Any decision-maker in the planning system who is involved in assessing development applications can apply to become accredited under the Accredited Professionals Scheme.
Land surveyors, planning and building professionals can apply for accreditation.
Council building officers
Under the Accredited Professionals Scheme, all building professionals who are involved in assessing development applications need to be accredited. There are four classes of building accreditation applicable to building professionals under the Scheme, each with different levels of decision making power.
Council planning officers
Existing council planning officers may not need to be accredited at all if they are operating under the delegation of an assessment manager, who will be accredited at Accredited Professional Level 1. However, some assessment managers may want their council planning officers to be independently accredited at Planning Level 3 or 4 (this will be at the discretion of the assessment manager).
Assessment managers and assessment panel members
All Assessment Managers and Assessment Panel Members are required to be accredited from 19 March 2021. However, there are some exceptions - see below.
The following groups will not require accreditation:
- elected members or former elected members who sit on a Council or Joint Planning Board assessment panel [1]
- planning professionals who are assessing development applications under delegation for an Assessment Manager or Assessment Panel at a council
- planning professionals who are not acting as relevant authority for planning consent
- building professionals who are not acting as relevant authority for building consent
- surveyors who are not acting as relevant authorities for land division applications seeking planning consent.
[1] Council and Joint Planning Board assessment panels can include an elected member or former elected members who are not accredited professionals. The council needs to be satisfied that a person is appropriately qualified to act as a member of the assessment panel based on the person's experience in local government.
To become an Accredited Professional, practitioners will need to be accredited by the Chief Executive of the Department for Trade and Investment (the Department), known as the Accreditation Authority.
An application for accreditation will need to be lodged and accompanied by evidence that supports practitioners’ eligibility to become accredited at the level that they request. Eligibility criteria is set out in the Accreditation Authority’s Qualifications, Skills & Experience Requirements (PDF, 650 KB) and Guide to the Accredited Professionals Scheme (PDF, 329 KB).
Evaluation of applications
All applications for accreditation under the Scheme will be evaluated by either the Department or a selected service provider on behalf of the Department. However, only the Chief Executive of the Department will have the authority to officially offer accreditation to applicants.
Recognition of equivalent schemes
Under the Accredited Professionals Scheme Regulations, those practitioners who are registered members of a professional body under a recognised equivalent scheme may receive streamlined accreditation at a reduced fee. They must still apply for accreditation but their existing membership may be taken as evidence that they meet the requirements of the accreditation class in which they wish to operate.
More information about Equivalent Schemes can be found in the Guide to the Accredited Professionals Scheme (PDF, 329 KB).
Mutual Recognition
If you hold accreditation in another state or territory in Australia and wish to apply for recognition under the Mutual Recognition Act 1992, you will need to provide documentary evidence of the accreditation held in another state or territory.
The Mutual Recognition Act 1992 entitles a person who is registered in a state or territory other than South Australia for an occupation equivalent to a category of accreditation regulated by the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 to apply for recognition of the person’s interstate registration, to carry out that occupation in South Australia.
Automatic Mutual Recognition
The Automatic Mutual Recognition (AMR) scheme recognises interstate building licences and registrations for various occupations, making it easier for building industry workers to take up job opportunities across most of Australia.
South Australian building accredited professionals, regulated by the Accreditation Authority under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure (Accredited Professionals) Regulations 2019 will be able to use their current accreditation without having to apply and pay for a new one when working interstate.
It is important that accredited professionals check the local arrangements with the state or territory regulator where they are intending to work to determine if they are eligible for AMR.
Accredited professionals who are currently accredited in another state or territory and wish to work in SA will need to notify the Accreditation Authority via the Automatic Mutual Recognition notification form before commencing any work.
Further information on AMR and the requirements for working in SA can be found in the Work requirements for Building Certifiers in SA fact sheet (PDF, 266 KB).
AMR is set out in the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 of the Commonwealth and is implemented by state and territory governments.
Fees are set out by a Ministerial fee notice (PDF, 208 KB) published in the Government Gazette. A simplified version of these fees is set out below:
| Fees under Planning, Development and Infrastructure (Accredited Professionals) Regulations 2019 | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application for accreditation (non-equivalent scheme pathway) | $610.00 |
| Application for accreditation under an equivalent scheme pathway | $294.00 |
| Reapplication for accreditation within 12 months | $294.00 |
| Application for continuation of accreditation/renewal | $196.00 |
| Late application fee | $65.00 |
| Application for enrolment into APS core competency course | $566.50 |
In accordance with Regulation 19(6)(a), an accreditation will cease where a continuation of accreditation application is not made or determined by the Authority in the required time frame.
Where an accredited professional has failed to renew their accreditation in the required time frame, they will have the ability to reapply for an expired accreditation, through a streamlined process (as opposed to completing a new application), provided the accreditation has not been expired for more than 12 months.
In doing so the applicant will be required to complete an application with supporting documents and show evidence of CPD completed within the previous 12 months OR submit a request for exemption in accordance with the process outlined at 5.6 of the Guide to the Accredited Professionals Scheme (PDF, 329 KB).
Professional Indemnity Insurance
Regulation 17(1)(a) requires accredited professionals to hold a policy for Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) that is reasonable and adequate taking into account the amount and nature of work undertaken by the accredited professional unless a Regulation 17(2) exemption applies. The accreditation authority has determined that the minimum levels of insurance considered reasonable and adequate are:
- Accredited Professional – Building level 1 - $5,000,000;
- Accredited Professional – Building level 2 - $2,000,000;
- Accredited Professional – Building level 3 - $1,000,000; and
- Accredited Professional – Building level 4 - $1,000,000
The onus is on each individual accredited professional to assess their own circumstances and ensure that their level of PII cover is adequate taking into account the nature and amount of work undertaken or you may be liable for claims above the level of your insurance cover. The authority recommends seeking independent legal advice in this area if you are unsure if your cover is adequate.
