BETTER DEVELOPMENT PLANS

The Hon. SANDRA KANCK (15:04): I seek leave to provide an explanation before asking the Minister for Urban Development and Planning a question about so-called better development plans.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. B.V. Finnigan interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Finnigan has asked his question—he has caused this long debate.

Leave granted.

The Hon. SANDRA KANCK: The latest edition of The Adelaide Review reports that state cabinet will shortly consider radical changes to the planning and development system in order to streamline development. Apparently, this will consist of putting more developments into the category 1 class, which means that councils will not need or, for that matter, even be able to notify residents of developments as part of the approval process.

I have also been contacted by a constituent who informs me that the current development plan amendment for Kangaroo Island has seen a weakening of the environmental protections in the plan. I am informed that, when the council attempted to have provisions reinserted into the plan, it was informed by Planning SA that this was not possible because it was not consistent with the better development plan modules. My questions are:

1. Is the government intending to bring more developments into the category 1 class; if so, what steps will it take to protect the heritage and character of our suburbs and towns?

2. Has the government consulted with the LGA and councils about their plans; if not, when will it do so?

3. Are the better development plans designed as a guide for councils, or will councils be forced to adhere to the BDP modules?

4. Can the minister confirm whether Kangaroo Island Council is being forced to rigidly follow BDP modules in its current DPA?

5. How many councils are currently going through development plan amendments, and are those councils required to rigidly follow BDP modules?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (15:07): I have answered questions about the better development plan program on a number of occasions. The idea of the project is to achieve a range of improvements to development plans and related processes that will build on the strengths of the current system to:

ensure better linkages to and greater authority for the planning strategy;

make the updating of state and regional planning policy easier;

assist faster development plan amendment processes;

produce easier to use clear and consistent development plans, because one of the problems we have at the moment is the range of style differences between the development plans of various councils. So, as people move around the state, it is obviously easier for all users to have some consistency in development plans across the state;

reduce the resources required to amend development plans for both councils and the state; and

improve public consultation.

This will be aided by the availability of a wide range of standardised provisions that can be used by councils for both council-wide and zone provisions in conjunction with local additions. These standardised provisions, in the form of a planning policy library, will reflect the outcomes sought by the planning strategy.

Since the release of the first version of the better development plans policy library in June 2006, councils have shown overwhelming support for this approach. Planning SA is already working with over 45 of the 68 councils, assisting them to further improve their development plans.

Fifteen councils covering all the regions of the state have already submitted statements of intent and are authorised to undertake a development plan amendment process to improve their current development plans, using the library of planning policy developed through this project.

These councils will have the first development plans produced using the better development plan library of planning policy and be formatted in a consistent style. The first better development plan (PAR as it then was; now a development plan amendment) for the Goyder council was approved in April 2007. PARs for nine council development plans have been either completed or are currently undergoing the public consultation stage.

I have initiated a plan amendment to amalgamate the policies for four of the out-of-council area development plans that cover land managed by the government, and these have been given interim operation. Members will recall that some issues were raised regarding the coastal regions west of Ceduna and places such as Andamooka. The remaining two areas that cover coastal waters and the Flinders plan will be reviewed in future.

To date the councils involved are also using the opportunities presented by the project to undertake a general review of their development plans. This review process enables them to improve their development plan by addressing any existing anomalies, while being inclusive of other relevant state policy. The result will be current planning policy delivering the policies of the planning strategy to assist in achieving the targets of the South Australian Strategic Plan. A second version of the planning policy library was released in February 2007, which is mainly fine tuning policy expression and incorporating editorial improvements. Version 3 of the library was released in early November 2007.

The other matter raised by the honourable member was to do with an article that appeared in the Adelaide Independent. The honourable member who asked the question will recall that I said that the planning review will be released shortly. I do not intend to comment on that until the report is released, other than to say that it will be an extremely comprehensive report that will address a range of matters, including issues such as heritage and character. Certainly, as part of any process of change to the planning system I assure the honourable member that there have been discussions with the LGA, and that will continue in detail once the planning review is realised.