Adelaide's Planning Code Governs Building Height and Land Use Rules

The Planning and Design Code sets zoning and development rules across Adelaide under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016. The Code replaced previous individual council Development Plans, including the former City of Adelaide Development Plan. Residents seeking to build, renovate or change land use must follow its requirements for height, density and permitted activities.

Checking zoning for local properties

Current zoning for any Adelaide address can be confirmed through the South Australian Property and Planning Atlas. Users search the property and view the Planning and Design Code layer. Common zones include Suburban Neighbourhood, General Neighbourhood, Urban Corridor, Employment and Commercial, and Mixed Use. Each zone applies specific controls on building height, density and land use that directly affect what homeowners and developers can do on their land.

Overlays such as Heritage, Flooding, Bushfire and Character Preservation add further requirements. These may call for extra design details or referrals to agencies including the Country Fire Service before approval can proceed. The overlays apply on top of base zone rules and can change assessment outcomes for properties in affected areas.

Assessment pathways and application process

Development proposals follow either the Deemed-to-Satisfy pathway or the Performance Assessed pathway. Deemed-to-Satisfy applications receive straightforward approval when all listed criteria are met. Performance Assessed applications undergo merit-based review by the relevant council when criteria are not fully satisfied.

All development applications must be lodged online through PlanSA. Assessment is then carried out by local councils, Council Assessment Panels or the State Commission Assessment Panel. This central online system replaced earlier paper-based processes and applies the same Code standards statewide.

Residents considering property purchases, extensions or new builds in Adelaide suburbs can review these rules in advance to understand likely approval requirements and any overlay constraints that may apply to their address.