South Australia

Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (SA)

Planning instruments

Planning and Design Code
Single statewide Code (operative since March 2021). Replaces 68 individual council Development Plans. Lookup via PlanSA portal.
Zones
Statewide zones: Suburban Neighbourhood, Urban Renewal Neighbourhood, Hills Neighbourhood, etc.
Overlays
Heritage Conservation, Flood Hazard, Bushfire Prone, Native Vegetation, Acid Sulfate Soils.

Assessment pathways

Accepted Development

Listed in the Code as exempt from assessment.

Code Assessed — Deemed-to-Satisfy

Meets all D-t-S criteria → mandatory approval.

Code Assessed — Performance Assessed

Merit assessment against Performance Outcomes.

Impact Assessed

Major projects — declared by Minister.

Lodgement portal

PlanSA Portal ↗

Mapping portal

SAPPA (South Australian Property and Planning Atlas) ↗

Notable LGAs

City of AdelaideCity of Charles SturtCity of MarionCity of OnkaparingaCity of SalisburyCity of Tea Tree GullyCity of West Torrens

Fire safety authority

Country Fire Service (CFS); bushfire mapping in the Code's Bushfire — General Risk Overlay

Surveyor body

Surveyors Board of South Australia

Builder regulation

Consumer and Business Services (CBS)

Owner-builder threshold

Owner-Builder licence required for work over A$12,000; per-property lifetime restriction; building indemnity insurance required if selling within 5 years

Notes

SA has the only unified statewide Code in Australia — single source of truth for zoning + overlays. Significantly easier compliance vs other states.

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