To help provide a more flexible and diverse range of housing options, the South Australian government is proposing to change the existing Planning and Design Code definitions for “ancillary accommodation” (often referred to as granny flats) and “student accommodation”.
The proposed changes will allow ancillary and student accommodation to be self-contained. This means they can have their own bathroom, kitchen and laundry.
The changes are a response to the state’s current housing crisis and are expected to increase rental stock and housing diversity. They also aim to provide more affordable housing options for the South Australian community.
Other aspects of the definitions will remain unchanged. This means that ancillary accommodation must still be subordinate to a main dwelling and have limited floor area. Student accommodation must still incorporate common facilities for shared use by students.
The draft Code Amendment came into effect on an interim basis on the same day it was released for public consultation (29 February 2024), known as ‘early commencement’.
The early commencement process is used when the Minister considers that the immediate application of the policy changes is necessary in the interests of orderly and proper development, and to counter applications for undesirable development ahead of the outcome of consideration of this code amendment by the Minister.
On 18 November 2024 the Minister for Planning approved the Ancillary Accommodation and Student Accommodation Definitions Review Code Amendment, with changes which take into consideration the feedback received during consultation. A copy of the post consultation documents, including the approved Code Amendment and Engagement Report which summarises the key feedback received, can be found under ‘Determination documents’ within the documents tab.
