Can a proposal be approved if it does not meet a Technical Specification?
Yes. A proposal can potentially be approved even if it does not meet a Technical Specification. Planning Technical Specifications are not mandatory rules; they provide possible solutions and technical benchmarks for demonstrating how a proposal may achieve the relevant Assessment Outcomes in the Territory Plan. If a proposal departs from a Technical Specification, it must still demonstrate that it is consistent with the applicable Assessment Outcomes and meets any mandatory Assessment Requirements in the Territory Plan. Approval is therefore not guaranteed simply because an alternative design is proposed.
Not meeting a number or benchmark in the Technical Specifications does not automatically mean the DA will be refused.
The applicant can propose a different design solution and explain how it still achieves the planning outcome that the Technical Specification is intended to support.
Example: If a residential proposal does not achieve a particular dimensional benchmark in the Residential Zones Technical Specifications, the applicant may provide a design response explaining how the alternative arrangement still achieves the corresponding Assessment Outcome. ACT Planning will assess that response against the Territory Plan. However, if the provision being departed from is actually a mandatory Assessment Requirement in the Territory Plan, it must be met
Reference: Advisory Note 06 – Planning Technical Specifications - Planning Technical Specifications
Link on the answer: https://www.planning.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/2322998/an06-technical-specifications-in-the-planning-system.pdf
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| Dual Occupancy Q&A | #486 | agrees | 26/08/2026 |