The ACT Planning and Land Authority is required to maintain a register of development applications, approvals and compliance orders. This is known as the public register.

Inspecting the Register

The public register is available for inspection at the ACT Planning and Land Authority's Dickson Customer Service Centre at 16 Challis Street, Dickson. Some information that is on the Register can be viewed on this web site. Details of development applications that have been publicly notified are available for viewing during notification.

Anyone who inspects the public register may request copies of or take extracts from the register and associated documents. There is no charge for inspecting the Register. However, you will have to pay for copies of any associated documents you request.

Exclusion of documents

The public register is made available for inspection subject to restrictions on confidentiality.

An applicant for development approval, the proponent of a development proposal who submits a revised a Environmental Impact Statement or a person who has made comments or representations may apply for all or part of a relevant document to be excluded from being available for public inspection. The Authority may approve or refuse the request for exemption from the public register.

For an application to be approved, we must be satisfied that the part of the relevant document to which the exclusion application relates contains information that upon publication would disclose a trade secret or would or could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any person or lead to damage to, or theft of, property. If parts of documents are excluded, a statement to that effect will be included on the copies of the copies of the relevant document made available for public inspection.

We must also exclude from public availability any parts of a relevant document where a justice minister has certified that publication of those parts might jeopardise national security, expose the public or staff of a security organisation to risk of injury or property to risk of damage. Each copy of the relevant document made public will include a statement that an unmentioned part of the document has been excluded.