Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (SA)

The Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (SA) (the PDI Act) is South Australia’s foundational planning statute, replacing the Development Act 1993 (SA) and consolidating the planning, development assessment, and building consent framework into a single Act. The PDI Act commenced in stages from 2017 with full operation from 19 March 2021 (the date the Planning and Design Code became operative). It establishes the Planning and Design Code, the four assessment categories (Accepted, Code Assessed Deemed-to-Satisfy, Code Assessed Performance Assessed, Restricted Development), building consent regime, and the State Planning Commission. Verified per PDI Act 2016 (SA) (2026-05-23).

What the PDI Act establishes

Element	Statutory basis
Planning and Design Code	The single statewide planning instrument (replacing 72 council Development Plans)
Four assessment categories	Accepted, Code Assessed DTS, Code Assessed PA, Restricted
Building Rules Consent	Building approval mechanism (the SA equivalent of NSW CC or Vic Building Permit)
State Planning Commission	Independent statutory body advising on planning matters
Planning panels	Council Assessment Panels (CAPs), State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP), Regional Assessment Panel
PlanSA online portal	The mandatory lodgement and reference portal
Accredited Professional scheme	Private certifiers for building consent

The four assessment categories

Category	Trigger	Process
Accepted	Standard residential land use listed as accepted	No DA needed
Code Assessed Deemed-to-Satisfy	Meets DTS criteria	DA + standard council approval, routine
Code Assessed Performance Assessed	Misses DTS; argued against Performance Outcomes	DA + merit + public notification
Restricted Development	High-impact; assessed by State Planning Commission	Full merit assessment + significant public notification

Each category has its own decision pathway, fees, and timeline. See Code Assessed Performance Assessed for the most common residential pathway.

Why SA went statewide

Before 2021:

72 separate council Development Plans.
Inconsistent format and provisions across LGAs.
Each council interpreted and amended their plan independently.
Permitting varied substantially by council.

After 19 March 2021:

Single Planning and Design Code statewide.
Common assessment categories.
Common terminology and framework.
Council-level calibration via Technical and Numeric Variations (TNVs) within the Code.

The transition was a major reform; older industry knowledge of “the [Council Name] Development Plan” no longer applies. It’s all the Code now.

Key actors under the PDI Act

Actor	Role
Minister for Planning	Political authority; can call in significant proposals
State Planning Commission	Independent statutory body advising the Minister; sets state-significant policy
Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT)	Administers the Act
PlanSA portal	Online lodgement and information
Council Assessment Panels (CAPs)	Council-level DA assessment for most residential
State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP)	Major or state-significant DAs
Accredited Professional	Private certifier issuing Building Rules Consent
Council building officer	Council certifier for Building Rules Consent
Environment, Resources and Development (ERD) Court	Appeal court for DA decisions

The PDI Act creates a distinct building consent mechanism alongside the planning consent. For any building work:

Required consent	Who issues
Planning Consent	Council or SCAP (planning approval)
Building Rules Consent	Council building officer or Accredited Professional (building approval)
Land Division Consent (if subdividing)	Council or SCAP

All three can be lodged together (combined application) for efficiency.

Statutory time limits

Action	Time
Council assessment of Code Assessed DA	20 BD typical
Council assessment of Performance Assessed	60 BD typical
Building Rules Consent decision	20 BD typical
State Commission Assessment Panel decision	Per published guidance
Appeal to ERD Court	1 month from decision

These are decision times. Actual elapsed time is usually longer due to information requests and submissions.

Penalties under the PDI Act

Offence	Penalty
Carry out development without consent	Up to $250,000 for a corporation; $50,000 for an individual
Carry out unauthorised land division	Same
Building without Building Rules Consent	Up to $40,000
False or misleading statement to a Council Assessment Panel	Up to $20,000
Carry out work in contravention of conditions	Per condition; up to $40,000 typical

Accredited Professional scheme

Under the PDI Act, Accredited Professionals are private certifiers approved to issue Building Rules Consent. The scheme allows:

Faster decision times than council building officers.
Private fee arrangements with the applicant.
Defined competency levels per AP class.
Council retains certifying option in parallel.

Accredited Professionals are accountable to the PDI Act and the State Planning Commission. Disciplinary action is possible for breach of the duty of care or the scheme’s standards.

Cross-state comparison

State	Equivalent statute
SA	Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (this)
NSW	Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 + Building and Development Certifiers Act 2018
VIC	Planning and Environment Act 1987 + Building Act 1993
QLD	Planning Act 2016 + Building Act 1975
WA	Planning and Development Act 2005 + Building Act 2011
TAS	Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993 + Building Act 2016
NT	Planning Act 1999 + Building Act 1993
ACT	Planning Act 2023 (single Act covering both)

SA’s PDI Act and ACT’s Planning Act 2023 are the only two Australian jurisdictions where planning and building functions are consolidated into a single Act. Most states have separate planning and building Acts.

Recent amendments

The PDI Act is amended periodically. Recent amendments have addressed:

Code amendments (twice yearly, see Planning and Design Code versioning).
Specific dwelling types (granny flats, dual occupancy).
Subdivision rules.
Building consent processes.
Compliance and enforcement powers.

Builders should check the current version of the Act and the most recent Planning and Design Code amendments before assessing a development pathway.

Builder takeaway

For SA residential, the PDI Act is the foundational statute. The Planning and Design Code is the operational instrument.
Use PlanSA as the single source for both planning and building consents.
Engage SA-experienced consultants for complex Performance Assessed or Restricted Development.
The 19 March 2021 transition is now well-established; pre-2021 knowledge has limited relevance.
The PDI Act + Code interaction is technical; pre-DA consultation with council planning officers is recommended.

References

Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (SA) (verified 2026-05-23)
PlanSA portal (verified 2026-05-23)