South Australian Selling, Home Business & Farm-Stay Rules, by Council

SA's single statewide Planning and Design Code assesses home business and farm-stay proposals under the same Home-based Business provisions everywhere (see the state-wide SA article for the full framework). Where councils actually differ is whether the property sits within the Hills Face Zone, Flood Zones or a heritage area, where the lighter Accepted Development pathways generally don't apply.

Before you act on any of this: zone overlays and the Planning and Design Code can change, and this page is a research aid, not a legal reference. Always confirm whether your property sits within the Hills Face Zone, a Flood Zone or a heritage area directly with council before starting a food business, home business, or farm-stay operation.
Jump to a council:
Food notification is uniform across all these councils: Section 86 of the Food Act 2001 requires notification to the appropriate enforcement agency (usually the local council) everywhere in SA, identically regardless of council. The genuine council-to-council variation on this page is entirely about which councils sit within the Hills Face Zone, Flood Zones or heritage areas, where home business and farm-stay assessment faces a higher bar.

Hills Face Zone councils: Adelaide Hills, Mount Barker, Burnside, Onkaparinga

Adelaide Hills Council and Mount Barker District Council sit substantially within the Hills Face Zone and the broader Mount Lofty Ranges Watershed, the same geography that adds extra scrutiny to dams in our Land & Water coverage. Parts of Burnside and Onkaparinga also fall within the Hills Face Zone. In all four, the Planning and Design Code's lighter Accepted Development pathway for a home business or farm-stay generally isn't available, so a more involved Deemed-to-Satisfy or Performance Assessed pathway applies instead.

Source: SA Planning and Design Code, Hills Face Zone overlay maps

Other SA councils: Onkaparinga (outside Hills Face), Marion, Charles Sturt, Unley, Port Adelaide Enfield, Norwood Payneham & St Peters, West Torrens, Gawler, Mount Gambier

These councils sit outside the Hills Face Zone, Flood Zones and heritage area overlays for the great majority of their land, so the Planning and Design Code's lighter Accepted Development pathway has its ordinary, unrestricted application for a home business or farm-stay proposal. Food notification requirements still apply exactly as set out in the state framework — there's no council-level variation to track for that topic.

Source: SA Planning and Design Code zone overlay maps, by council area

Don't see your council listed? This page currently covers the same 12 councils as our SA livestock, land & water, and power & wastewater pages. The state-wide SA article covers the default rules that apply everywhere in the meantime.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does SA assess home business and farm-stay under one statewide code?

Yes. Since SA replaced its 72 separate council planning schemes with a single statewide Planning and Design Code in 2020, home business and farm-stay/bed and breakfast proposals are assessed under this same Code everywhere, under its Home-based Business provisions.

Which SA councils face extra scrutiny for a home business or farm-stay?

Adelaide Hills Council, Mount Barker District Council, and parts of Burnside and Onkaparinga sit within or near the Hills Face Zone, where the lighter Accepted Development pathways generally don't apply, requiring a more involved assessment.

Does council notification for a food business vary across SA?

No. Every food business, including home-based ones, must notify the appropriate enforcement agency (usually the local council) under Section 86 of the Food Act 2001 - this applies identically regardless of council.