Most owners planning a one-into-two split budget for the surveyor and expect that to be the big cheque. It usually isn’t. For 2026-27 the open space contribution in Greater Adelaide is $10,166.00 for each new allotment, and it dwarfs every other government fee on the list.
This page explains what the open space contribution SA applies to, how the 2026-27 numbers stack up against the other land division fees, and what to ask before you sign anything. It’s general information. The decision on what applies to your block sits with the council or planning authority, a conveyancer or lawyer, and the Licensed Surveyor who quotes your job.
If you already have a block in mind, tell us what the survey is for and we’ll put you in touch with an independent Licensed Surveyor who quotes and contracts with you directly.
What the open space contribution actually is
When land is divided, the State Planning Commission can require a payment towards open space. The 2026-27 fees notice sets the amount: $10,166.00 per new allotment in Greater Adelaide, where the allotment does not exceed 1 hectare, and $3,723.00 elsewhere in South Australia.
Two details in the notice matter more than the headline number.
First, the word is “may”. For land divisions of 20 allotments or less, the Commission may require the contribution. It isn’t automatic in every case, and this article can’t tell you whether it will be required on your block. Ask the planning authority or your surveyor early.
Second, it’s charged per new allotment, not per application. A one-into-two Torrens division creates one new allotment, so one contribution. Split the same block three ways and you create two new allotments, so the number doubles if the contribution is required on both.
The fee that applies is the one in force when the application was made. The state fees are reset every 1 July, so a figure you saw in an older article, or on an older council page, may not be the current one. Always check that a number is labelled 2026-27 before you budget from it.
The 2026-27 Planning, Development and Infrastructure (Fees) Notice was published in the Government Gazette on 12 June 2026 and took effect on 1 July 2026. It’s the primary source for every state fee in this article.
How it compares with the other land division fees
Here’s the 2026-27 fee list for a straightforward division, laid out so the open space line can be seen against everything around it. These are statutory amounts, so they’re not labelled as including or excluding GST.
| Fee | Amount (2026-27) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open space contribution, Greater Adelaide | $10,166.00 per new allotment | Allotment not exceeding 1 ha; the Commission “may” require it |
| Open space contribution, elsewhere in SA | $3,723.00 per new allotment | Same conditions |
| Section 138 Certificate of Approval | $1,229.00 | Fees notice |
| Land Services SA plan examination (surveyed plan) | $1,231.00 | From 1 July 2026 |
| SA Water assessment | $480.00 | Update: $138.00 |
| Commission advice (regulation 76) | $240.00 | Fees notice |
| Land division authorisation, up to 4 additional allotments, no public road | $210.00 | Section 102(1)(c) or (d) |
| Survey Act levy | $188.00 | Land Services SA |
| Plan deposit | $189.00 | Land Services SA |
| Each new title | $112.00 | Land Services SA, plus a document fee |
Which of these apply depends on the application, so don’t add the column up and call it your government cost. Some apply once, some apply per title, and some depend on how many allotments and whether a public road is involved.
The pattern is still clear. The contribution is roughly eight times the next-biggest line in the table. Land Services SA’s plan fees and the Section 138 certificate are each around $1,200, and everything else is a few hundred dollars or less.
The fees also don’t include what you pay professionals. A Licensed Surveyor quotes their own fee separately. One conveyancing provider, the Conveyancing Centre (SA), charges $660.00 including GST to prepare and lodge the division forms, plus $88 including GST for each consent it arranges. Those are one provider’s figures, not a rate card for the state.
Why the total is bigger than most owners expect
Sawley Lock O’Callaghan, an Adelaide surveying firm, says a standard one-into-two land division in the Adelaide metropolitan area costs “in the order of $30,000 - $34,000”. Its page, last modified on 12 May 2025, says that range includes state and council fees such as lodgement, the open space contribution and the land division certificate. It also includes Land Services SA plan fees, surveyor and consultancy fees, conveyancer or solicitor fees, and SA Water water and sewer fees. GST is not stated.
That estimate predates the 2026-27 fees, so dividing this year’s $10,166.00 by their range is only a rough guide. Done anyway, the contribution would be somewhere near a third of the whole project. That’s arithmetic on two figures from different dates, not a quote.
The same firm adds a caveat worth reading twice. SA Water may charge non-standard costs for water and sewer extensions, deeper connection pits or dewatering, and “this could increase the costs significantly”. Power and NBN connections are extra. You can read the full page at Sawley Lock’s cost guide.
For a fuller breakdown of the pieces, see what it costs to subdivide land in Adelaide. For the sequence of steps, see how to subdivide land in South Australia.
Three anonymised examples of how the fee lands
None of these is a real job or a real client. They show how the per-allotment rule changes the arithmetic. Each one assumes the contribution is required, which isn’t something we can confirm for any particular block.
A 1960s brick home on a 900 m² block in Campbelltown. The owners want to keep the house and sell a rear allotment. That’s a one-into-two division: one new allotment, so one contribution of $10,166.00 at the Greater Adelaide rate. Add the Land Services SA examination at $1,231.00, deposit at $189.00, the Survey Act levy at $188.00 and $112.00 for each title, and the plan fees alone are several times smaller than the contribution. The surveyor’s fee, the SA Water assessment at $480.00 and the conveyancing come on top. Whether the block can be divided at all depends on the zone and any overlays in the Planning and Design Code, which a surveyor or the council checks. This article doesn’t publish a minimum block size.
