Does a basement count as a storey?
No, a basement does not count as a storey where it meets the Territory Plan requirements for a basement. For Territory Plan purposes, a floor is considered a basement only where the finished floor level of the level immediately above is less than 1.0 m above Datum Ground Level (DGL).
No, a genuine basement is not counted in the same way as an above-ground storey. However, simply calling a level a “basement” on the plans does not make it one.
To qualify as a basement, the floor immediately above it must be less than 1 m above DGL. This allows part of the basement to extend above ground while still being classified as a basement.
Example: If a house is permitted to have two storeys plus a basement, the basement does not automatically become a third storey provided it satisfies the Territory Plan's basement criterea
Reference: ACT Planning, Advisory Note 09 – Building Heights, Storeys and Basements - Building heights, storeys and basements
Link on the answer: https://www.planning.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/2323002/an09-working-out-building-heights-storeys-basements.pdf
Where this question is kept
| Dual Occupancy Q&A | #499 | agrees | 27/08/2026 |