EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Issued by the authority of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration
Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Act 1988
Notification of Declaration of National Land
Section 27 of the Planning and Land Management Act (PALM Act) provides that the Minister for Finance and Administration may declare land in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) that is being used or is intended to be used by the Commonwealth to be National Land.
The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) located at
Paddy’s River, Tidbinbilla, ACT, was established by an agreement between the Australian and United States Governments as part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Apollo Program in the early 1960s. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and NASA jointly administer the site.
The purpose of the Declaration is to transfer legal ownership of land associated with the CDSCC from the ACT Government to the Commonwealth. The tenure of the CDSCC as National Land allows the Commonwealth to have the appropriate control over the land to enable it to meet its ongoing obligations to the US Government. It also permits the National Capital Authority to assume appropriate planning control over the CDSCC land. The CDSCC land fits the definition of National Land, in that the land is used by, or on behalf of, the Commonwealth.
The ACT Government, CSIRO and NASA are all affected by this declaration. The Department of Finance and Administration consulted with officials from CSIRO, NASA and the ACT Government, prior to the Declaration.