All development is required to go through a development application and approval process. Each development proposal is assessed on an individual basis and follows its own assessment pathway.

A relevant authority assesses and determines the development application. Assessment pathways can change depending on a development’s location, what sort of land zone it is in, and any overlays that may apply.

The process for assessing standard developments, developments which are exempt from approval requirements, and accepted developments (which do not require planning consent) is outlined in the the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (SA).

One or more of the following types of consents may be required for development approval:

An application for development approval can be lodged via the SA Planning Portal on the PlanSA website. The application must include certain information depending on the nature of the development and how complex it is. Use PlanSA's development application checklist to confirm what information is needed to accompany the application.

Once the development application has been lodged, fees will be charged by the relevant authority. The relevant authority will commence the assessment process only once these fees have been paid. Information about what fees apply is available on the PlanSA website.