New planning rules to support River Murray rebuild

A suite of new planning rules designed to protect River Murray regions from future flood events and assist with a strong recovery and rebuild are coming into effect this week.

To fast-track the region’s recovery the interim changes will come into immediate effect from Thursday 29 June 2023, providing a quicker building approval process for the influx of applications expected.

This will coincide with the start of community consultation to shape the final, long-term code amendment – the River Murray Flood Resilience Code Amendment – which seeks to enhance the region’s resilience and reduce the impact of any future flooding events or declared emergencies.

The interim amendments to the Planning and Design Code include:

• Requirements around height of floor above ground – the ‘finished floor level’
  • Maximum height increased from 2.5 metres to 3 metres, or up to 4 metres to be above the level of a one-in-100-year flood event.
  • Minimum heights along the river based on updated one-in-100-year flood event data.
  • Maximum overall building height increased to 8 metres, up from 7.5 metres, with a two-storey cap.
• Updated resilient design and materials for underfloor structures
  • Installation of roller doors or similar on all four sides of any enclosed area to ensure the free passage of floodwaters.
• Maintain open space areas around storage areas, with maximum storage area increased to 60 square metres, up from 15 square metres.
• Streamlined assessment for sheds, carports and garages which are located behind a riverfront dwelling, removing previous red tape.
• Rezoning flood-affected shack settlements, including Paisley and Murbko, to assist development applications and rebuild efforts.

The changes follow ongoing consultation with Murraylands and Riverlands Councils and the building and construction sector, along with the Insurance Council of Australia, South Australian Government Financing Authority and State Government Flood Emergency Recovery coordinator Alex Zimmermann.

An estimated 3200 properties were inundated along the river, with the majority requiring complete rebuild or significant repair.

The Housing and Construction Flood Recovery group was also established, bringing together key industry stakeholders to allow for a coordinated and streamlined recovery effort.

It comes as a long-term housing and infrastructure plan for the Murray Mallee is put on hold until December to allow more time to assess the full extent of flood impacts and respond to communities’ future needs.

South Australians are invited to have their say on the draft River Murray Flood Resilience Code Amendment on the YourSAy site when it goes live this week.