Draft Amendment 100 - Knowles Place Alignment

The National Capital Authority (NCA) has released National Capital Plan Draft Amendment 100 – Knowles Place Alignment (DA100) for public consultation. 

The purpose of Draft Amendment 100 – Knowles Place Alignment is to vary the location of part of Knowles Place as shown in the City Hill Precinct Code of the National Capital Plan.  The variation in alignment will help facilitate the Canberra Theatre Centre Redevelopment project.

The Draft Amendment 

The ACT Government has proposed the Canberra Theatre Centre Redevelopment project.
The project includes the development of a new 2,000 seat theatre adjoining the existing playhouse to the west, significant expansion of the courtyard studio on the eastern side of the precinct, and upgrades to the existing Canberra Theatre and refurbishment of the Playhouse.

The project site (Block 23 Section 19 City) is located within the City Hill Precinct of the National Capital Plan (the Plan). 
The Playhouse is located on the southern portion of the block, whilst the remainder of the block is used as a surface level car park. 
The new theatre complex is proposed on the southern portion of the block, while the northern portion has been identified as a development site, subject to future tender and sale by the City Renewal Authority (CRA).

The City Hill Precinct Code of the Plan requires that a laneway (‘Knowles Place’) extend around almost the entire precinct.
The extension of Knowles Place is intended to improve permeability, enable service access, and create more opportunities for activation through the precinct.

The City Hill Precinct Code of the Plan identifies the permitted land use for Knowles Place and its extension as ‘road’ rather than land available for development.  

The Canberra Theatre Centre Redevelopment project area includes the land identified as the Knowles Place alignment as part of the development site. 
Planning and design work underway indicates that the size and shape of Block 23 Section 19 City, and functional requirements of the new theatre, result in the need to continue the theatre building into the current Knowles Place alignment.

To facilitate the approval of the Canberra Theatre Centre Redevelopment, whilst retaining the principles of the linked connection and accessibility embedded in the City Hill precinct code a new alignment for Knowles Place through Block 23 Section 19 City is required. 
The new alignment will achieve the same desired outcomes and functionality as the current alignment, including in relation to traffic and movement, activation of the precinct, and general design intent for the City Hill Precinct.

In April 2024, the NCA Board agreed to the preparation of a draft amendment to the Plan to vary the location of Knowles Place as shown in the City Hill Precinct Code of the Plan. 

Image

Knowles Place realignment

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.

Submissions and feedback

The NCA welcomes written comment on Draft Amendment 100 from interested parties as part of the consultation process.

Submissions are invited until close of business on 27 November 2024.

Submissions to Draft Amendment 100 can be:

• emailed to DraftAmendment@nca.gov.au
• mailed to: Chief Planner, National Capital Authority, GPO Box 373, Canberra ACT 2601
• delivered to National Capital Authority, Ground Floor, Treasury Building, King Edward Terrance, Parkes ACT 2600

Further information 
For further information on Draft Amendment 100 please email DraftAmendment@nca.gov.au