Flooding Hazards Mapping Update Code Amendment

**UPDATE**

On 20 December 2023 the Minister for Planning adopted the Flooding Hazards Mapping Update Code Amendment.

This Code Amendment will update the extent of the Hazard (Flooding – Evidence Required) Overlay in the Planning and Design Code in 13 local government areas and several Outback Areas of the State, based on more recent flood hazard mapping, and came into operation from 29 February 2024 when it was published on SA Planning Portal. 

This is the first step in a three-stage Flood Hazard Mapping and Assessment Project which is being undertaken to deliver more consistent and contemporary mapping of riverine and flash flood hazards across South Australia. Stage 2 of the Project included the procurement of new and enhanced flood studies to inform new mapping for targeted areas of the State. Stage 3 of the Project will seek to incorporate the new mapping into the Code via a second State-wide Flood Hazards Code Amendment, expected to go on consultation later in 2024.

To view a copy of the final approved Code Amendment, as well as the Engagement Report which summarises the key feedback received, visit the updated Code Amendment webpage: https://plan.sa.gov.au/have_your_say/code-amendments/finalised

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February - April 2023

The Planning and Design Code (the Code) contains the planning rules and policies that guide what can be developed in South Australia. Planning authorities use these planning rules to assess development proposals.

A Code Amendment is a proposal to change the policies, rules, or mapping within the Code, which can change the way that future developments are assessed.

The State Government has opened public consultation on the Flooding Hazards Mapping Update Code Amendment – the first step in a wider project to introduce new and updated flood hazard mapping into SA’s Planning and Design Code (the Code).

It is important for the Code to correctly identify areas likely to flood in order to minimise potential impacts to people, property, infrastructure, and the natural environment.

The Code’s planning policies aim to restrict new development in high-risk flood areas and encourage suitable design responses in lower risk areas. These policies are applied in the Code via ‘overlays’.

The Flooding Hazards Mapping Update Code Amendment is focused exclusively on the ‘Hazards (Flooding – Evidence Required) Overlay’ in the Code.

This Code Amendment proposes to:

• reduce the extent of Hazards (Flooding - Evidence Required) Overlay in 12 local government areas and several Outback Areas where more recent flood hazard mapping has demonstrated that there is minimal risk of flooding; and
• apply the Hazards (Flooding - Evidence Required) Overlay to a portion of the Port Adelaide Enfield Council area, as a precaution, where the level of flood hazard has not yet been determined and until new flood hazard mapping can be implemented in future stages of the wider project.

To learn more about the proposed Code Amendment and the impacted areas, visit the project webpage: plan.sa.gov.au/en/ca/floodmappingstageone

Public consultation will be open for 8 weeks from 22 February to 21 April 2023. During this time, the Planning and Land Use Services team from the Department for Trade and Investment will be hosting a series of public information sessions about the Code Amendment - visit the project webpage for details.

This Code Amendment is the first step in a three-stage Flood Hazard Mapping and Assessment Project being undertaken to deliver more consistent and contemporary mapping of riverine and flash flood hazards across South Australia.

The Project will involve using new technology to deliver updated flood studies and modelling which will cover a range of flood events and consider the impact of both climate change and future development to 2050.

The final stage of the project, which is expected to go on public consultation later this year, will involve the introduction of new flood mapping across the entire State.