Purpose of the Review

In1986, the National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) published the Parliamentary Zone Development Plan (PZDP). The purpose of this plan was to:

…establish a physical pattern of roads, subdivision and potential building sites as a basis for future development proposals…

The plan was based on four principles:

• Complete the Griffin Land Axis.
• Identify sites for future buildings.
• Progressively improve the quality of the landscape.
• Improve transport, parking facilities primarily for visitors, and consumer facilities.

Two years after this plan was prepared, the New Parliament House was opened and within another year the Australian Capital Territory had self-government, and the National Capital Plan was written.

The Commonwealth ensured that its interests and intentions were maintained in the planning, design and development of the Territory, by establishing the National Capital Planning Authority (NCPA). As part of its functions, this agency was charged with the preparation and administration of the National Capital Plan and was the sole planning agency responsible for Designated Areas – those areas of land that have the special characteristics of the National Capital.

Chief amongst these Designated areas is the Central National Area (CNA), of which Lake Burley Griffin and the Parliamentary Zone are at the heart.

The National Capital Plan used as its basis the 1986 Parliamentary Zone Development Plan in regard to the policies and principles set out for the Parliamentary Zone. While this document proposed future national institutions and associated infrastructure works in a Washington-styled ‘mall’ along both sides of the land axis, little of the plan has eventuated. Only the National Science and Technology Centre and associated siteworks conform to the 1986 plan. Nothing else has been built.

In 1995 the NCPA undertook the Central National Area (CNA) Study which encompassed all the designated areas around Lake Burley Griffin. As part of the study, research was undertaken into Australian’s views of the National Capital. This CNA Study produced (or proposed) several projects such as the Parkes Place Conservation and Management Plan; Master Plans for the National Gallery of Australia/High Court of Australia Precinct and Old Parliament House Gardens; the King Edward Terrace Streetscape Plan; and the Placemaking and Wayfinding study. Shortly thereafter, in July 1996, the NCPA’s name was changed to the National Capital Authority (NCA).

In 1998 the Federal Government announced that the National Capital Authority would be undertaking a strategic review of the Parliamentary Zone and would initiate the development of a master plan. By this time certain aspects of the Zone were considered to be major public planning concerns. These concerns included, the perceived lack of vitality in the Zone, through traffic and car parking, problems, the physical isolation of major buildings from each other, an ageing landscape and the need for a greater level of interpretation and representation of our diverse heritage.

The continued success of the important national institutions and the Federal Government’s recent commitment to a continued departmental presence through the refurbishment of the Administration (now John Gorton) and Treasury Buildings, have added impetus for these concerns to be addressed in this review.

As well as responding to current issues, the objective of this review has been to refresh and promulgate a historical vision for the Parliamentary Zone. The review also provides an innovative and practical procedure for translating this new vision into reality.