The National Capital Authority will move ahead with its plans for the residential development of the Curtin horse paddocks.
The draft plan, which was put to public consultation earlier this year, was approved by the authority on Tuesday, September 1.
Despite receiving feedback from dozens of residents, the approved plan included "no changes of substance" from the draft, according to the authority's consultation paper.
Plans to transform the site, which is currently being used as a horse agistment, have been in the works since 2020, when the ACT and federal governments finalised a controversial land swap.
After years of negotiations, the ACT government received the West Basin waterfront in exchange for the Curtin land, which would be used to build a residential area alongside a new diplomatic precinct.
In 2024, the ACT government released plans for more than 1300 new townhouses and apartments on the site, only to be met with criticism from the community, who were concerned the development would become too dense, increase traffic congestion and increase pressure on local schools.
In April, the NCA opened a second round of community consultation when it released its Draft Detailed Conditions of Planning, Design and Development (DCPDD) for the area.
The plan detailed a mix of housing options, including apartment buildings up to eight storeys tall, a walkable grid which prioritises pedestrians and cyclists, and a water ecology park which would flank Yarralumla Creek.
A total of 80 residents and groups responded to the plans. Although many supported the new housing in the area, concerns about density, building heights and access to amenities continued to be a theme.
According to the authority's consultation paper, the majority of the submissions included concerns about traffic and transport both within the site, and in its connections to the rest of the city.
In its response, the authority said a works approval, including a detailed traffic impact assessment would be required before any development began.
"This approval process would expect detailed traffic impact assessment to be lodged with the development plans so that the impact on the transport network, traffic flows to and from the site and parking in surrounding areas can be appropriately assessed," the consultation paper said.
The paper went on to say the purpose of the draft was to provide details of the planning, design and development principles, and the parameters for the area.
"The NCA considers that the Draft DCPDD provides appropriate detail to support the delivery of a high-quality urban development," the consultation paper said.
"We also acknowledge the broader strategic work that has been undertaken and will necessarily continue to support the longer-term planning for the southern gateway corridor, and its impact on and interaction with the proposed development in the North Curtin Residential Area.
"On this basis, no change of substance is proposed to the Draft DCPDD."
A spokesperson for the authority said the Suburban Land Agency would be responsible for the next stage of the process when the land would be released.
