Plan to return planning powers to councils slammed, South Australia
A proposal to return planning powers to local councils has been slammed by the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA), who say it will turn back the clock for developers bringing housing to the inner suburbs in South Australia.
Shadow Minister for Planning, Vickie Chapman, announced that planning powers would be given back to councils to assess higher density developments in inner metropolitan areas if they are elected in the March 15 poll. This will be a reversal on planning changes made last year.
“Adelaide can ill-afford to turn back the clock and risk investment that will create jobs, provide much-needed housing choice and enhance the future of our inner suburbs,” said UDIA (SA) executive director, Terry Walsh.
In particular, Walsh made reference to the Karidis Corporation who were required to go to court to defend and progress its conforming Hume Street proposal for the city. He noted that this is what can happen when councils are involved in zoning rules.
“Giving local councils responsibility for development proposals up to eight storeys high flies in the face of the intention of the inner metro planning reform package,” said Walsh.
“It is simply illogical to give assessment powers to five different planning authorities when the job should be done by a single independent planning body, i.e. the state’s Development Assessment Commission.”
He said that for those looking to develop, this effectively results in five separate interpretations of the same rules, and five different decision-makers, which could cause inconsistency, costs and delays.
Walsh suggested that they look the other way, towards further de-regulation, rather than taking this step.
“The recent planning changes to the inner city and inner suburbs have been good for the state. They have resulted in planning applications to the value of $1.2 billion being assessed by the DAC,” he said.
Strict accountability would be required to ensure that zoning rules are consistent in their application, with decisions made according to statutory timelines.
Chapman’s thoughts on the changes are that they will actually help developers, and local areas, by taking away centralised government control.
Speaking to Adelaide’s independent news source InDaily, she said it would bring back local knowledge to local decision making, and will provide community consultation right from the start.
“We don’t oppose having an urban infill policy. We just think that the Government should stop trying to take control of these things – buying up property themselves, developing their own projects in the urban inner rim … and refusing to let the property development industry get on with it through a proper and timely process through local government,” Chapman said.