In September, Minister Rau tabled the government’s new Development Act in Parliament. The new act proposes some fundamental changes to planning procedures.

The SA Chapter was a vocal advocate in the planning reform consultation process that has led to this new act, and I am pleased to see that many of our recommendations have been incorporated into the legislation. These include:

– Early engagement with the community in setting planning policy to provide certainty through the system. The idea of Community Engagement is now a key principle in the Act and is intended to set policy up front and avoid policy making on an application by application basis

– The importance of good design. The principle that good design underpins development is enshrined up front in the guiding principles of the legislation – a significant step in the right direction. Design review is embedded as a pathway option through the system, and the development of design standards and a Planning and Design Code will be part of the planning process

– Professionalization of assessment. With policy settings occurring at upfront, proposals will be assessed by assessment panels comprising of accredited professionals rather than a mix of elected and professional members

 

The new legislation is not intended to provide all of the answers in one Act. Instead, it forms the framework that will allow the further development of new regulations, guidelines, processes and standards.

There is much work to be done, and the overall success of the changes will very much depend on the development of the detail behind the Act. The Chapter Council has formed a Planning Task Group that will continue to liaise with the State Government in developing the next suite of documents.

We view this next step as being equally important as the process that has just been completed, and welcome the participation of any members who have an interest in this area. After all, our advocacy can only be as strong as the members who contribute to our activities. Get in contact with the Chapter Office if you would like to know more.

And on another note, the Festival of Architecture and Design kicks off this week, with the opening party in Leigh Street on Wednesday evening. We have had some fantastic media exposure this year for a packed program of events in the media.

Come along with friends and families and enjoy some truly compelling events and activities. And don’t forget to get on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to spread the word.