The parliamentary triangle's East and West blocks could be adapted for use as hotels, offices, restaurants, cafes or retail spaces under a revised draft of the National Capital Plan, set to be released on Thursday.
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Strong community opposition has seen the National Capital Authority's latest draft changes abandon plans for some current federal protections to be removed over Haig and Telopea parks, while the draft allows for redevelopment of outdated Commonwealth government office buildings at Anzac Park East and West.
The changes, which follow an exposure draft process that began in June, will allow for the planned sale of the CSIRO's 701-hectare Ginninderra field station to go ahead and will see the Mint site rezoned to become a designated area for national use. Land at the corner of State Circle and Canberra Avenue in Forrest will be changed from community use to mixed use for development after a request b the ACT government's Land Development Agency in January 2014.
The authority received 39 submissions to its draft proposals, and Thursday's update comes ahead of a second six-week community consultation period.
If approved, the final changes to the 335-page National Capital Plan could be confirmed by the end of the year.
The plan, the key mechanism for control of territory planning, has not had a comprehensive review since 1991. The authority's power over the Molonglo and Murrumbidgee River corridors, Namadgi National Park and the Tuggeranong Valley will be curtailed and residential development will be allowed to the west of the Tuggeranong town centre, across the Murrumbidgee River.
The authority will retain control over areas of "national character" in Canberra, including the parliamentary triangle and major roads into the city, but it will no longer have a role overseeing development in areas further afield, or in areas including Namadgi. It will also retain control over the prominent hills, ridges and mountains in the inner city, including Mount Majura.
The 1920s East and West Blocks, home to offices and the National Archives since 1998, would still be subject to strict heritage protections as part of the parliamentary triangle, but could be used to create new and diverse activity inside the parliamentary triangle if they became vacant. Their classification would change from "national capital use" to "mixed use".
The Anzac Parade East and West sites will be rezoned for future use to allow for hotels, offices, health centres and ground floor retail and childcare. Planning conditions will continue to apply on both sites, but permitted building heights will be increased to 25 metres in parts. An open space policy has been added for areas front Parkes Way and Anzac Parade, and buildings fronting Anzac Parade will be allowed to be 35 metres in height.
Haig and Telopea parks would not have been altered under the first draft changes because of existing heritage and territory protections, but the authority agreed not to remove a layer of federal control known as special requirements, meaning there is no planned change for either park site.
Proposals for Lake Burley Griffin's West Basin and City Hill have not been changed in the latest draft, despite concerns raised by some groups about overdevelopment and loss of heritage linked to Walter Burley Griffin's original 1920s plans for Canberra. The authority's consultation report said some organisations and members of the public made submissions on aspects of Canberra's planning and governance not related to the plan.
Other changes to the exposure draft include integration of ACT government road and transport plans, the deletion of a proposed arterial road from Fairbairn Avenue to the Majura Parkway and controls over adaptive use of the historic Medical Superintendent's Residence and Limestone House in Acton.
Some new definitions of service apartments, gross floor areas and heritage places have been added and other minor changes to some clauses have been included.
The final consultation round will continue until November 13.
