The Planning and Development Fund provides grant funding to councils to improve access to public open spaces and places in South Australia.

A review of the current system aimed to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement in how open space funding is managed. The review considered:

• advantages and disadvantages for councils
• how councils would be impacted by any changes
• ways to increase transparency of the Planning and Development Fund.

Why was a review needed?

Open space contributions from infill developments (typically under 20 allotments) are provided to the State Government, rather than local councils. These funds are distributed to local government on a competitive basis with matching funding required from councils.

Some metropolitan councils have seen increases in infill development and subdivisions under 20 allotments, promoted through the 30 Year Plan for Greater Adelaide.

Ongoing pressure of infill development and subdivisions place councils under financial pressure through:

• overuse of existing facilities which increase maintenance costs
• requirements to purchase and develop more land for open spaces
• increase in depreciation costs of investments to service new communities.

A review of open space funding has sought to explore how funding could be more equitably distributed across South Australian councils.

Findings of the review

An independent review of the Planning Development Fund made the following findings:

• increase transparency of the funding process, including both the collection and distribution of open space funds
• identify gaps and pressures in the open space system, including an analysis of strategic infill sites where higher density development is proposed
• increase equity and capacity of the fund and support funding applications for councils without sufficient capacity and where open space is lacking
• review council areas inadequately served by open space and how funding is allocated
• explore a shared funding option between the State Government and councils, allowing councils to access to funding for new or existing open spaces. While this model was preferred by metropolitan councils, regional councils favoured a reduction in the co-contribution levels required.

Open Spaces Funding Report

Next steps

The LGA Board has now endorsed the LGA to engage with the State Government on the strategic direction of the fund with the following recommendations.

1. Supports the fund being used:
   • to improve access to public open spaces and places
   • to enable the planning, design and delivery of quality public space that is essential to healthy, liveable communities.
2. The fund should not be used for administrative purposes.
3. That the State government engages with local government on the strategic direction of the Fund.
4. That the annual reporting process on the Planning and Development Fund be reinstated and expanded to include both financial inputs and outputs and to display this for each local government area.
5. Funding distribution explore opportunities to:
   • decouple the need for council contributions for strategically important open space projects with a clear evidence-base
   • lodge applications for funding all year round
   • adopt a consistent process for all applicants, including State Government agencies, accessing the fund.

Full LGA Board endorsement

For more information