapping & reporting tool (accessible information)

The LSR provides a point in time analysis of residential and employment land development trends, projected demand and land supply. This information will be used by the State Planning Commission as an evidence base to determine the capacity of the land use planning system to provide an adequate supply of appropriate land to meet market demand. The LSR does not make recommendations about the need for, or timing of, Code Amendments.

The LSR is being developed in four parts and is structured as follows:

  • Background and Context
  • Part 1:Greenfield
  • Part 2: Urban Infill
  • Part 3: Employment Lands

The LSR has been prepared with inputs from other key government agencies (Renewal SA, Housing SA, Department for Infrastructure and Transport). The LSR will be updated annually to provide contemporary data and information about growth and development across Greater Adelaide. The current Land Supply Reports for Greater Adelaide are available on the PlanSA portal.

In 2021, the State Planning Commission initiated the ‘Open Space and Trees Project’ to better understand the use and benefits of open space and trees in an urban context, and the impact of infill development on our urban tree canopy.

The Project aimed to provide the Commission with a suitable evidence base to inform planning policy review relating to open space and trees in urban contexts.

The issues and opportunities to be considered within the Project included:

  • the impact of climate change and the ‘urban heat effect’
  • open space and urban greening policy and its contemporary relevance
  • loss of urban trees as a result of infill development
  • the potential imbalance between the value of regulated and significant trees, and the penalties which apply for their removal
  • inappropriate tree species included (or excluded) as regulated and significant trees.

The Project was undertaken in three parts:

Part 1: Review of regulated tree species and off-set contributions

Review trees that are exempt from regulated tree controls and quantify an appropriate off-set contribution for the removal of regulated and significant trees.

Part 2: Broader review of regulated and significant tree regulations

Undertake a comprehensive review of regulated and significant tree regulations and legislative measures.

Part 3: Review of urban greening and impact of infill development

Review the impact of infill development and the operation of the Commission’s ‘infill tree policy’ within the Planning and Design Code following 12 months of operation, with reference to the new Urban Tree Canopy Off-set Scheme. This review includes the fees set under the Scheme and the spatial application of the Scheme.

Additionally, as part of the preparation of the new 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide, commencing in 2022, the Commission will review the tree canopy target in light of data and methodologies available, and further investigate how the planning and development system can further urban greening outcomes.

Project progress

Part 1: During 2021, a desktop review of the regulatory tree controls was undertaken by Planning and Land Use Services (PLUS).

In addition, an Arborist Report (PDF, 8391 KB) was commissioned, which contains a detailed analysis of tree species exemptions undertaken in consultation with Green Adelaide, the Department for Environment and Water, and the State Herbarium and Botanic Gardens.

Part 2: In 2022, a broader review of regulated and significant tree regulations occurred.

A separate Research Report (PDF, 3334 KB) from the Environmental Institute of the University of Adelaide was commissioned to provide data and analysis of South Australia’s tree protections, as compared to other Australian states and territories including the size of trees protected and the various exemptions which currently apply.

The Commission provided advice to the Minister for Planning to finalise Part 1 and Part 2 of the Project. This included advice that:

  • the size of tree protection triggers is too generous
  • the exemption for trees located within 10 metres of a dwelling or swimming pool is too broad
  • the offset fees for the removal of regulated or significant trees are inadequate
  • the exempt tree species list should be reviewed

In May 2024, the Government implemented all of the Commission’s recommendations through amendments to the Planning, Development and Infrastructure (General) Regulations 2017.

Part 3: This part of the Project has been superseded by the Minister’s request for the Commission to undertake a comprehensive package of tree policy work. This package will also seek to implement recommendations from the planning system review by the Government’s Expert Panel.

Next steps

Following changes to regulated and significant tree regulations in May 2024, the Minister for Planning has requested the Commission to undertake a program of tree policy work, including:

  • prepare a design standard to provide minimum urban tree planting and maintenance requirements for public areas in greenfield developments
  • amend planning rules to also consider a tree’s urban canopy contribution as part of assessing whether it can be removed
  • strengthen planning rules to support design innovation and flexibility to retain large trees
  • investigate an appropriate assessment pathway for trees within 3 to 10  metres of a dwelling or swimming pool where offset fees are paid
  • extend urban tree canopy requirements to greenfield developments in ‘Master Planned Neighbourhood Zones’ and townships
  • extend regulated and significant tree protections to townships, capturing urban areas beyond metropolitan Adelaide.

The Commission will continue this important tree policy work through 2024, as part of its ongoing work on strategic Code Amendments.

One of the key priorities in the State Planning Commission’s Strategic Plan 2022-23 is to plan for growth and change by leading the development of Regional Plans across South Australia including a new 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide.

Regional Plans set the direction for future planning and development of South Australia and fulfil the vision of the State Planning Policies.

Each Regional Plan provides a long-term vision (over a 15 to 30 year period) for the region or area, including provisions about the integration of land use, transport infrastructure and the public realm.

Under the PDI Act, South Australia is divided into 7 Planning Regions (PDF, 8312 KB) which were proclaimed by the Governor on 19 March 2020:

Research on the next generation of Regional Plans has already commenced. Although all Regional Plans will be undertaken concurrently, the 6 Country Plans are expected to be completed prior to the Greater Adelaide Plan.

Whilst work is being undertaken on preparing a new Regional Plan for each of the Planning Regions, the existing South Australian Regional Planning Strategies continue to apply.

Learn more about Regional Plans on the PlanSA portal.

As part of the Expert Panel’s review of the planning system, the State Planning Commission has put forward a proposal to better preserve SA’s valuable character streetscapes.

The proposal includes:

  1. Elevate Character Areas to Historic Areas

    Support and facilitate councils to undertake Code Amendments to elevate existing Character Areas to Historic Areas (where appropriate justification has been provided). This option will allow demolition controls to apply across a broader area of the state, while still maintaining the integrity and consistency of the Planning and Design Code. Councils would be required to consult with their communities on any proposed Code Amendments to elevate character areas to historic areas.

  2. Character Area Statement Updates

    Support and facilitate councils to review and update their Character Area Statements (and Historic Area Statements) to address identified gaps or deficiencies. This might include updating themes of importance, incorporating additional design elements, and including illustrations where appropriate. These enhanced Statements will provide a stronger focus on design which is bespoke to local character and heritage areas and will provide better tools for assessment of character and heritage values.

In addition, current heritage and character guidance material will be updated by the Department to assist councils in undertaking character and heritage Code Amendments and the assessment of development in character and historic areas.

Importantly, the Expert Panel and the Minister for Planning are fully supportive of the Commission’s proposal to better protect SA’s character areas and have agreed to implement two aspects: the elevation of Character Areas and updates to Character Area Statements.

The community’s views on further changes to Character and Historic Areas will be sought during the Expert Panel’s formal consultation period.

Visit Heritage and character | PlanSA for further information or download the Heritage and Character Brochure (PDF, 13495 KB).