Planning reform to deliver new homes faster

Bold new planning reforms developed by the Malinauskas Labor Government could see houses built on development sites up to 18 months faster.

The changes to be implemented in the Housing Roadmap include streamlining both the code amendment process and resulting land division.

The revised timeframe to turn an empty block of land into a housing development is now expected to be just 36-63 months, compared with 54-75 months under the current system.

This encompasses the code amendment process, plus development assessment, land division, engineering approval, civil works and dwelling construction.

A standardised template will be established for code amendments which will remove unnecessary details to initiate the rezoning of land.

The creation of a code amendment dashboard will also enable private proponents to track the progress of their rezoning application, with the average time for a code amendment to be processed cut to just six to nine months.

The average time for completing a code amendment is currently 11 months, while under the previous government it was 29 to 37 months.

Local councils will also be under pressure to assess land divisions faster or risk being stripped of their responsibilities.

Councils will be given strict timeframes to assess land division applications and if not achieved, the State Government will take control through a new Land Division Assessment Panel to be established.

Metropolitan Councils will also be encouraged to amalgamate some Local Government assessment panels and planning departments to enable more consistent decisions and faster assessments.

Other new planning related initiatives include:

• Regional planning portal
• New assessment tool to enable early development application decision for simple proposals
• Private planning professionals to assess small land division applications
• Automated development assessments for simple applications
• Legislative reform to the Real Property Act 1886

The State’s planning system has been ranked best in the nation by the Business Council of Australia, leading the county in its efficiency, consistency, certainty, and transparency.

Furthermore, for the second straight year South Australia was number one in the HIA Housing Scorecard.

Quotes attributable to Peter Malinauskas

The only way to address the housing crisis is to build more homes faster.

Our planning reforms will make it up to 18 months faster to turn a vacant block of land into a new house which will make a real difference to helping more South Australians into their own home.

Our reforms are making the planning system more efficient and transparent.

Quotes attributable to Nick Champion

South Australia has the most efficient planning system in Australia but we are adopting bold reforms to make it even faster.

Adopting the suite of planning related initiatives from the Housing Roadmap could enable homebuyers to be in a new house up to 18 months quicker.  

We are putting Councils on notice.

We need Local Government working hard to keep land divisions moving efficiently through the system so we can increase the supply of new housing.

Visit housingroadmap.sa.gov.au for more information.