Development - Planning, Building & Wastewater

The PlanSA website provides the entry point to the ePlanning system for South Australia.  Through PlanSA, you can:

• Find out if you need development approval 
• Lodge your development applications online at anytime
• Monitor and track progress of development applications online
• Receive decision notices electronically – and get faster approvals
• Access online planning policy and spatial map information

To use the PlanSA lodgement system, you will first need to register for an online account.

If you are still wanting to lodge your development application by email, post or in person, an additional processing fee (detailed in Council's Fees and Charges Guide) may be charged for uploading the development application into the planning system on your behalf.  If you are lodging by email, post or in person at the Millicent Council Office, you will also need to download and print the statutory forms from PlanSA and complete them as an attachment to your application.  All forms are available at https://plan.sa.gov.au/resources/forms.

Please see our Information about lodging Development Applications page for more information.

Is Development Approval all I need?

Although you may have a Development Approval, sometimes you may also need additional approvals before you can legally undertake your development. Which approvals may be required will depend on the type of development you are undertaking, the location and potentially some other factors.

There are many types of approvals or notifications that Council processes, with different officers responsible for the various types of approval. Hence, you may need to talk to different officers at Council to obtain relevant advice for your situation. Some common examples of other approvals or notifications that Council administers include, but are not limited to:

• Approval to Install or Alter Wastewater Systems. This generally applies for any property not serviced by SA Water sewer. Examples include septic tanks, aerobic wastewater systems, etc.
• A section 221 permit to alter a Council road (this includes the road and footpath).
• A section 222 permit to conduct business on Council land and may be required if you are proposing to undertake a business on Council land.
• Outdoor Dining Permit to have dining for a food business on the footpath
• Mobile Food Vendor Permit to operate a food van or similar mobile food business on Council land.
• Approval from Council under the Water Industry Act . This may be particularly important in the townships of Penola, Southend , Beachport and Kalangadoo where Council has wastewater infrastructure passing through private land.
• If you lease Council land, you may need approval from Council to undertake the development.
• If you lease Crown Land under Council's care and control you may require approval from both Council and the Crown Lands Office before undertaking development.
• If proposing to operate a food business, then you will need to notify as per the requirements of Food Act.
• Moveable Signs - Council has a By-Law with general permissions, however if you are proposing something outside of this, then you may require an approval.

It takes different amounts of time for the different types of approvals to be processed, with some able to be assessed in shorter periods of time and some requiring a longer period of time. Approvals that may be complex or technical in nature or those that require reporting to a Council meeting as part of the process may take longer periods of time.

If someone says to you "Council approval is required for that", it may mean that you need one or many different types of approval from Council. Ultimately, it is up to the person undertaking Development to ensure that they have all the relevant approvals before undertaking that development.

In addition to Council Approval(s), you may also need to obtain approvals from State Government agencies, e.g. Environment Protection Authority, Native Vegetation Authority, etc, depending on your circumstances.

Need assistance?

If you have enquiries or are seeking advice regarding planning or building within Wattle Range Council area, please visit our Pre-lodgement Advice Services page or Information about lodging Development Applications page.

If you require assistance specific to the lodgement and management of development applications in the ePlanning system, please visit www.plan.sa.gov.au, email PlanSA@sa.gov.au or call the PlanSA Service Desk on 1800 752 664.