Early discussions with Council can help you make informed decisions about your application. If you need help, staff can give advice. They are available from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday.
You can contact Development Assessment:
For specific guidance – see our development information guides for certain developments.
The development approval process can be confusing, especially if it's your first time. We’ve broken it down to make it easier to understand.
If you require approval for your proposal, you will need to lodge a development application.
Certain works are not classified as development and therefore won’t require development approval.
Documentation
Applications for new buildings/structures or additions must include required plans and documents.
The checklist below details the mandatory requirements for development applications.:
It is recommended you obtain good quality documentation to streamline assessment.
Development within a Strata or Community title lot:
If the development is in a unit or lot in a strata scheme under the Strata Titles Act or Community Titles Act, additional documentation applies including evidence of written notice to the strata/community corporation about the application.
Site Contamination (Planning and Land Division only):
If an application involves a change to a more sensitive use (e.g. industrial to residential), a qualified expert may be needed to provide more evidence in support of your proposal.
For more information on Site Contamination – See Practice Direction 14
Once you have prepared all the required documents, you submit the application via the PlanSA portal.
If you are unsure on how to apply, PlanSA have developed guides to assist:
The relevant authority will verify your application to ensure it has been correctly submitted so it can be assessed. This process involves:
Verification takes up to 5 business days, and this timeframe may be reset if additional information is requested. When completed, an invoice will be sent to the nominated contact. Assessment of your application will not begin until payment has been made.
See fees and charges at a glance (to 30 June 2024), for a simplified breakdown of development assessment fees.
A planning assessment considers the impact of development. Requirements are set out in the Planning and Design Code. This includes, but is not limited to:
Assessment Pathways
Planning assessments are divided into different pathways. Each pathway is tailored to the complexity of the development application.
The most common assessment pathways are:
Find out what assessment pathway your development might be eligible for – PlanSA: What policies apply to a development
The following timeframes apply:
Public Notification (if required)
This process provides neighbours and other interested parties opportunity to comment on planning matters relating to a proposal. You will then be asked to consider any concerns raised and if possible, make changes to your development to address these concerns.
Notified applications with speaking representations will be decided by Council’s Assessment Panel.
Requests for Further Information (RFI)
During assessment, the allocated officer may come across matters that require more information to proceed. Additional information requested may include:
An RFI will pause the assessment clock until the requested info is provided. If you don't respond to the RFI in time, your application may be refused.
Referrals (if required)
Referrals are a formal process of consulting with an external agency for technical advice. Common referrals within the City of Adelaide are:
Internal referrals may be undertaken for technical advice or guidance on other Council matters and will not affect the assessment timeframe.
Decision
Once all the above steps have been completed, the assessing officer will make a decision on the application. If the application is publicly notified with speaking representations, the assessing officer will complete a report and make a recommendation for the Council Assessment Panel (CAP) to make a decision.
Appeals
Under the new planning system, there are no third-party appeal rights. As an applicant, if you disagree with a decision or condition relating your application, you may be able to lodge an appeal to the decision.
Land Division Consent is required for development that may include:
Land division consent is granted by assessing the development against infrastructure requirements set out by legislation and policies in the Planning and Design Code. This ensures the resulting land has adequate services (such as water and sewerage) for future land use development.
Building rules assessment involves the assessment of building plans for compliance with the Building Code of Australia, National Construction Code and relevant Australian Standards.
Key focus areas include:
You may need a building consent even if no building works are proposed. This is because a change of building classification may have different safety requirements.
Accredited Professionals
Accredited professionals (building) may be able to assist you through the building assessment process and can often grant building consents in lieu of Council.
To find out more, you can find an accredited professional using the PlanSA Accredited professionals register.
Staged development
For larger and/or complex developments, it might be necessary to divide the application into stages. Stages apply to Building Consent only and results in individual development approvals for each stage.
However, there may be instances where staging development would not be desirable for planning reasons. Stages should be identified prior to Planning Consent being granted.
Assessment
Assessments for building consent are split into two categories:
Class 1 and 10 applications include an assessment timeframe of 20 business days. Class 2-9 have an assessment timeframe of 60 business days.
Requests for Further Information (RFI)
During assessment, the allocated officer may come across matters that require more information to proceed. Additional information requested may include:
An RFI will pause the assessment clock until the requested info is provided. If you don't respond to the RFI in time, your application may be refused.
Referrals (if required)
In some cases, building assessment may need a referral to the Building Technical Panel (BTP). Referrals can be for ‘Opinion’ or ‘Concurrence.’ If required:
CITB Levy
If your development application involves building or construction work (including maintenance), you may be required to pay the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) Levy. Payment of the levy goes towards industry training as required where works have a value of over $40,000. Evidence of payment is required for Building Consent to be granted.
Payment can be made via CITB online payment systemonline payment system.
When the relevant consents are granted, Council has 5 business days to approve the development. This process may involve:
Once development approval is granted, you will have 2 years to start the works and 3 years to complete them. Depending on the nature of your project there may be additional steps to follow.
To find out more, see our page on the next steps.
