Shacks on Crown Land

History of shacks on Crown Land

Shacks on Crown Land in South Australia have long been a part of the state’s coastal and river communities. These small, often rustic dwellings were originally built for recreational purposes, providing affordable holiday spots for families and fishing enthusiasts. Many of these shacks are located along the River Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Eyre Peninsula, and Fleurieu Peninsula, among other coastal and inland areas including National Park areas.

However, because they are situated on Crown Land or within National Parks (land owned by the state government) many shack owners do not hold freehold title but instead lease or license the land.

Over the years, the department has periodically reviewed the tenure of some shack areas, sometimes requiring removal due to environmental concerns, safety regulations, or changes in land management policies. The most recent retaining shacks project was implemented in 2018 for eligible shack lessees on a life-tenure lease where there was no existing arrangement for longer tenure. Further information about the Retaining Shacks project is below.

The department acknowledges that there has been strong public support for preserving shacks, recognizing their cultural and historical value and there have been efforts to transition certain shack sites to freehold ownership or longer-term tenure arrangements.

Regulations vary depending on location and land use agreements, so shack owners must comply with government policies, which may include environmental impact assessments and lease conditions.

Retaining shacks project

Overview

In 2020, lessees of shacks on Crown land under a Section 78B lease—whether on a life-tenure or fixed-term lease for holiday accommodation—were invited to apply for extended tenure if no existing long-term arrangement or relocation plan was in place.

What does the term 'holiday accommodation' mean?

The purpose of the lease will be specified in the lease agreement. Many shack leases are issued for the purpose ‘holiday accommodation’ or ‘shack accommodation’ depending on when the lease was issued.

Holiday/Shack accommodation is classified as use for personal holiday purposes and does not include:

occupation of the dwelling on the land exceeding an uninterrupted period of 60 calendar days or such other period of time as reasonably notified in writing to the lessee by the Minister for Environment and Water
the use of the land as a permanent place of residence
the use of the land as a commercial operation to invite members of the public to purchase goods or services

A breach of the lease conditions may result in the termination of the lease agreement and requirement of the lessee to remove the shack structure.

Options for longer tenure

Successful applicants were granted extended tenure through either:

A long-term lease: Up to 50 years for Crown land sites or 30 years in national parks, potentially starting with a 5-year initial term to allow for required works.
An option to purchase: Where eligible, lessees could buy the site after successfully completing all required works during the initial 5-year lease term.

If lease conditions were not met within the initial 5-year term, the lease would expire, and no long-term tenure or purchase option would be granted.

Voluntary participation

Applying for longer tenure was optional. Lessees who chose not to apply could remain on their existing life-tenure lease, with all current conditions remaining unchanged.

For detailed information on the application and assessment process, refer to:

Shacks in national parks

Park Management Plan Amendments

To allow extended tenure for shacks in national parks, management plans were amended for:

Coorong National Park
Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park
Kellidie Bay Conservation Park
Little Dip Conservation Park

Draft amendments were released for public consultation from December 2019, receiving 243 submissions. After review, the Minister for Environment and Water formally adopted the amendments in October 2020 under Section 38 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.

Wastewater system requirements

To qualify for longer tenure, shacks must meet modern safety, amenity, and environmental standards, including a compliant wastewater system with ongoing maintenance.

For guidance on selecting, approving, and installing a system, refer to:

Wastewater systems for shacks on Crown land and in national parks.

Certain areas have specific wastewater requirements. Additional resources include:

Applying for Minister’s approval for shack improvements

If your lease requires upgrades to meet contemporary standards, or if you wish to make additional improvements, you can apply for approval using the relevant form. No payment is required for these applications:

For Crown land shacks: Application for consent to undertake works or development on Crown land

For national park shacks: Application for consent to undertake works on leased land in a National Park

Additional resources

Shack Handbooks:

For detailed guidance, refer to the Shack Handbooks:

Shack Handbook – Crown Lands (coming soon)

Shack Handbook – National Parks (coming soon)

Upcoming appendices (coming soon):

Black Point, Blanchetown, Coastal Shacks, Glenelg River, Kangaroo Island, Milang, Port Clinton, Murray River, Smoky Bay, Coorong National Park, Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park.

Other resources

Contacts

DEW Shacks Team

For all enquiries relating to Shacks on Crown land and in national parks please email DEWshacks@sa.gov.au
Post: Crown Lands Shacks Team
GPO Box 1047
ADELAIDE 5001

General lease transactions

For all enquiries on general lease transactions please contact your local Crown lands office.

Shack owner associations

DEW works closely with the shack owner’s 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 lessees with specific questions relating to the settlement area and their application.