Development Plans

Development Plans are key documents in the South Australian planning and development system.

Development Plans contain the zones, maps and written rules (‘policies’) which guide property owners and others as to what can and cannot be done in the future on any piece of land in the area covered by the Development Plan. These zones, maps and policies provide the detailed criteria against which development applications will be assessed.

The Development Act requires there be a Development Plan for each part of the state in order to guide development and inform assessment of development applications.

There is an individual Development Plan for each of the 68 local council areas in South Australia (i.e. 68 Development Plans) plus a handful of Development Plans for remote parts of the state which do not fall within a council area.

All Development Plans are available online on this site, via the link to the right.

More about Development Plans and how they can be amended can be found on this site and in the following Guide:

Role of the Development Plan

Development Plans outline what sort of land use is and is not envisaged for particular zones within each Plan area (eg residential, commercial, industrial, rural), and various objectives, principles and policies further controlling and affecting the design and other aspects of proposed developments. These policies can cover a range of social, environmental and economic matters.

Development Plans can also spell out the 'desired character' for different parts of the area they cover.

In summary, Development Plans:

  • inform the community about how an area is expected to be developed
  • inform neighbours as to the kinds of development they can expect in their neighborhood
  • inform applicants as to the type of development that is encouraged (and not encouraged) in an area, and therefore the type of information that may be required in a development application
  • provide the basis against which development assessment decisions are made (the zones, maps and policies provide the detailed criteria against which development applications for the relevant area are assessed), and
  • provide the basis upon which any appeal decisions are made.

Structure of a Development Plan

The basic structure of a Development Plan in South Australia is relatively consistent, but the policy content varies depending on local circumstances.

Development Plans contain:

• An Index
The index of the ‘General’ or ‘Council Wide’ provisions, zones, tables and zone maps.

• General Provisions (applying Council Wide)
Development Plans generally contain general or broad provisions (usually called Objectives and Principles of Development Control) which are applicable for development throughout the whole area or region covered by the Development Plan.

• Zone Provisions
Zone provisions provide detailed policy applying to each zone within the Development Plan. They provide a framework for development envisaged within a particular geographic area and provide specific policies for assessing development within that zone. Zone provisions generally list kinds of development that are 'complying' within the zone (either outright or subject to specific conditions) and those developments which are 'non-complying' within that zone. Any form of development which is not included in either list is required to be assessed on its 'merits' by the relevant assessing authority in accordance with the desired character and specific policies for development listed within that zone, and against the broader policies contained within the Development Plan (General or Council Wide provisions). Zones may also contain lists of activities that are subject to certain public notification requirements.

• Tables
Tables may be referred to in the zone provisions or general principles, which provide specific criteria or standards applying to various forms of development; often these apply in more than one zone. Examples could include building set-back distances or lists of local heritage places.

• Zoning Maps
Maps detailing the location and boundaries of specific zones and precincts/policy areas appear at the back of the Development Plan. Some Development Plans also divide zones into smaller sub-areas, called Precincts or Policy Areas, for which additional policies may apply. An index of maps will appear at the front of the Zoning Maps section.

Reading a Development Plan

The following steps will help in quickly ascertaining what policies apply on a particular property or location:

  • go to the Map Index to identify the zone map on which the property is located
  • locate the property on the zone map - this will tell you what specific zone relates to the property
  • go to the content index at the front of the Plan and look up the Zone name
  • under the Zone heading a set of policies will be listed that apply to development in that Zone, including policy areas or precincts, if applicable
  • depending on the nature of the proposed development or the features of the area in which the property is located, you should also scan the policies listed under key headings in the General or Council Wide section of the Plan. All the relevant General or Council Wide policies and the zone or precinct/policy area policies are considered (with equal weight) when a decision on a development application is lodged. 

Amending Development Plans

The policies and zoning in Development Plans need to be changed and updated over time.

The Development Act 1993 provides the legislative framework for undertaking amendments to a Development Plan. Amendments can be instigated by either the relevant Council or the Minister for Urban Development and Planning. The document used to propose changes to a Development Plan is called a Development Plan Amendment (DPA).

More on the DPA process, which involves mandatory community consultation, is contained in the Amending Development Plans section.

Better Development Plans

Development Plans are complex documents. The State Government is improving South Australia’s planning and development assessment system by implementing the Better Development Plans project.

The project aims to enhance the system by:

  • increasing clarity, consistency and certainty in Development Plans,
  • developing better linkages between the Planning Strategy and Development Plans, and
  • promoting a more efficient means for policy review.

More about the project is contained in the Better Development Plans section.