A wide block in Findon that the owner wants in three. Small scale infill is how much of the western suburbs’ recent housing supply has been delivered, according to the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan. An owner here who wants three allotments from one creates two new allotments. If the contribution is required on both, that is 2 x $10,166.00 = $20,332.00 before any other fee. It’s why a three-way split can look attractive on paper and then come in well above what the owner pencilled in.
A block on the edge of a growth township outside the Greater Adelaide rate. An owner subdividing where the lower $3,723.00 rate applies faces a much smaller line item. But the rate depends on where the land sits under the fees notice, not on how the suburb is marketed. Ask the surveyor or the council which rate applies to your address. Don’t assume it from a postcode.
If any of these sounds close to your block, describe the job and ask for a written quote from an independent Licensed Surveyor. Ask exactly what the quote includes.
Open space contribution Adelaide owners can plan around
You can’t negotiate a statutory fee, but you can plan for it. Four habits help.
Ask for it by name early. At the preliminary enquiry stage with the council, ask whether an open space contribution is likely and which rate applies. The answer changes whether a project is worth doing.
Count new allotments, not lots. The fee attaches to the new allotments the division creates. A one-into-two split creates one. Confirm the count in writing before you budget.
Check the date on every figure. The state fees reset each 1 July, and the amount is the one in force when the application was made. Don’t budget from a 2024 blog post.
Keep a contingency for services. SA Water assessments are valid for 60 business days, and the assessment fee is credited against SA Water’s charges. The bigger risk is non-standard water and sewer work, which is a site question. Northern Adelaide’s outer areas, for example, are described in the Regional Plan as having limited housing-ready supply because of a lack of connections to water and wastewater. That doesn’t tell you anything about your block. It’s a reminder to ask.
Timing is the other unknown. The Land Services SA position is that land division “can take many months, sometimes even years”. There’s no official month figure, so be sceptical of anyone who gives you a precise one.
What to ask a Licensed Surveyor before you commit
In South Australia, only licensed surveyors can undertake a boundary survey or place a survey mark that defines a property boundary, according to the Surveyors Board SA. That’s the law, not a sales line. It is also why you should check any surveyor’s licence yourself, through the Registrar at registrar@isasa.org.au or on (08) 8212 0343, or from the Gazette list of licensed and registered surveyors, updated each July and January. There’s no searchable online register.
When you get a quote for a division, ask these questions.
- Does the quote list the state fees separately, and does it say which year’s fee schedule it uses?
- Is the open space contribution included, excluded or “to be confirmed”? If it is excluded, who pays it and when?
- Does the quote cover the survey and the plan only, or also the lodgement and coordination steps?
- Who prepares the application? Land Services SA says a registered conveyancer or solicitor prepares it, and it strongly recommends using a professional licensed surveyor and a conveyancer or solicitor.
- What assumptions is the quote making about the site, such as easements, existing services, and any structure near the new line?
Torrens Survey Co is an advertising service, so we don’t survey, peg, lodge or arrange anything. We put you in touch with an independent Licensed Surveyor, who quotes and contracts with you directly. Adelaide surveyors don’t publish prices for their work, so the honest answer to “how much is the survey?” is that the surveyor quotes each job after seeing the title and the block.
The title itself matters here too. If you’re weighing Torrens against community title, read Torrens title vs community title in South Australia first. Strata divisions can no longer be created, so that option isn’t on the table.
For the survey side of a division, see our page on land division surveys. For how surveyors price other work, see land surveying cost in Adelaide.
When you’re ready, send us the address and what you want to do, or call (08) 5550 3814. Please use the form first, because it’s the quickest way to get the details in front of a Licensed Surveyor.
Finally, the fee figures on Land Services SA’s own pages are worth a look before you budget. They publish the current plan fees at landservices.com.au.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the open space contribution in South Australia for 2026-27?
The fees notice sets $10,166.00 per new allotment in Greater Adelaide, for allotments not exceeding 1 hectare, and $3,723.00 elsewhere in South Australia. The amount that applies is the one in force when the application was made. State fees change every 1 July, so check that any figure you find is labelled 2026-27.
Do I always have to pay it when I subdivide?
Not necessarily. For divisions of 20 allotments or less, the Commission “may” require the contribution, which means it isn’t automatic. Ask the planning authority or the surveyor whether it is likely on your block, and get the answer in writing before you build it into your budget.
Is it charged once or for every allotment?
It’s charged per new allotment. A one-into-two Torrens division creates one new allotment, so one contribution applies if it’s required. Dividing a block into three creates two new allotments, which doubles the figure.
Does the surveyor’s quote include the open space contribution?
That depends on the quote, so ask. Surveyors quote each job, and a quote may cover the survey and plan only, or a wider package. Ask for the state fees to be listed separately and for the fee year to be stated. We can put you in touch with an independent Licensed Surveyor who quotes and contracts with you directly.