National Capital Plan Draft Amendment 101 – City Hill Building Height Clarification
Consultation type
Draft Amendments to the National Capital Plan
Closing date
19 November 2025
The National Capital Authority (NCA) has released National Capital Plan Draft Amendment 101 – City Hill Building Height Clarification (DA101) for public consultation.
The draft amendment
The purpose of Draft Amendment 101 – City Hill Building Height Clarification (DA101) is to reinstate the intended locations of landmark buildings on the western side of the City Hill Precinct. Through the process of Amendment 100 to the Plan, the locations of these landmark buildings were inadvertently changed. DA101 proposes to revert the landmark buildings to their intended locations.
Background
Planning the National Capital
The NCA secures the Australian Government’s interest in the planning and development of the National Capital to ensure that it continues to serve its national purposes. The NCA’s planning responsibilities are to:
prepare and administer (which includes determining development applications) the National Capital Plan (the Plan)
keep the plan under constant review and propose amendments to it when necessary.
The Plan provides the strategy and blueprint giving effect to the Commonwealth’s interest and intentions for planning, design and developing Canberra and the Territory, and ensure that these interests and intentions are protected.
The draft amendment
National Capital Plan Draft Amendment 101 – City Hill Building Height Clarification
The City Hill Precinct Code of the Plan identifies the permitted land use and building form for City Hill and blocks of land between Vernon Circle and London Circuit.
The City Hill Precinct Code permits building heights of up to 25 metres (generally 6 to 8 storeys) across most of the precinct. Landmark buildings up to RL617 (generally 14 to 18 storeys) are restricted to locations generally near the corners of the main avenues intersecting with London Circuit, including Northbourne Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue, Constitution Avenue, Edinburgh Avenue and University Avenue. Locations of landmark buildings permitted to RL617 are identified within Figure 42 of the Plan.
During the process of Amendment 100 – Knowles Place (Amendment 100), the location of landmark buildings on the western side of the City Hill Precinct were inadvertently changed to an older configuration.
Prior to Amendment 100, landmark buildings of RL617 for the University Avenue and London Circuit intersection were identified on the corners of Sections 100 and 122 City. The amended drawing approved in Amendment 100 changed the sites for permitted RL617 building height near University Avenue to Blocks 1 and 4 Section 18 City. This unintended change removed landmark buildings from Sections 100 and 122 City.
Draft Amendment 101 proposes to revert the location of landmark buildings near the intersection of University Avenue and London Circuit to the previous indicative building form in Figure 42 of the Plan, prior to DA100.
The NCA welcomes written comment on Draft Amendment 101 from interested parties as part of the consultation process.
We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region.
We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.