Conditions of accreditation
As an ongoing condition of accreditation under the Scheme, practitioners will be expected to demonstrate that they have maintained suitable skills, knowledge and qualifications by undertaking continuous professional development; be required to maintain an appropriate level of insurance; comply with the Accredited Professionals Scheme Code of Conduct (PDF, 517 KB) and notify the Chief Executive of the Department of any change to their professional circumstances.
Changes to Planning Level 1 – Conditional Accreditation
The Planning Level 1 Assessment Manager role is important in providing advice to Assessment Panels and decision making in their own right.
When the Accredited Professionals Scheme (the Scheme) was first introduced, applicants seeking Planning Level 1 accreditation—that were not members of an equivalent scheme or only held full member status—were able to apply for Planning Level 1 – Conditional Accreditation.
Planning Level 1 – Conditional Accreditation provided a two-year transitional period, applied from the date of initial accreditation, during which the accredited professional must demonstrate peer reviewed compliance with level 1 core competencies as listed on pages 3 to 5 of the Accreditation Authority's Qualifications, Skills & Experience Requirements for Accredited Professionals (PDF, 650 KB).
This can be achieved by completing the APS Core Competency Assessment Course or if the applicant is a PIA Full Member, by completing the transition to PIA Registered Planner.
From 1 February 2022, Planning Level 1 – Conditional Accreditation will no longer be available under the Accredited Professionals Scheme (the Scheme).
New applicants wishing to hold Planning Level 1 accreditation will be required to demonstrate peer reviewed compliance with the level 1 core competencies prior to being eligible to hold accreditation as a Planning Level 1 Assessment Manager.
Please note, this does not apply to accredited professionals who currently hold Planning Level 1 – Conditional Accreditation. Should a current accredited professional need to apply for an extension of time to complete these core competencies please fill out the Extension Request Form (PDF, 192 KB) and email to DTI.APSQueries@sa.gov.au to be assessed on a case by case basis.
Accredited professionals with any questions about their accreditation or this update can contact the Accredited Professionals Scheme Coordinator on 1800 752 664 (and select option 2) or email DTI.APSQueries@sa.gov.au.
There are several classes of accreditation available under the Scheme and each will require a different level of qualification, skill and experience. The accreditation classes are not dissimilar to the accreditation levels identified by the Planning Institute of Australia, the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and the Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute
Planning professionals and surveyors
There are four classes of planning accreditation available as well as a class for surveyors under the Scheme. Each class requires different qualifications, skills and experience (PDF, 650 KB), and each level is able to assess different types of proposals.
Accreditation Class | Approved Activities |
|---|---|
Planning Level 1Assessment Manager |
|
Planning Level 2Assessment Panel Member |
|
Planning Level 3Accredited Professional |
|
Planning Level 4Accredited Professional |
|
SurveyorAccredited Professional |
|
*All approved activities are subject to the Planning, Development and Infrastructure (General) (Development Assessment) Variation Regulations 2019
Building professionals
There are four classes of building accreditation available. Each class requires different qualifications, skills and experience, and each class is able to assess different types of proposals.
Becoming accredited at Building Level 2 also includes Building Level 3 and Building Level 4 accreditation. This is the only higher level accreditation that includes accreditation at the lower levels.
Accreditation Level | Approved Activities |
|---|---|
Building Level 1Accredited Professional |
|
Building Level 2Accredited Professional |
|
Building Level 3Accredited Professional |
|
Building Level 4Building Inspector |
|
* All approved activities are subject to the Planning, Development and Infrastructure (General) (Development Assessment) Variation Regulations 2019
The accreditation scheme was introduced in April 2019 to recognise the professional expertise of planning practitioners in the important decisions that they make. The Planning Level 1 role is important in providing advice to Assessment Panels and decision making in their own right.
In order to obtain accreditation at Planning Level 1 a prospective accredited professional must demonstrate peer reviewed compliance (in accordance with a process established by the Accreditation Authority) with the (5) core competencies as set out in the Accreditation Authority's Qualifications, Skills & Experience Requirements for Accredited Professionals (PDF, 650 KB):
- Professionalism and integrity
- Interpreting and using spatial thinking
- Communicating and engaging with stakeholders
- Understanding and working with planning frameworks
- Using a creative and integrative approach.
The APS Core Competency Assessment Course is available through an online platform to complete these requirements. The cost of enrolment in the course is $515 + GST which provides access to all course material through the online platform including handbooks and guidebooks.
Prospective Accredited Professionals are required to complete one assessment in each competency area and submit them within quarterly marking windows. Marking windows close on the first Friday in February, May, August and November.
Successful applicants will receive their certificate of completion from the Accreditation Authority which can be used to demonstrate achievement when lodging an application for accreditation at Planning Level 1. Please note that completion of the core competencies does not guarantee approval of your application for accreditation at Planning Level 1. You are still required to meet the other relevant criteria.
If you are a current member of an equivalent scheme recognised by the Accreditation Authority please contact your membership provider prior to determine if alternative peer reviewed compliance with the (5) core competencies is offered as part of your membership.
To access the APS Core Competency Assessment Course for Planning Level 1 Accreditation please complete the form below so that your enrolment can be arranged.
Documents
If you can't find a document, try searching PlanSA's resources library.