Ministerial Statement

Planning Reform

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform) (14:01): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Today, I released the state government's response to the final report of the Expert Panel on Planning Reform. Our planning system in its current form is not sufficiently responsive, ties development up in red tape and does not reflect the expectations of our community. In February 2013, the government appointed an expert panel, chaired by Mr Brian Hayes QC, to review our planning system and explore ideas for the future of planning in our state. Since that time, the expert panel has produced three reports, informed by the contributions of over 2,500 South Australian individuals and organisations.

The final report of the Expert Panel on Planning Reform, 'The planning system we want', was delivered to the government on 12 December 2014. This final report contains 22 recommendations on how to make the planning system better. The government considered the report by asking: how will this benefit the state, its people and our economy? The government's response to the report includes a summary of our views on each of the recommendations and outlines a framework for implementing them in whole or in part and, in some cases, plans for further investigation. Some key recommendations include:

1. The consolidation and clarification of up to 23,000 pages of planning rules across 500 residential zones and some 2,500 combinations of zones, overlays and spatial layers.

2. Consolidating statutes concerning planning or which impact upon planning issues.

3. The creation of a charter of citizen participation, which will provide a framework (that can be tailored to the needs of each respective community) for proper community consultation with planning policies and directions at the outset to ensure we get agreed planning outcomes in respect of each community.

I also intend to introduce legislation that will replace both the Development Act 1993 and the Urban Renewal Act of 1995 and also incorporate relevant components of our transport and infrastructure laws. Drafting of the new legislation will commence immediately, and I anticipate that a bill for consultation will be introduced around the middle of this year. I have consulted and will continue to consult with the Local Government Association and industry groups as the legislation is developed.

While this work will be done as quickly as possible, some of these recommendations need further consideration before they can be implemented. Ideally, I would like to see if all of these reforms could be implemented over the next three to five years. An improved planning system will play a pivotal role in unlocking economic opportunities for our state. It is estimated that every million dollars invested in construction in South Australia generates $2.9 million and 37 jobs in the economy as a whole.

I would like to formally recognise the effort undertaken by the expert panel and contributors and thank them all for their work. The expert panel's package of recommendations is comprehensive and wide ranging. We applaud them for their dedication to the task and their willingness to explore new and sometimes radical ideas.