New Planning System Fees and Charges Released
Published Friday, 24 July 2020
New fees and charges associated with planning and development in South Australia have been announced. The new fee structure follows a full review of the fees, charges and contribution scheme by the State Government, under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure (PDI) Act.
The PDI (Fees, Charges and Contributions) Variation Regulations 2020 will now vary the PDI (Fees, Charges and Contributions) Regulations 2019 under the PDI Act 2016.
The new fees and charges model simplifies fees, making it easier to understand and aligns the fees to better reflect the various roles of government, industry and councils in the planning and development system.
New assessment pathways under the new planning system require a fee structure, and it is important to note that there is now a greater focus on compliance, with fees designed to enhance safety and reduce rectification costs when buildings have not met standards.
The new fees and charges sets out a four fee structure, which is designed to enable fees to be distributed to the authority that undertakes the assessment task. This includes:
| Lodgement Fees | Flat fee charged regardless of type to support delivery of planning and development services and is returned to the Department of Planning, Transport and infrastructure. |
| Assessment Fees (Planning, Land Division and Building) | The Assessment fee is to be returned to the relevant decision making authority to recover the costs of that activity. While the fees are set by regulation, a private sector accredited professional may set fees at market rates. |
| Compliance Fees | This fee recognizes the compliance function played by councils and recovers inspections, the certificate of occupancy and general compliance. |
| Referral Agency Fees | Standard fee for most referrals of $398 with some variations to the Environment Protection Authority, Native Vegetation, SA Housing Authority and Technical Regulator. |
It should be noted that while the majority of these General Regulations do not come into operation until 31 July, Variation Regulation 25 (relating to the use of the Planning and Development Fund) has commenced therefore the Fees, Charges and Contributions Variation Regulations will come into operation on 16 July 2020. This means the new PDI Act fees:
- will apply from 16 July 2020 for out of Council Areas
- will apply from 31 July 2020 for Phase Two Councils
- will apply when Phase Three comes into effect for Phase Three Councils.
An annual review process will be undertaken to evaluate the fees and charges once the system is fully operational and the benefits well understood. The review is to be completed with any adjustments to be made by July 2022.
Further information
- Read New Fees and Charges at a Glance (PDF, 210 KB)
- Read the Chief Executive Schemes and Requirements as to the Payment and Distribution of Fees (PDF, 829 KB)
