---
title: "Prepare a South Australian payment schedule, or count the section 17 adjudication window"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/construction-and-infrastructure/draft-the-payment-schedule-and-adjudication-response/south-australia"
type: "task_jurisdiction_version"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A11-SOP-SA-2"
practice_area: "Construction & Infrastructure"
tier: "red"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["SA"]
last_reviewed: "2026-09-23"
---

# Prepare a South Australian payment schedule, or count the section 17 adjudication window

> Extract the day the payment claim was served, the contract schedule clause, the claimed amount and any schedule already served into a dated table.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/construction-and-infrastructure/draft-the-payment-schedule-and-adjudication-response/south-australia  
Last reviewed: 2026-09-23

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Construction & Infrastructure](https://ailawframework.com/practice/construction-and-infrastructure.md) |
| Human involvement | Red: Lawyer writes; AI may check, clarify or collect data |
| How AI is used | Extract the day the payment claim was served, the contract schedule clause, the claimed amount and any schedule already served into a dated table. |
| What the lawyer must review | Set the scheduled amount and reasons, or name the section 17 limb Approve the document that is served Do not let the dated table choose the limb |
| Written for | South Australia |
| Applies to | [Draft the payment schedule and adjudication response](https://ailawframework.com/practice/construction-and-infrastructure/draft-the-payment-schedule-and-adjudication-response.md) |

## Checking plan

**Lawyer-led judgement**

Section 14 uses the earlier of the contract time and 15 business days after the payment claim is served. Section 17 then sets three adjudication windows, and a notice-and-5-business-day step where no schedule was provided. The response time is the later of two short periods, and only if a schedule was provided in time.

- What the AI does: Extract the day the payment claim was served, the contract schedule clause, the claimed amount and any schedule already served into a dated table.
- What the lawyer does: Set the scheduled amount, or identify which section 17(3) limb applies, and approve the document that is served.
- Who reviews: Lawyer competent in the matter and this security-of-payment statute
- Basis: Read on 22 September 2026 from the Queensland reprint current from 28 May 2026, the Western Australian compilation, the South Australian authorised PDF marked version 10.12.2011, the Northern Territory reprint as in force at 25 May 2024, and the linked government pages. Confirm the instrument is still current.
- Why: The traffic light follows the consequence of using the wrong statute, or the wrong day, for a payment claim, payment schedule or adjudication.
- Restriction: The lawyer leads this decision. Assistance stays inside the preparation described for the task.

## Checks the lawyer makes

1. Provide any payment schedule within the contract time or 15 business days after the payment claim is served, whichever expires earlier. Identify the claim and indicate the scheduled amount.
2. If no schedule was provided and the amount is unpaid, give the section 17(2) notice within the 20 business days immediately following the due date, and allow 5 business days after the notice before applying.
3. Choose the matching section 17(3) period: 15 business days after the schedule is received, 20 business days after the due date, or 15 business days after the end of the section 17(2)(b) period. Make the application to an authorised nominating authority and serve a copy on the respondent.
4. Lodge an adjudication response only if the payment schedule was in time, only with reasons already in the schedule, and before the later of 5 business days after the copy of the application and 2 business days after notice of acceptance.

## Notes

- Suggested working checks from the linked public source. Read that source before you rely on the check. This is not a record that the check has been done.

## Practical guide

Jurisdiction: South Australia

**Deliverable**: A payment schedule that identifies the claim and states the scheduled amount, or an adjudication checklist naming the section 17(3) limb and the last day.

**Inputs**

- The payment claim and the day it was served
- The construction contract schedule clause
- The due date taken from section 11 of the current PDF
- The authorised Act, sections 14, 15, 16, 17 and 20

**Example**: The respondent provides no payment schedule and does not pay by the due date. Section 17(2) requires notice of intention to apply for adjudication within the 20 business days immediately following the due date, and then 5 business days after that notice for a payment schedule. Section 17(3)(e) requires the application within 15 business days after the end of that 5 business day period. The application is made to an authorised nominating authority chosen by the claimant.

**Stop and escalate when**

- The schedule period is taken from Western Australia or Queensland without reading section 14. Section 14 uses the time required by the contract or 15 business days after the payment claim is served, whichever expires earlier.
- The three section 17 windows are collapsed into one 20-business-day period. A lower scheduled amount, an unpaid scheduled amount, and a case with no schedule are different paragraphs.
- An adjudication response is lodged where no payment schedule was provided within section 14(4) or section 17(2)(b). Section 20(3) says the respondent may lodge a response only in that case, and section 20(4) keeps out reasons that were not in the schedule.
- The due date used to start the section 17 count was filled in from another state because section 11(1)(b) was hard to read.

Checked 2026-09-22.

## Sources

- [Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2009 (SA), authorised version 10.12.2011, current PDF](https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/_legislation-documents/lz/c/a/building-and-construction-industry-security-of-payment-act-2009/current/2009.77.auth.pdf) (checked 2026-09-22)
- [South Australian legislation: Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2009](https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/lz?path=%2Fc%2Fa%2Fbuilding%20and%20construction%20industry%20security%20of%20payment%20act%202009) (checked 2026-09-22)
- [Small Business Commission South Australia: Builders and construction businesses](https://www.sbc.sa.gov.au/support/who-sbc-helps/construction) (checked 2026-09-22)

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*