National Capital Plan Draft Amendment 96 – Monaro Highway and Hume Industrial Estate

The National Capital Authority (NCA) has released National Capital Plan Draft Amendment 96 – Monaro Highway and Hume Industrial Estate (DA96) for public consultation.

The draft amendment

Key changes to the National Capital Plan proposed by Draft Amendment 96 include:

• Variation to the extent of the Designated Areas around the Monaro Highway Approach Route (notably the intersection of the highway and Isabella Drive).
• Change the general land use policy for Blocks 1469, 1488, 1670 and part of 1563 Tuggeranong from Broadacre Areas to Urban Areas to facilitate industrial land uses

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 to 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 ensures that these interests and intentions are protected.

The NCA has an interest in the major approach routes that enter the national capital. These Approach Routes are identified as Designated Areas in the Plan with the NCA as the planning authority. Monaro Highway is identified as a key Approach Route, with the road reserve located within the NCA’s Designated Area.

The Plan also provides general land use policy for the ACT and identifies areas for urban development, broadacre, rural areas and buffer spaces. Residential, commercial, and industrial development are only permitted in urban areas identified in the Plan.

The draft amendment

DA96 proposes to adjust the Designated Area boundary for an updated Monaro Highway alignment planned by the ACT Government’s Transport Canberra & City Services (TCCS). The updated alignment includes a widened carriageway for the Monaro Highway along with a new intersection structure, which will form part of a revised road reserve. TCCS has identified the road as required improvements to safety, capacity and travel times.

This proposed amendment addresses the Isabella Drive Interchange works, which are a subset of the overall program. Through review of the Designated and non-Designated Land over the subject site, it has been identified that the proposed realignment of the Monaro Highway and intersection works will be out of alignment with the intended Approach Route corridor specified in the Plan.

In order for proposed development to progress, an amendment to the Plan is required to retain the NCA’s interest in accordance with the Plan for the Monaro Highway Approach Route into the Nation’s Capital. The proposal will simplify the jurisdictional pattern associated with the Approach Route, providing clarity to the public and relevant entities as the proposal moves into the planning approval stage in 2024.

Blocks 1469, 1488, 1670 and 1563 Tuggeranong are irregularly shaped parcels of land on the southern edge of the Hume Industrial Estate. There currently exists a discrepancy in land use policy between the National Capital Plan and the Territory Plan for these blocks.

Blocks 1469, 1488, 1670 and the northern portion of Block 1563 Tuggeranong are within Broadacre Areas under the Plan. The southern ‘tail’ of Block 1563 block is within Hills, Ridges and Buffer Spaces of the Plan. Industrial uses are not permitted in either of these land use policy areas.

Under the Territory Plan, the zoning of the ‘tail’ of Block 1563 Tuggeranong aligns with the land use policy under the Plan. Blocks 1469, 1488, 1670 and the northern portion of Block 1563, are zoned CZ6 – Leisure and Accommodation, and IZ1 – General Industry. Both zones allow for uses not permitted under the Broadacre Areas land use policies from the Plan.

The effect of DA96 as proposed will result in the land being able to be utilised for industrial (or other urban) land uses. The land will provide a small number of sites that will contribute to a much-needed increase in industrial land in the ACT.

The proposed detailed land use arrangements are shown in the drawings below.

Image

Figure 1: showing the current Designated Areas and proposed Designated Areas in pink

Image

Figure 2: showing the proposed urban areas in blue, broadacre areas in yellow and hills, ridges and buffer spaces in green

Further details regarding all changes proposed by Draft Amendment 96, can be found in the Draft Amendment document available to download below.

Public consultation

Options to get involved or obtain further information include:

• Send your questions to draft.amendment@nca.gov.au. NCA officers will provide a written response, alternatively please indicate if would like an NCA officer to call you to discuss your questions.
• Check the website and the NCA’s social media channels regularly for further updates and responses to key questions and comments being received.
• If you belong to a community organisation, please email draft.amendment@nca.gov.au to organise a video or teleconference with NCA officers.

Submissions and feedback

The NCA welcomes written comments on Draft Amendment 96 from interested parties as part of the consultation process.

Submissions to Draft Amendment 96 can be:

• Emailed to draft.amendment@nca.gov.au
• Delivered to National Capital Authority, Ground Floor, Treasury Building, King Edward Terrace, Parkes ACT 2600

Submissions are invited until Friday 8 December 2023

Please note that the NCA will also be considering community comment made via social media and other online platforms.

Further information

For further information on Draft Amendment 96 please email draft.amendment@nca.gov.au