How to Subdivide Land in the ACT 2026

Can I subdivide my block in the ACT? Often yes, but it depends on your block's zone under the Territory Plan 2023, its size and shape, what your Crown lease allows, and whether you want separate Crown leases or a unit title over one lease. Those are the questions to answer if you want to subdivide land in the ACT.

The ACT works differently from the states. "Leasehold is ACT's system of land tenure", and a residential Crown lease is usually for 99 years. So subdividing here means changing a Crown lease, not just drawing a new line on a plan.

This guide covers who approves a subdivision, the rules, the process, timeframes, official fees and common complications.

Who approves a subdivision in the ACT

There is no local council. The Territory Planning Authority is the consent authority for the whole Territory and decides development applications (DAs) under the Planning Act 2023. The new planning system started on 27 November 2023, and the Territory Plan 2023 replaced the Territory Plan 2008. DAs are lodged online through eDevelopment.

Changing a Crown lease, including splitting it, needs development approval. Other bodies involved:

The Commissioner for ACT Revenue is legally responsible for the lease variation charge, which the Authority administers under delegation.
The ACT Heritage Council advises on DAs affecting heritage places.
Icon Water reviews water and sewer designs for new or changed services.
The Land Titles Office (Access Canberra) registers new Crown leases, deposited plans and units plans.

The rules that decide whether your block can be split

Your zone

Residential land falls into five zones: RZ1 Suburban, RZ2 Suburban Density, RZ3 Residential Transition, RZ4 Urban Residential and RZ5 Urban Density. You can check your zone on ACTmapi, the ACT Government's online map. In RZ1 and RZ2, the E01 Residential Zones Policy lists subdivision, multi-unit housing and secondary residences as permitted uses.

The rules changed on 1 July 2026, when Major Plan Amendment 04 (NI2026-246, the "missing middle" housing reform) commenced to better enable subdivision and development, mainly in RZ1 and RZ2.

Minimum block size in the ACT

The Planning (Subdivision) Technical Specifications 2026 (NI2026-304), in force from 1 July 2026, set minimum areas for new residential blocks:

Zone	Minimum area of each new block
RZ1 Suburban	350 m²
RZ2 Suburban Density	300 m²
RZ3 Residential Transition	275 m²
RZ4 Urban Residential	250 m²
RZ5 Urban Density	250 m²

"Minimum areas exclude any battle axe handle", so a rear block must reach the minimum without its driveway strip.

In RZ1, the Territory Plan's F01 Subdivision Policy (Assessment Requirement 11) allows subdivision where each new block is at least 350 m², or where each new block contains a lawfully constructed dwelling. The second route means building first and subdividing afterwards.

Width, depth and a house on each block

The specifications also set minimum dimensions. A compact block (250 m² or less) needs 17 m depth and 6 m width, with a slope no greater than 10%. A mid-sized block (over 250 m² up to 500 m²) needs 25 m and 10 m, and a large block (over 500 m²) 28 m and 14 m. Frontage and the existing house decide whether blocks sit side by side or front and rear.

These are benchmarks rather than absolute bars: F01 says the Authority "may approve an application that does not satisfy the relevant planning technical specifications where satisfied the development proposal meets all relevant assessment outcomes." F01 also deals with whether a dwelling can be accommodated on each new block (Assessment Requirement 8) and that each new block has utilities infrastructure.

Unit titling and dual occupancy

A dual occupancy does not have to be split into two Crown leases. The owner can build two homes on one lease, then unit title them. Under F01 Assessment Requirement 12, unit titling in RZ1 is allowed only once all dwellings are lawfully constructed, and on a "standard block" only where it is at least 600 m². The Territory Plan defines a standard block mainly as one originally leased or used for one or two dwellings.

A secondary residence (granny flat) can be up to 90 m², one per block, alongside single dwelling housing, but it cannot be given a separate title or unit title (F01 Assessment Requirement 5).

Your Crown lease

"Leased land and buildings on the land can only be used for a purpose authorised by the lease." The purpose clause and any development covenant set what the lease allows now, and varying them needs development approval.

