New planning rules to support River Murray flood-resilient redevelopment approved

New planning rules to assist the rebuilding process and mitigate the impacts of future River Murray flood events have now been finalised.

The River Murray Flood Resilience Code Amendment aims to provide clearer guidance for impacted communities to rebuild more flood-resilient development.

Amendments to the Planning and Design Code include the following for rebuilding in flood-affected areas:

• minimum floor height along the river is based on updated one-in-100 year flood event data
• maximum floor height has increased from 2.5 metres to 3 metres above the ground; 4 metres is acceptable to achieve a floor level above a one-in-100-year flood event
• maximum overall building height has increased to 9 metres, up from 7.5 metres, with a two-storey cap
• updated resilient design and material requirements for underfloor structures, including installing roller doors or similar on all four sides of any enclosed area to ensure floodwaters can pass freely (noting glass doors are not suitable for safety reasons)
• 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 that are located behind a riverfront dwelling, removing previous red tape
• rezoning the flood-affected shack settlement at Paisley to assist development applications and rebuild efforts.

These amendments were informed by feedback received from community and industry during consultation and the extent and levels of floodwaters during the recent flood.

Planning and Land Use Services worked closely with flood affected councils, state government agencies and the building and construction industry to identify opportunities to improve the Code to help mitigate future flood risk and support sustainable, resilient communities.

Due to the urgency of providing clear rules to support redevelopment, the draft Code Amendment came into effect on an interim basis at the same time as being released for community consultation.

To view the finalised Code Amendment and for further information, visit the Code Amendment consultation page.