The South Australian Government is committed to creating new opportunities for families to retain shacks on Crown land and in national parks by expanding the eligibility to maintain a lease in return for upgrading the shack to meet contemporary safety, amenity and environmental standards.
Applying for longer tenure on your shack
Shacks on Crown land
Lessees of shacks on Crown land in South Australia are now able to apply for longer tenure.
If you are a leaseholder of a shack on Crown land (i.e. on a Section 78B lease) on a life-tenure or a fixed-term tenure lease for ‘Holiday Accommodation’ purposes, where this is no existing arrangement for longer tenure or relocation, you are now eligible to apply for longer tenure for your shack site.
You can now begin the process to apply for longer tenure, in the form of either:
- an option to purchase the site at the end of an initial 5-year term (if the conditions of the initial lease are met)
- a new long-term lease for a maximum of 50 years including an initial 5-year term (if the conditions of the initial lease are met).
If the conditions of the lease are not met within 5 years, the lease will expire and longer tenure (in the form of a long-term lease or the option to purchase) will not be granted.
Guidelines (PDF file, 1MB)
Retaining Shacks Compliance Factsheet (PDF file, 229KB)
It is important to read the guidelines before you begin the application process.
The guidelines will help you understand the application process and the requirements that need to be met.
They will also assist you in completing the application form and outline the supporting documents you need to prepare before beginning your application.
When you have read the guidelines and other information provided to you, and prepared your supporting documentation, you are ready to apply. Applications must be submitted by 30 June 2021.
Apply now
Note: The online application form cannot be saved part-way through, so it must be completed in one sitting.
Have questions? Before contacting us, you might want to look through our Frequently Asked Questions.
The application process
The process for applying for longer tenure for your shack on Crown land is as follows:
|
Step
|
Process
|
Approximate Timeframes
|
|
1
|
Leaseholder/s complete and submit an application online
|
From July 2020
|
|
2
|
Suitability assessment is undertaken by DEW
|
Ten to fourteen weeks*
|
|
3
|
Applicant is advised of the outcome of their application
|
One to two weeks
|
|
4
|
Applicant accepts or rejects the ‘Offer to Lease’
|
12 weeks
|
|
5
|
Conveyancing process is actioned to;
- Formally surrender the existing lease
- Issue 5 year lease
|
8 – 12 weeks**
|
|
6
|
Leaseholder meets terms and conditions of their lease and provides evidence to DEW
|
Up to 5 years
|
|
7
|
Conveyancing process is actioned for long term tenure
|
12– 16 weeks
|
*The time to assess the application could be highly variable and dependent on the complexity, degree of consultation required and the number of lease applications being assessed. Land Services SA timeframes for processing and registering documents can be variable and time must also be allowed for the creation and processing of application documents.
** The time taken is an estimate only and assumes there are no complications on the leaseholder’s behalf with executing the documents.
Important notes:
- Land Services SA timeframes for lodging documents can be variable and time must be allowed for the creation and processing of documents to remove tenure then add new tenure, which takes a minimum of three months.
- Submitting an application form and paying the non-refundable application fee does not guarantee that longer tenure will be granted.
- Applicants can withdraw their application at any point of the application process, prior to the surrender of their current lease and continue with their current arrangements.
Shacks in national parks
Amending relevant park management plans
The 3-month public consultation period on the proposed amendments to the park management plans for Coorong National Park, Innes National Park, Kellidie Bay Conservation Park and Little Dip Conservation Park closed on 28 February 2020.
243 submissions were received and are being worked through to be provided to the Minister for Environment and Water for consideration in accordance with Section 38 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.
If these amendments are endorsed, it would enable longer term tenure for shack leases in these national parks.
Latest news
For more information about how the Retaining Shacks commitment is progressing, read the following updates from Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs:
Supporting documentation
To support your application for longer tenure on a Crown land shack site you will need to complete these forms:
Please scan the completed forms and upload to your application when prompted.
Some shack settlements have specific matters that leaseholders need to consider before applying for longer tenure.
Information relevant to specific shack settlements can be found in these factsheets:
Factsheets are not available for areas where there are only minimal shack leases remaining in a settlement area.
For shacks that aren’t located in these settlements, read these factsheets for more information about your specific site:
DEW Shacks Team
For all enquiries on the Retaining Shacks Commitment:
Email: DEWshacks@sa.gov.au
Post: Retaining Shacks Project
GPO Box 1047
ADELAIDE 5001
Phone: (08) 8204 1218
The DEW Shacks Team can support you in preparing your application, as well as answer questions about the content of your application and the application process itself.
The DEW Shacks Team aims to respond to emailed questions within five working days.
General lease transactions
For all enquiries on general lease transactions:
Email: DEW.CrownLandsEnquiries@sa.gov.au
or contact your local Crown lands office.
Shack owner associations
DEW works closely with the shack owners associations to achieve whole-of-settlement goals and provide regular updates about current processes. In some instances the shack owner association contacts may be able to assist leaseholders with specific questions relating to the settlement area and their application.
Leaseholders who would like to join or get in touch with their local shack owners association can reach out to these contacts:
