The final report of the Malinauskas Government’s Planning System Implementation Review is expected to be handed to Planning Minister Nick Champion within weeks, after public consultation by the government-appointed expert panel concluded in January.

The “generational” review – established in August 2022 to examine contentious aspects of the state’s planning system such as urban infill, heritage, character, car parking and trees – has received more than 600 public submissions, held 14 workshops and heard deputations from 23 community groups.

The leader of the expert panel, planning consultant John Stimson, said trees topped the list of community concerns.

Speaking at the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) SA division State Conference earlier this month, Stimson told developers that “the key issues raised are ones that I’m sure many of you have encountered daily in your work or are hearing about in various forums”.

“Top of the list: trees,” he said.

“The vast majority of submissions… particularly from the community, are not happy with the current tree situation.

“The current parliamentary inquiry into trees is pretty much evidence of this being a major issue.”

Stimson, a former president of the UDIA SA division, later said the “vast majority” of submissions were “very specific single-issue matters”.

Planning review chief John Stimson speaking at the UDIA SA division State conference earlier this month. Photo: Thomas Kelsall/InDaily

He said issues associated with general infill development – the demolition of old housing stock and replacement with higher density homes – were also frequently raised.

“They often included matters such as… the loss of all trees on site, as well as street trees, lack of car parking, which sort of leads to the overall change in the character of the locality,” he said.

“Also raised was the expensive, convoluted process of listing a local heritage item. That particularly came from local government.

“Car parking on streets causing congestion was a common matter raised. We are looking at what congestion actually means.”

More than 40 councils made submissions to the expert panel’s review, with some councils expressing frustration that the newly-rolled out planning code has caused a “substantial loss” of local planning policy and control.

Stimson said the expert panel was wary of creating unintended consequence with any of its recommendations.

The panel does understand that how we deal with the issues raised is not a popularity contest.

“We’re actually looking at the whole system and making sure that it will work.”

Stimson would not divulge the recommendations but said they would relate to issues that “underly” the three predominant forms of development: general infill, strategic infill and greenfield.

“I will say there are likely to be dozens of recommendations and many of them are likely to have substantial resourcing implications for them to be implemented,” he said.

“And you can imagine what the consequences of that might be.

The panel was very mindful that whilst there may be obvious or simple solutions to deal with an issue that has been raised, often there are implications that… might go against equally important objectives in the development world, planning world.

“Finding the right balance is the interesting and tough part that the panel has with many of the issues and ultimately the Minister and government will have in the implementation phase of any recommendations taken forward.”

Later asked by a conference attendee whether the panel would recommend “finetuning” the state’s Environment and Food Protection Areas legislation for the “inevitable situation of having to find land within that area for development”, Stimson said: “Short answer, yes.”

The looming outcome of the planning review comes amid a broader attempt by the Malinauskas Government to reshape debate over Adelaide’s urban footprint amid its push to allow construction of nearly 24,000 homes in undeveloped land across the outer suburbs.

Planning Minister Nick Champion (right) at a meeting of the expert panel review of South Australia’s planning system last year. Former Urban Development Institute SA president John Stimson (left) is leading the review. Photo: Tony Lewis/InDaily

Champion flagged with InDaily last month that the next edition of the 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide will have less focus on “arbitrary” government targets for infill housing over greenfield development.

He also said urban sprawl had become a “whipping boy” in in the perennial debate over new housing.

The planning review also comes amid the ongoing parliamentary inquiry in Adelaide’s urban forest, which has already prompted calls for law changes to enshrine better tree protections as well as increased undergrounding of power lines to allow more trees on public land.

The expert panel’s report is expected to be handed to the planning minister before Easter.