Regulation of National Land (Lakes) in the Australian Capital Territory

21 February 2022

The Australian Government is updating the laws for the management of National Lakes (Lake Burley Griffin) to ensure they are modern and fit for purpose, and is now seeking public comment on a draft of the Australian Capital Territory National Land (Lakes) Ordinance 2022.

This Ordinance will modernise the laws regulating the management and use of Lake Burley Griffin, in relation to the areas of the Lake located on National Land.

Since self-government was granted to the ACT in 1988, the Commonwealth has continued to manage areas of the ACT, known as National Land, under the National Land Ordinance 1989 (the NLO). The NLO will expire and cease to have effect from 1 April 2022.

The Australian Government has drafted new ordinances to replace the NLO, and is calling for public comment on the lakes component, the Australian Capital Territory National Land (Lakes) Ordinance 2022.

Further information on areas of the ACT that are designated as National Land is available at: https://www.nca.gov.au/national-land/administration-national-land.

The ACT is responsible for the regulation of some portions of Lake Burley Griffin, namely Molonglo Reach and Kingston Harbour, which are located on Territory Land. Only areas of Lake Burley Griffin that is National Land are affected by this ordinance.

The draft ordinances are now available on the Department’s website for comment at: www.infrastructure.gov.au/ACTLakes.

All comments received will be published on the Department’s website, unless they are provided expressly in confidence or they contain information that is not suitable for publication. For further information or for any enquiries, please contact SunsettingACT@infrastructure.gov.au.