Step by step: the subdivision process in the ACT

ACT Planning describes two paths.

Path A: block subdivision (new Crown leases)

Feasibility. Get the Crown lease and title through ACTLIS, the Access Canberra land titles search, and check the ACTmapi and flood mapping.
Your team. A registered surveyor and usually a town planner prepare the plans. Icon Water's process includes in-principle designs and, where planning approval is needed, a pre-DA network protection check.
Development application to the Territory Planning Authority through eDevelopment, for the lease variation and subdivision.
Notification and decision. Where required, the DA is publicly notified, referral entities give advice, and the Authority decides.
Lease variation charge. After approval, the charge "is determined and payable by the Lessee."
Services. Separate utility services are installed for each block.
Survey plan. Your surveyor prepares a new deposited plan, which the Territory examines.
New Crown leases. A Crown lease for each block, "with the purpose of a single dwelling only", is prepared and registered at Land Titles. An undeveloped block carries development covenants, and the Minister's consent is required to transfer it.

Path B: unit title subdivision (one Crown lease)

Get development approval and build the dwellings.
Obtain a certificate of occupancy and use for each unit.
A licensed unit title assessor prepares a Unit Title Assessment Report, less than three months old.
Lodge the unit title application and units plan. The Territory Planning Authority may approve it if it meets section 20 of the Unit Titles Act 2001.
Land Titles registers the units plan.

How long it takes

ACT Planning publishes these Planning Act 2023 timeframes, in working days:

Standard development, no representations: 30 working days to decide.
Standard development, with representations: 45 working days.
Significant development: 60 working days.
Public notification: 15 working days, other than for significant development.

A reconsideration application must be made within 20 working days of the decision, and an ACAT review application within 20 working days of being told about it. A development approval generally lasts five years after it takes effect, but a lease variation approval generally ends once the lease is varied or after two years.

These clocks cover the decision only. Survey, servicing, the lease variation and registration usually take longer, and unit titling waits for construction.

What it costs

These official fees are current at October 2026. Most apply from 1 July 2026 and change every financial year.

Development application (lease variation, consolidation or subdivision): $2,732.33, plus $362.02 for each additional component (Planning (Fees) Determination 2026, item 12). Other fees apply where building work is included.
Lease variation charge to subdivide: $7,500 for each additional lease when splitting into two or three leases. For four or more, $7,500 for each of the first two additional leases and $5,000 for each one after that (Schedule 1, items 6 and 7, Planning (Lease Variation Charges) Determination 2026).
Lease variation charge to add dwellings: Schedule 2 sets a charge by suburb. For a total of two dwellings it is, for example, $52,500 in Greenway, $65,000 in Kambah, $215,000 in Braddon and $346,000 in Forrest. Where several variations are needed, the charges are added together. These figures apply to DAs submitted from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 and lodged before 1 April 2028.
RZ1 and RZ2 reduction: 50% off under DI2026-143, only if the variation adds one or more dwellings in RZ1 or RZ2, the DA is approved before 30 June 2029, a deferral application is made to the Commissioner for Revenue on or after 10 June 2026, the Commissioner approves it, and a certificate of occupancy issues for each added dwelling by 31 December 2030.
Territory examination of the survey plan: $1,683.97 base plus $297.86 per additional block.
Lease preparation fee: $1,882.90.
Land Titles: $713 to lodge a plan and $184 to register each Crown lease.
Unit titling: $2,851.52 for a two-unit residential development.
Icon Water capital contribution: $920 per unit of net increase in "equivalent population" for 2026-27 (ICRC).

Everything else needs quotes: surveyor and planner fees, valuations, service connections, driveways, demolition, specialist reports and construction. Totals vary widely by site.

Things that can stop or complicate a subdivision

Heritage. Check the ACT Heritage Register and the heritage map on ACTmapi. For a registered or provisionally registered block, F01 allows subdivision only if no heritage guideline, order or agreement prohibits it and it would not diminish the place's significance.

