Block 4 and 5 Section 38 Campbell - Redevelopment Proposal

Update 26 February 2021

• The Australian Government divested the former CSIRO headquarters site in Campbell, ACT in 2002. The CSIRO continued to occupy the site until early 2016, when it relocated to Black Mountain (ACT). The Campbell site has remained vacant since that time.
• In July 2018, the then Department of the Environment and Energy granted approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) for the demolition of the former CSIRO buildings and development of the site for medium to high density residential and commercial uses.
• On 28 September 2018 the National Capital Authority (NCA) approved demolition of the existing buildings.
• As required under the National Capital Plan, a Development Control Plan (DCP) and a detailed Concept Plan was prepared to guide development on the site. Public consultation was undertaken on the DCP and Concept Plan between June and August 2019. Both were approved by the NCA in October 2019.
• The NCA received a Works Approval application in February 2020 for multi-unit residential development. The proposal includes 117 apartments, 127 townhouses and landscaping, and is consistent with the DCP and Concept Plan.
• As part of its standard processes, the NCA undertook public consultation on the Works Approval application between 30 March and 22 April 2020. A total of 13 submissions were received and all objected to the proposal. Key themes raised in the submissions included: implications of traffic flow, tree removals, increasing the density of the suburb and impact on Aboriginal heritage and the Ainslie Volcanic rocks.
• Following the close of the public consultation process, Doma Group, commissioned further investigation into the previously unidentified Indigenous cultural heritage values of the site, including consultation with Registered Aboriginal Organisations (RAOs) in Canberra.
• The Cultural Heritage Report prepared for the Doma Group was provided to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) for consideration. On 4 December 2020, DAWE advised the NCA that the existing EPBC Act approval and conditions will remain.
• Separate to the EPBC Act processes, DAWE received an application under Section 9 of the ATSIHP Act. The ATSIHP Act protect areas and objects that are of particular significance to Aboriginal people. The ATSIHP Act allows the Environment Minister, on the application of an Aboriginal person or group of persons, to make a declaration to protect an area, object or class of objects from a threat of injury or desecration. To make a declaration under Section 9 of the ATSIHP Act, the Minister must be satisfied that the ‘specified area’ is a ‘significant Aboriginal area’ that is ‘under serious and immediate threat of injury or desecration’ within the meaning of the ATSIHP Act.
• On 25 February 2021 the Environment Minister declined to make a declaration as she was not satisfied that the ‘specified area’ is a ‘significant Aboriginal area’.
• The NCA granted Works Approval for the application on 26 February 2021.

Please find the Consultation Report at the bottom of this page. 

Update 26 June 2020

As an update, representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (the Department), the National Capital Authority (NCA) and Doma Group met on 25 June 2020 to discuss and agree on how to respond to new information reported through the media on potential Aboriginal heritage matters of significance to local Indigenous communities relating to the site for Doma Group’s ‘Foothills’ development in Campbell.

Doma Group advised it will undertake further assessment of the site for its potential Indigenous cultural heritage, and is currently recruiting the necessary expertise to undertake this process. This process will include a mechanism to consult with relevant Indigenous representatives to receive and ascertain the validity of additional information.

Doma Group will continue to work with the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment and the National Capital Authority during this process.

Please see here for any further information during the process.

Consultation

The National Capital Authority (NCA) has received a Letter of Consistency** application from DOMA Group for the Stage 1 residential development and associated civil and landscape works located on Blocks 4 and 5 Section 38 Campbell. The process is similar to a Work Approval Application, however a Letter of Consistency is sought, as the site is located outside of a Designated Area.

**There are some areas outside of NCA 'Designated Areas' that are important to character of the National Capital but not to the extent of Designated Areas. These areas are subject to Special Requirements under the National Capital Plan (NCP). 

The NCP sets out Special Requirements for development of these areas in the interests of the National Capital. Special Requirements are given effect either by Principles and Policies in the National Capital Plan or separate Development Control Plans which are approved by the NCA to guide development in association with the requirements of Territory Plan.

As this National Land site (subject to redevelopment) is located outside of a Designated Area, the proposal is to conform with the DCP and Concept Plan prepared for the site. 

For more information regarding Special Requirements of the Plan, please refer to the link below.

For a copy of the approved DCP and Concept Plan for the site (including the NCA’s consultation report on this process) please refer to the link below.

Stage 1 development comprises the construction of building precincts 1, 2, 3, and 4, common areas, civil and landscape works.  Precinct 5 is not included as part of this application. The works included in the application are broadly consistent with the NCA’s endorsed Concept Plan.  Minor departures from the concept plan include:

• Increasing the dwelling quantity from 241 to 244 dwellings.  This change has been redesigned internally on the ground floor. The bulk and scale of the buildings remain unaltered.   
• Basement redesign.
• Landscape changes post Design Review Panel feedback.
• Slight change in the location of the waste collection point.

The plans and supporting information can be viewed on the NCA’s website.  The NCA welcomes community feedback on this application by close of business Tuesday 21 April 2020.

Submissions can be made via email to worksapproval@nca.gov.au or sent to GPO Box 373 Canberra ACT 2600. Please contact the NCA for further information on 02 6271 2888.