Local Planning in the ACT

View across Canberra; from War Memorial Across Lake Burley Griffin to Old and New Parliament Houses


 

- Canberra is incredibly unique in that it had a well formulated full scale plan from its very inception, consequently a number of orderly design principles are observed, perhaps most notable the City Beautiful.

- Canberra being the national capital has Commonwealth significance and is legislated accordingly, resultantly leaving a unique planning environment where commonwealth interest and territory interest are represented by differing governing bodies.

- Dual Planning System:

- NCA administer a statutory and strategic capital plan NCP affecting primarily commonwealth land: Designated Lands

- ACTPLA administer territory plan which has the bulk of territory land under its jurisdiction: Territory Land

- Notably on land ownership: land in the ACT is held under a unique land tenure leasehold system where land is effectively leased for 99 year periods with the general expectation that the lease will be renewed after the expiry of the 99 year period.