Planning and Design Code (SA)

The Planning and Design Code (the Code) is South Australia’s single state-wide planning instrument, replacing all 72 separate council Development Plans on 19 March 2021. The Code is governed by the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (SA) and consolidates zones, subzones, overlays, and Technical and Numeric Variations (TNVs) into one statewide document. The current version is 2026.1, issued 15 January 2026. SA is one of three Australian jurisdictions (with NT and ACT) that uses a single statewide planning instrument rather than per-council schemes. Verified per PDI Act 2016 (SA) (2026-05-23).

Why SA went statewide:

Before 19 March 2021	After 19 March 2021
72 council Development Plans, each with its own format and provisions	Single statewide Planning and Design Code
Significant inconsistency across LGAs	Common rules applied with TNV calibration for local conditions
Each council interpreted and amended their plan independently	Statewide review and amendment
Permitting varied by council	Common assessment categories statewide

The 2021 consolidation was a major reform; older industry knowledge of “the [council name] Development Plan” no longer applies, it’s all the Code now.

Code structure:

Component	Content
Zones	Geographic zoning (Residential, Employment, Open Space, Rural, etc.)
Subzones	Local-area refinement within zones
Overlays	Topic-specific overlays (Heritage, Bushfire, Flood, Significant Trees)
Technical and Numeric Variations (TNVs)	Council-level calibration of zone provisions (setbacks, heights, etc.), the SA equivalent of council-specific tweaks
General provisions	Statewide rules applying everywhere
Definitions	Common terminology

Key zones (residential focus):

Zone	Description
Residential	Standard residential
Township	Country town residential
Rural Living	Larger residential lots in rural settings
Suburban Activity Centre	Mixed-use suburban
Urban Renewal	Strategic redevelopment
Hills Neighbourhood	Hills residential
Hills Conservation	Sensitive hills with environmental controls

Plus commercial, industrial, recreation, open space, conservation, and others.

Technical and Numeric Variations (TNVs):

TNVs are how the Code adapts to local council conditions while maintaining a statewide framework. They specify:

Setbacks (front, side, rear).
Building heights.
Site coverage.
Density.
Specific zone-level rules.

Two parcels in the same statewide zone but in different councils may have different TNV-set setback requirements. The TNVs are visible on the PlanSA portal alongside the zone provisions.

Overlays:

Common overlay	What it does
Heritage Adjacency	Adjacent to a state-heritage place; design controls apply
Heritage Place	State or local heritage item; significant constraints
Bushfire	BAL-prone area; AS 3959 requirements
Flood	Flood-prone land; floor levels
Hazards Acid Sulfate Soils	Coastal sites; site investigation required
Hazards Salinity	Salinity risk; building design implications
Significant Trees	Tree retention controls
Native Vegetation	Cleared-vegetation controls
Contaminated Land	Site contamination remediation requirements
Coastal	Coastal exposure

Reading the Code for a project:

Open PlanSA online portal.
Search the property to identify zone, subzone, overlays, and TNV-calibrated values.
Read the zone provisions in the Code.
Apply any subzone refinements.
Check each overlay that applies.
Apply the TNV values for the council’s local controls.
Identify the assessment category for the proposed development.
Lodge through PlanSA.

Assessment categories (from PDI Act):

Category	Pathway
Accepted	No DA needed
Code Assessed Deemed-to-Satisfy	DA against DTS criteria; routine
Code Assessed Performance Assessed	DA against Performance Outcomes; merit + notification
Restricted	High-impact; State Planning Commission

(Each is covered in their own glossary entries.)

Version control:

The Code is regularly updated, typically twice per year. Version naming: YYYY.N (e.g. 2026.1 = first 2026 release, 2026.2 = second). Always check the current version when designing; provisions may have changed between draft date and lodgement.

Version	Released
2026.1	15 January 2026
2025.2	August 2025
2025.1	January 2025
2024.2	August 2024
2024.1	January 2024
2023.2	August 2023
2023.1	January 2023
2022.2	August 2022
2022.1	January 2022
2021.1	19 March 2021 (initial Code commencement)

Common defects:

Reading an outdated Code version: design template from a 2024 build may not match the current Code.
Missing TNVs: zone provisions alone insufficient; TNV-specific setbacks etc. drive the design.
Overlay ignored: an overlay (heritage, bushfire, flood) applies but builder hasn’t read its provisions.
Wrong zone applied: searching by address gives the zone; assumption from neighbouring lot can be wrong.
Reading the old council Development Plan: superseded since 19 March 2021.

Cross-state equivalents:

State	Equivalent statewide framework
SA	Planning and Design Code (this) under PDI Act 2016
NT	NT Planning Scheme 2020 under Planning Act 1999
TAS	Tasmanian Planning Scheme (TPS) under LUPAA 1993
ACT	Territory Plan under Planning Act 2023
NSW, VIC, QLD, WA	Per-council schemes

Builder takeaway:

For SA residential, the Code is the single source. Use PlanSA as the portal.
Always check the current Code version at the start of design.
TNVs are the most-missed element; they’re where council-level calibration sits.
Engage an SA-experienced planner for projects with multiple overlays or Performance Assessed categorisation.

Also known as: SA Planning Code; The Code (within SA); statewide Code; PDC.

Category: Approvals & DA.

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See also

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