Bills

Planning, Development and Infrastructure (Commencement of Code) Amendment Bill

Second Reading

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (16:54): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The government is committed to delivering a modern planning system for South Australia. This new system consists of two major elements:

an exciting new electronic e-planning system which will dramatically alter the way planning rules are stored, retrieved and maintained in South Australia, making planning more accessible for everyone; and

the Planning and Design Code which will consolidate all 72 council development plans into one single source of planning policies for assessing development applications across the state.

The new planning system is being introduced in three phases, with phase 1 for outback South Australia already operational. Phase 2 for rural council areas is currently planned to go live in April 2020, whilst phase 3 for metropolitan council areas and large regional towns is due to go live in July 2020.

To date, there have been over 350 phase 2 and phase 3 submissions, with more than 200 community, council and industry engagement events conducted. Phase 3 remains on consultation until the end of February. During the past five months of consultation, I have consistently heard from councils and the community that more time is needed to understand the code and become familiar with the new e-planning system. Our engagement and consultation on South Australia's new planning system is genuine. The government has openly listened and heard the concerns regarding the time frames around implementation.

I have taken advice from the State Planning Commission on the need to grant councils, industry and the community more time to understand, prepare and become business ready before the new system comes into full effect. I am restoring this bill, which has already passed the other place, to provide more time to ensure all South Australians feel comfortable and confident with our new planning system.

This bill makes amendment to the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 to remove the deadline of 1 July 2020 for full implementation of the Planning and Design Code, and enable the time frame to be set by proclamation. This will enable time for an additional step in this public process to provide an opportunity for people to see and experience the approved code and e-planning system before the new planning system is implemented. It will also facilitate more time for testing and potentially more enhancements to be made to the e-planning system, should they be required. It will not include further consultation, as the code has already had an extensive five-month period of public consultation.

As consultation on the draft phase 2 code is complete, we can now put in place a comprehensive readiness program to assist council, community and industry preparations. We expect phase 2 will now be implemented by July 2020.

As phase 3 code consultation is still open until Monday 28 February 2020, the range of matters and potential for change is not yet fully known; however, we expect a similar request for an extension of time and, as such, anticipate phase 3 will be implemented in September 2020, with a supporting proclamation enabling this time frame. I commend the bill to the house.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Cowdrey): Minister, do you have an explanation of clauses that you wish to insert into Hansard?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: This bill is merely being restored from the other place, so I assume those documents were all provided at that point. What we are merely doing today is restoring the second reading.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Cowdrey): Correct.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. A. Koutsantonis.