The Territory Plan guides planning and development in the ACT.
It outlines what development can take place and where. It guides developers and gives the Territory Planning Authority the tools to approve or refuse applications for development.
The Territory Plan has district and zone policies to help with this. District policies details the key assessment requirements and expected outcomes relevant to each specific district. Zone policies lists the types of developments that can be built in specific zones. It also lists what documentation is required for assessment to occur. These can be found in Part D, Part E and Part F of the Territory Plan.
You can view the Territory Plan (including the District and Zone policies) on the ACT Legislation Register.
Design guides
The new planning system introduces design guides to help proponents consider how their developments can achieve better designed buildings and shared spaces that benefit the community. They include:
- the Housing Design Guide
- the Urban Design Guide
- the City Centre Urban Design Guide and
- the Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Design Guide.
Developers will need to meet the requirements in the Territory Plan and outline how they have considered the design guides. The teams assessing these applications will use the design guides and the Territory Plan requirements when making a decision.
Find out more about the design guides.
Technical specifications
The Territory Plan also has supporting documents to provide more guidance and clarity. This includes technical specifications which are notifiable instruments that can provide guidance for aspects of a development proposal. However, the requirements and assessment outcomes which are relevant to these Technical Specifications are located in the Territory Plan parts listed above.
There are district specifications, zone specifications and subdivision specifications.
Find out more about technical specifications.
Development Controls
Some projects may not need development approval if they meet the relevant Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 criteria. For a development to be exempt from requiring development approval the proposal may be required to meet relevant development controls, where applicable.
Development controls are made as instruments under the Planning (Exempt Development) Regulation 2023 and apply to developments such as single dwelling housing, signs and fire-safety requirements.
Find out more about development controls and exempt developments.
District Strategies
A new element of the ACT's planning system is the introduction of district strategies.
There are nine districts across Canberra. Each strategy captures the special character of its corresponding district.
These documents will help guide how Canberra will change and grow towards 2038 and beyond to 2050. This growth will be in a way that keeps the territory sustainable, competitive and liveable.
Find out more about the District Strategies.
Land use zoning in Canberra
In Canberra, zoning is set out in the Territory Plan, which guides development across the ACT.
Zoning is an important part of town planning and determines how land is used and what types of development can occur in different areas. Zoning helps ensure that new development fits in with surrounding land uses and that we have a mix of homes, businesses, community facilities and green spaces.
The interim Territory Plan and supporting documents
The final Territory Plan came into effect in the ACT on 27 September 2024. It replaced an interim Territory Plan that was in effect from November 2023.
For DAs submitted for completeness check on or before 26 September 2024, the interim Territory Plan and supporting documents will be used for assessment and approval.
You can access the interim Territory Plan and supporting documents to support your application below.
Interim Territory Plan
The interim Territory Plan, which applies to DAs submitted for completeness check between 27 November 2023 and 26 September 2024.
The original interim Territory Plan and other previous versions are available under 'point-in-time versions' on the ACT Legislation Register.
Interim Design Guides
The interim design guides supported the interim Territory Plan, including DAs submitted for completeness check between 27 November 2023 and 26 September 2024.
The interim design guides are available below:
- Interim Housing Design Guide
- Interim Urban Design Guide
- Interim Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Design Guide
- Interim City Centre Urban Design Guide
Previous technical specifications
For DAs submitted for completeness check between 27 November 2023 and 26 September 2024, the version of the technical specifications that were in effect at the time will need to be used.
Previous development controls
For single dwelling exemption assessments between 27 November 2023 and 26 September 2024, the version of the relevant single dwelling housing development controls that were in effect at the time will need to be used.
Changing the Territory Plan
The new Planning Act 2023 sets out the process to review and vary the Territory Plan 2023 over time. The plan will be regularly reviewed to reflect current planning practises, ongoing development and the changing needs of the community.
The process of changing the Territory plan is through a 'plan amendment'. There are two types of 'plan amendments' under Planning Act 2023:
- major plan amendments (or major amendments)
- minor plan amendments (or major amendments)
Find out more about changes to the Territory Plan.
Frequently asked questions
The Territory Plan will help to deliver a planning system that focuses on quality outcomes. Assessment of developments will focus how developments perform in their setting and how they meet the desired development outcomes. They will still have to comply with specific requirements.
The new plan will provide greater flexibility in the way developments are designed. It will allow greater emphasis on improving design quality and built outcomes for all Canberrans.
There are still parameters that development must meet, such as land use and building height.