Aboriginal cultural heritage. "The Heritage Act 2004 protects all Aboriginal places and objects on ACT land", registered or not. Finds must be reported to the Heritage Council within 5 working days.

Bushfire. Bushfire prone areas are on ACTmapi. Under F01, blocks in a bushfire prone area are not developed where the bushfire attack level for later buildings exceeds BAL 29.

Flood. The ACT flood maps show the 1% AEP flood extent by default, with depth and hazard layers.

Trees. Under the Urban Forest Act 2023, a tree on leased land is protected if it is 8 m or taller, has a canopy 8 m or wider, or a trunk circumference of 1 m or more at 1.4 m above ground, among other tests. All trees on public land are protected.

Environment. On the urban edge, threatened species and ecological communities under the Nature Conservation Act 2014 can limit what is possible.

Contamination and asbestos. The EPA keeps a Register of Contaminated Sites. Loose-fill asbestos ("Mr Fluffy") homes are tracked separately on the Affected Residential Premises Register, and remaining affected properties carry development and building restrictions.

Easements and services. Mains crossing a block, or limited capacity, can force a redesign.

Your lease and buildings. A purpose clause, development covenant or unapproved structure can add steps, and unit titling waits until every dwelling is built and certified.

A quick checklist for your block

Is the block zoned RZ1, RZ2 or higher on ACTmapi?
Does each new block reach the zone minimum without any battle-axe handle?
Is the frontage wide enough for the required block widths?
Do you want separate Crown leases, or to build first and unit title?
If unit titling in RZ1, is the block 600 m² or more, or non-standard?
What does the Crown lease purpose clause say about dwellings?
Is the block heritage listed, bushfire prone or flood mapped?
Are there protected trees on the block or the verge?
Do mains or easements run through the block?
Is it on the Register of Contaminated Sites or the Affected Residential Premises Register?

Where a Subdivision Checker report fits

A Subdivision Checker report brings together the planning rules, mapping and records for one address in the ACT in one professional report: planning and zoning, including the minimum lot size rules that apply, heritage, environment, bushfire, flood, servicing, contamination and title, plus indicative costs. It is a starting point that helps you understand your block and know what to ask a licensed surveyor or town planner. It is not a substitute for their advice. Order a report for your address.

Guides for the other states and the Northern Territory are in our subdivision guides.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum block size for subdivision in the ACT?

Under the Planning (Subdivision) Technical Specifications 2026, each new block needs at least 350 m² in RZ1, 300 m² in RZ2, 275 m² in RZ3 and 250 m² in RZ4 and RZ5, not counting any battle-axe handle. In RZ1, subdivision is also allowed where each new block already contains a lawfully constructed dwelling.

What is the difference between block subdivision and unit titling in the ACT?

Block subdivision creates new blocks, each with its own Crown lease, and homes can be built afterwards. Unit titling keeps one Crown lease and registers a units plan over it. Every dwelling must be built and have a certificate of occupancy and use first, and in RZ1 a standard block must be at least 600 m².

Who approves a subdivision in the ACT?

The Territory Planning Authority decides development applications under the Planning Act 2023 for the whole Territory and approves unit title applications. The Commissioner for ACT Revenue is legally responsible for the lease variation charge, which the Authority administers under delegation. New Crown leases and units plans are registered at the Land Titles Office.

How long does a development application take in the ACT?

The ACT Government publishes 30 working days for a standard development application with no representations, 45 working days with representations, and 60 working days for significant development. Public notification, where required, is 15 working days for non-significant applications. Survey, servicing, the lease variation and registration come afterwards and usually take longer.

What is the lease variation charge on a subdivision in the ACT?

Under the Planning (Lease Variation Charges) Determination 2026, subdividing a lease into two or three leases costs $7,500 for each additional lease. If the variation also increases the number of dwellings, a suburb-based Schedule 2 charge can apply as well. These figures apply to applications submitted from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.

Sources

This guide is general information only, current at October 2026. Rules, fees and maps change, and every block is different. Speak to a licensed surveyor or town planner about your property.

How to subdivide land in the ACT