Question 1

Can I build a granny flat on my Canberra RZ1 block?

Accepted Answer

Whether you can build a secondary dwelling (granny flat or ancillary dwelling) on an RZ1 block in Canberra depends on several factors that go beyond the zone classification alone. In the ACT's RZ1 (Suburban) zone, ancillary (secondary) dwellings are a recognised development pathway under the Territory Plan. However, the practical viability depends on your specific title and block geometry: What the zone permits: Secondary dwellings and dual occupancy are part of the Missing Middle housing pathways in RZ1, particularly following the MPA-04 reforms that commenced 26 June 2026. The old minimum block-area requirements for dual occupancy in RZ1 have been removed under these reforms.

Question 2

What can I build on my ACT block?

Accepted Answer

What you can build on an ACT block depends on three things: your zone (which sets the legal pathway), your block's geometry and title (which sets the physical constraints), and the economics (which determine whether the project actually makes financial sense). Step 1 — Your zone: The ACT Territory Plan divides residential land into zones: RZ1 (Suburban), RZ2 (Suburban Core), RZ3 (Urban Residential), RZ4 (Medium Density Residential), and RZ5 (High Density Residential). Each zone has different permitted uses and development pathways. For most Canberra homeowners on standard residential blocks, RZ1 and RZ2 are the relevant zones.

Question 3

How do I check if a Canberra block can be subdivided?

Accepted Answer

Checking whether a Canberra block can be subdivided involves both a planning assessment and a title review. Here's what each step involves: The planning assessment: ACT subdivision follows a different legal framework from most other Australian states — because ACT land is Crown leasehold, not freehold. Subdivision typically involves a lease variation (changing the lease conditions to enable separate titles) and a survey plan lodged with the ACT Surveyor-General. The zone determines whether subdivision is a permitted development type.

Question 4

What is the ACT Lease Variation Charge?

Accepted Answer

The ACT Lease Variation Charge (LVC) is a charge paid to the ACT Government when a developer or property owner varies their Crown lease — the legal instrument that defines what can be built on most ACT land — in a way that increases the development potential of the site. Why it exists: ACT land is Crown leasehold (not freehold like most other Australian states). When a lease is varied to allow more dwellings or higher-intensity development, the value of that permission — sometimes called the "betterment" — is shared with the Territory through the LVC.

Question 5

How much does an ACT development feasibility report cost?

Accepted Answer

ACT development feasibility costs vary widely depending on what's included and who produces it: Traditional consultant path: A full development feasibility for an ACT site — covering planning viability, building envelope analysis, construction cost estimation, and financial modelling — typically costs $5,000–$15,000 for a preliminary desktop assessment. This usually involves a town planner for pre-DA advice ($1,500–$2,500), an architect's concept feasibility ($2,000–$5,000+), and a quantity surveyor estimate ($1,500–$3,000). Timeline: typically 4–6 weeks.

Question 6

What's the maximum I should pay for a development site in Canberra?

Accepted Answer

The maximum a developer should pay for any site is the Residual Land Value (RLV) — the value left over after deducting all development costs from the projected end value. The RLV formula: End Value (completed dwellings, at market) − Construction Cost − Holding Costs − Statutory Charges (including LVC) − Developer's Profit Margin = Residual Land Value (maximum bid price) If the asking price exceeds the RLV, the project doesn't work at that price — regardless of how good the architecture is or how favourable the zone.

Question 7

What are the ACT Missing Middle housing rules?

Accepted Answer

The ACT's Missing Middle Housing reforms — known as MPA-04 (Medium Density Housing — Missing Middle) — commenced 26 June 2026. They represent the most significant change to residential development rules in the ACT's suburban zones in a generation. What changed: Prior to MPA-04, minimum block area requirements applied to dual occupancy in the RZ1 and RZ2 zones — effectively preventing dual occupancy on most standard-sized suburban blocks. MPA-04 removed these minimum block-area requirements for dual occupancy.

Question 8

Do I need a DA for a dual occupancy in Canberra?

Accepted Answer

In most cases, yes — a development application (DA) to the ACT Planning directorate is required for dual occupancy in Canberra. Here's how the system works: The ACT planning approval framework: The ACT Planning Act 2023 classifies development into exempt, self-assessable, and merit-assessable categories. Most dual occupancy proposals fall into merit-assessable development — meaning they require a DA and are assessed by a planning authority against the relevant development controls. What the DA assesses: A dual occupancy DA is assessed against the development controls in the Territory Plan for the relevant zone (typically RZ1 or RZ2 for suburban dual occupancy).

Question 9

What is Residual Land Value and how does it affect what I should pay for a development site?

Accepted Answer

Residual Land Value (RLV) is the maximum price a developer should rationally pay for a development site, calculated by working backwards from the completed development's end value. The calculation: RLV = End Value − Construction Cost − Holding Costs − Statutory Charges (including Lease Variation Charge) − Developer's Required Profit The result is the land value that makes the project financially viable at the developer's target return. If the asking price exceeds the RLV, the project doesn't generate an acceptable return — and no change in design or financing solves that problem.

Question 10

How accurate is an online ACT development feasibility tool?

Accepted Answer

The accuracy of any online development feasibility tool depends on what it's built on and what it claims to do.

What you get	Free $0Is it worth a look	Compliance $49Know the rules	Visual $149See the envelope	Investor $299Do the numbers work	Developer $799The acquisition call
Planning & site
Zone & block lookup — live ACT GIS	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Development envelope — height, storeys, footprint	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Dual-occ / Missing Middle eligibility	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Rule-by-rule compliance assessment	—	✓	✓	✓	✓
DA readiness & likely approval track	—	✓	✓	✓	✓
Real cadastral site plan & setback map	—	—	✓	✓	✓
Building envelope diagram & suburb snapshot	—	—	✓	✓	✓
Financial
Feasibility margin, verdict & sensitivity	—	—	—	✓	✓
Residual Land Value — your walk-away price	—	—	—	✓	✓
Yield, cash-flow & acquisition costings	—	—	—	✓	✓
Executive investment verdict	—	—	—	✓	✓
Developer decision intelligence — $799 only
The Properly Score, Confidence Journey & Acquisition Recommendation	—	—	—	—	✓
Constraints quantified in $ & Strategy Regret	—	—	—	—	✓
Nearby Approval Intelligence + Refusal Intelligence	—	—	—	—	✓
Board Summary — 1-page decision memo	—	—	—	—	✓

Not a report.
A deal filter.

Development Decision Intelligence™

Not a data dump. An acquisition decision — on a real block.

The most expensive development mistakes happen before construction starts.

Properly doesn’t replace your planner. It tells you whether the site deserves one.

For anyone weighing a real acquisition or development decision.

The ACT rules changed.
Has your property?

Four questions, in the order a developer actually asks them.

Straight from
a real developer report.

How much of the decision is already proven?

Built by an operator, not an algorithm.

A new name earns trust with evidence — not a wall of reviews.

Pay per report. No subscription.

Make the first decision
before the first dollar.

Not a report.A deal filter.