Important changes made with the new Territory Plan are:
- blocks over 800m2 are now able to accommodate dual occupancy developments with separate titles. Criteria applies, including that one dwelling must be 120m2 or less.
- a new structure that contains district and zone policies
- introduction of new supporting material such as design guides and planning technical specifications
- a focus on the desired outcomes for development by clearly articulating the assessment outcomes that should be achieved
- various policy changes relating to definitions, uses permitted in zones and planning requirements.
Further detail on the changes being made with the new Territory plan is provided in the Territory Plan Explanatory Report [730.6 KB] and the Territory Plan Supporting Report [927.4 KB].
Development on a block needs to comply with the requirements of the Territory Plan. However, it may be considered to be an exempt development under the Planning Exemptions Regulation 2023.
Find out what can be built on your block.
Development Applications submitted before 27 November 2023 were submitted through the outgoing system and will be assessed under that system. You will not need to resubmit your application or redesign it to meet the requirements of the interim Territory Plan.
Applications submitted between 27 November 2023 and 26 September 2024 will be assessed under the new system and interim Territory Plan and supporting documents.
When the ACT’s new planning system commenced in November 2023, an interim Territory Plan came into effect. This was to reflect that the Standing Committee on Planning, Transport and City Services (the Committee) were yet to conduct an inquiry on the plan and associated documents.
From September 2023 to March 2024, the Committee conducted an inquiry. On 13 March 2024, the Committee’s inquiry report was published. The ACT Government Response then responded to the recommendations proposed in the Committee’s report.
Following the inquiry process, the ACT Government updated the interim Territory Plan, design guides, technical specifications and development controls to respond to recommendations made by the Committee and internal and external stakeholders.
The final Territory Plan was tabled and passed in the Legislative Assembly on 28 August 2024. It came into effect from 27 September 2024.
For information on the key changes between the interim Territory Plan and the final Territory Plan, please read The Territory Plan factsheet [274.3 KB] which outlines each amendment in detail.
Development Applications submitted before 27 November 2023 were submitted through the outgoing system and will be assessed under that system. You will not need to resubmit your application or redesign it to meet the requirements of the interim Territory Plan.
Applications submitted between 27 November 2023 and 26 September 2024 will be assessed under the new system and interim Territory Plan and supporting documents.
The new Territory Plan incorporates the living infrastructure provisions that were introduced in TPV 369. There are also now provisions for Commercial and Community Facility Zone, and new requirements in the Subdivision technical specifications.
The locations of these in the Territory Plan include:
- Part E1 Residential Zones Policy – Assessment Outcomes
- requirements that a sufficient planting area and canopy trees are provided
- Roofed and hard surfaces are limited to reduce urban heat island effects
- Minimised stormwater run-off
- A requirement to maintain biodiversity connectivity
- Part E1 Residential Zones Policy – Assessment Requirements
- All types of residential development proposals in all residential zones will be required to meet the mandatory development controls relating to site coverage limits
- In the interim Territory Plan, there are no exceptions for mandatory living infrastructure requirements for blocks where the original Crown lease was granted on or after 1 January 2020. This is also the case for estate development plans approved on or after 1 January 2020.
- Part E2 Commercial Zones Policy and Part E4 Community Facility Zones Policy – Assessment Outcomes
- Requirements for urban heat island effects to be reduced
- Minimised stormwater run-off
- Ecosystem services must be maintained through the provision of planting area and canopy trees
- Requirements for deep soil zones are provided on site to support healthy tree growth and provide adequate room for canopy trees.
- Territory Plan – Part G Dictionary
- An amendment to the wording for the definition of ‘site coverage’ to clarify what structures are included or not.
- Residential Zones Planning Technical Specifications
- No change to the planting area and tree planting area.
- Commercial and Community Facility Zones Specifications
- New requirements being introduced for tree canopy cover, reducing urban heat, protection from heat (early childhood education and care, educational establishment, residential care accommodation and retirement village)
- Other Specifications – Subdivision specifications
- New requirements being introduced for tree canopy cover, reducing urban heat (cool paving) and protection from heat (playgrounds and public seating)
Find out more
You can review the consultation process and see what we heard on the ACT Planning System Review and Reform Project YourSay page.
You can review the key policy updates and papers over the last 4 years in the project's resources page.
You can find detailed changes between the previous Territory Plan and the interim plan in the Territory Plan Explanatory Report [730.6 KB].
Changes between the interim Territory Plan and final Territory Plan are detailed in The Territory Plan factsheet [PDF 274.3 KB].
