South Australians wanting to put in a swimming pool, erect a carport, build a tennis court or add a home extension can access all of the planning requirements with the touch of a button.

Homeowners can then lodge an online application at any time of the day or week and track it. If the project is eligible for a straightforward ‘tick box’ approval or compliant assessment then that approval will usually be confirmed in just a few days.

South Australia is the only state or territory in Australia to have just one state-wide, user-friendly online planning system, PlanSA.

Since it was introduced in 2021, both community and business have benefitted from its ground-breaking functionality and service delivery.

And our state’s urban planning system is officially the best in Australia, with the Business Council of Australia reviewing the planning systems in every state and territory last year and rating South Australia’s the best.

The stand-out qualities were our efficiency, consistency, certainty and transparency.

But why is this important?

According to State Planning Commission Chair Craig Holden (pictured) the impact of PlanSA has been “staggering”.

“Over $5.9 billion worth of development works across South Australia were approved in the 2022-23 financial year,” Mr Holden said.

“During the same period, 36,251 development applications were lodged.”

PlanSA’s figures also reveal more than three quarters of the 31,000 development approvals were for residential development, including new homes and developments like sheds, additions and pools.

“This is helping to drive SA’s economy by encouraging investment and stimulating infrastructure and jobs,” Mr Holden said.

“PlanSA provides fast and efficient online processing and consistent decision-making across the state.”

Through the PlanSA website, all development applications for anywhere in the state can be lodged online by applicants and, importantly, viewed by the rest of us.

Users can also register for notifications about applications in their local area, and signs are also erected outside properties signalling a development application has been proposed.

A QR code on the sign can take any interested party straight to the online application where comments can be submitted.

"The new system has excelled in streamlining approvals and an impressive 90 per cent of decisions now meet target timeframes,” Mr Holden said.

PlanSA is not, Mr Holden said, a set-and-forget portal.

“While it broadly covers every area of South Australia, it can also respond to environmental, economic and social circumstances that challenge our quality of life and employment opportunities,” he said.

“The adaptability means the State Government could move to respond to the current housing shortage by introducing fast-tracking approvals in less than two days for new houses in master-planned communities."

And, Mr Holden said, PlanSA was constantly evolving, delivering more than 904 enhancements based on user feedback.

“This doesn’t mean the system was sub-par at launch, it simply reflects that we can fine-tune in real-time and keep pace with digital technology,” he said.

To access the PlanSA website click here.