Assessment Improvements Code Amendment finalised

The Assessment Improvements Code Amendment has now been finalised and adopted by the Minister for Planning.

This Amendment proposed several technical amendments to South Australia’s Planning and Design Code, which contains the planning policies and rules for our state.

These amendments are informed through the experience and feedback of planning practitioners and other users of the Code, to enhance its general performance and operation.

The Amendment also forms part of the government’s response to the Planning System Implementation Review, implementing some of the recommendations of the Expert Panel supported by government.

Stakeholder and community consultation occurred on the draft Code Amendment from 12 December 2024 to 11 March 2025.

As a result of the feedback received several adjustments were recommended to the Code Amendment across a range of areas.

View the full engagement report on PlanSA and YourSAy for more information about what we heard during the consultation on the draft Code Amendment and how stakeholder feedback was considered in finalising the Code Amendment.

Additionally, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (DHUD) through its work on infrastructure delivery, has identified an opportunity to further improve upon the recommendation put forth by the State Planning Commission in relation to the proposed changes to the Rules of Interpretation as outlined in section 4.1.3 Spatial Mapping Updates (s71e) of the Amendment.

The additional recommendation is for DHUD to allow for Concept Plans to be updated via section 71(e) of the Act to reflect a deed or agreement with a government agency or the relevant council where this relates to the provision of essential infrastructure.

The Assessment Improvements Code Amendment will come into effect once it is consolidated into the online Planning and Design Code, which is anticipated to occur on 15 January 2026.