The Planning and Design Code (the Code) is a statutory instrument under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016, for the purposes of development assessment and related matters within South Australia.
The Code contains the planning rules and policies that guide what can be developed in South Australia. Planning authorities use these planning rules to assess development proposals.
A code amendment is a proposal to change the policies, rules, or mapping within the Code.
Code amendment process
The code amendment process includes a number of steps which must be undertaken before any changes to zoning or policy can be implemented. Broadly, the process involves:
The Department for Trade and Investment (DTI) is committed to a user-pay system that ensures fairness and transparency throughout the code amendment process.
As of 2 April, fees for code amendments have changed. Previously, all code amendments were charged a flat fee. The new fee structure is scaled to reflect the complexity of each proposed code amendment and ensure that users only pay for the services they receive. Simple amendments will attract a lower fee, while more complex amendments will attract a higher fee.
DTI will use the Fee Determination Matrix below to assess each proposal and ensure that fees are equitable and proportionate to the complexity of the code amendment.
| Code Amendment features | Simple = 1 | Moderate = 2 | Complex = 3 | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Strategic directions | Aligns with strategic direction | Partially aligns with strategic direction | Misaligned with strategic directions | |
Interfaces | No (or minor) interface issues | Proposes zone change that will create:
a neighbourhood zone adjacent the Employment Zone, the Rural Zone or another employment generating zone. | Proposes zone change that will create:
a neighbourhood zone adjacent the Strategic Employment Zone or the Resource Extraction Zone. | |
Infrastructure | None required, or basic infrastructure requirements | Requires infrastructure negotiations | Requires complex infrastructure negotiations | |
Constraints | No constraints | Possible constraints | Known constraints | |
Scope of interest | Confined scope of interest | Medium scope of interest | Extensive scope of interest | |
| Total |
Scoring
5 - 7 = Simple
8 - 10 = Moderate
11+ = Complex
Notes
- This matrix is a guide only and the outcome will be dependent on the circumstances of each individual situation.
- Legislative requirements relate to the requirements of the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016.
- Where a particular complexity is indicated, that does not preclude any other complexity being applied at another stage of a Code Amendment in accordance with the Chief Executive’s Policy – Service Standards and Code Amendment Fees 2024. For example: a code amendment may be assigned as a complex code amendment but may change to a moderate code amendment at a later stage (or vice versa).
Fees
Complexity stream | Fee |
|---|---|
Simple | $34,634 |
Moderate | $69,268 |
Complex | $86,585 |
Documents
Use this interactive mapping tool to access the Code Amendment Map Viewer.
This viewer displays code amendments once they have been initiated, all the way through the process, and provides an overview on status, proposal and linkages to relevant information.
For information on how to use this viewer, please click the 
icon on the map.