Development process
The process for obtaining Development Approval will vary according to the type of development proposed, but an application must be lodged every time a development is undertaken. The processes for making development applications and assessing those applications are laid out in the Development Act 1993 (Sections 32-56A) and Development Regulations.
'development' is defined in the Development Act as:
- A change in the use of land or buildings
- The creation of new allotments through land division (including Strata and Community Title division)
- Building work (including construction, demolition, alteration and associated excavation/fill)
- Cutting, damaging or felling of significant trees
- Specific work in relation to State and Local Heritage Places
- Prescribed mining operations
- Other acts or activities in relation to land as declared by the Development Regulations
An application for development approval must be made using a standard official form, lodged with the relevant authority. Most development applications are received and assessed by the local council. The local council then acts as a 'one stop shop', sending out to relevant agencies for specialist comments on the proposal. Some specific kinds of development application are determined by an independent Development Assessment Commission (DAC), where they are not covered by a local council area. Since July 2001, local councils have been required to establish Development Assessment Panels (DAPs) in order to increase the impartiality and certainty of development assessment decisions. Feedback and comments from the relevent agencies are then considered by the commission /panel and assessed.
The following chart provides an overview of the phases of a typical irrigated development approval process. There are three key steps:
- the development of a planning proposal;
- the lodgement and assessment of the development application; and
- the approval process.
Each phase is explained in more detailed charts.
Key external links for further information
Planning SA - South Australia's planning and development system, including an overview of the land use planning system
Land Titles - buying and selling of land, property searches, Certificate of Title, ownership details, encumbrances
DENR (SA) - property information, land and maps, biodiversity, coasts and marine, environmental protection, environmental reporting, biodiversity, land management, native vegetation, natural resource management
EPA - environmental protection act and policies
Department for Water - water resources, River Murray
PIRSA - biosecurity issues, crops, technical expertise, research, path to market
- Page URL: http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/wid/development_process
- Page Last Modified: April 19, 2012