OWNER BUILDER RESOURCE

Example Completed Templates

A worked illustration of the three Development Outcomes Report templates — Cover Report, Residential Zones Policy, and District Policy — so you can see the level of detail the Territory Planning Authority expects before you sit down to fill in your own.

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Examples only — not a real development application. Every answer below is written for a fictional property (43 Kestrel Street, Sampleton ACT) invented purely to demonstrate what a filled-in response looks like. Do not copy this wording into your own DA — your responses must accurately describe your own block and proposal. These extracts are illustrative and do not show every field in the real templates; download the official documents from the checklist page to see the full versions.

Example: Cover Report

EXAMPLE — FICTIONAL PROPERTY

Development Outcome Report — Introduction, the proposal and vision

Cover Report template · illustrative extract
Block, Section, SuburbBlock 12 Section 34, Sampleton ACT 2905
Block Area700m²
Zone (including overlays)RZ2 — Suburban Core Residential. No overlays apply.
Current UseSingle dwelling (existing 3-bedroom house), unchanged.
Proposed UseAddition of one secondary residence (1-bedroom granny flat) to the rear of the block.
Access, Driveways and ParkingExisting driveway crossover off Kestrel Street retained — no new crossover proposed. One additional car space provided beside the secondary residence.
Site constraintsGentle fall of approximately 1:20 from front to rear. No registered or regulated trees within the building envelope.
Environmental valuesNo significant vegetation or habitat value identified. Block is not within a declared bushfire-prone area.
Surrounding Land Uses and DevelopmentEstablished low-density residential streetscape; single dwellings on both adjoining blocks, several with existing secondary residences.
Additional CommentsThe secondary residence is sited to preserve solar access to the existing dwelling's northern living-room windows.
Statutory consideration — does the site adjoin another zone, and does the proposal achieve an appropriate transition?

Not applicable. The site does not adjoin a different zone — all adjoining and surrounding blocks are also zoned RZ2.

Statutory consideration — is the proposed development suitable in the context of the site and surrounds?

Yes. The secondary residence is single storey, sited at the rear of the block behind the existing dwelling, and consistent with the established pattern of single dwellings with secondary residences along Kestrel Street.

Statutory consideration — interaction with any other DA on adjoining or adjacent blocks?

A search of the DA register on the day of lodgement found no current or approved development applications on adjoining blocks that interact with this proposal.

Example: Residential Zones Policy

EXAMPLE — FICTIONAL PROPERTY

Residential Zones Policy — Assessment Outcomes & Requirements

Development proposals must demonstrate consistency with every assessment outcome, and confirm every applicable assessment requirement. Extract shown below — the real template has around 30 outcome rows across seven themes.
Theme — Site and Land Use
The functionality and useability of the development is appropriate for its intended purpose/use.The proposed 58m² one-bedroom secondary residence provides a self-contained kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living area appropriate for independent occupation.
The proposed use and scale of development are appropriate to the site and zone.At 58m² gross floor area the secondary residence is well under the 90m² maximum permitted and is proportionate to the 700m² block.
Adverse impacts of development on surrounding uses is minimised and residential amenity protected.The secondary residence is set back 1.5m from the rear and side boundaries with no upper-storey windows facing neighbouring private open space, minimising overlooking.
Theme — Built Form and Building Design
The height, bulk and scale of the development is appropriate, noting the desired zone policy outcomes and the streetscape.Single storey, maximum wall height 4.2m, well within the RZ2 building envelope for the site.
Reasonable solar access to dwellings and private open space is achieved.Sited on the southern portion of the block so the secondary residence does not shadow the existing dwelling's northern-facing living areas.
Assessment Requirements (mandatory controls)
Control Applicable? Met? Outcomes response
Secondary residences
Max dwelling size 90m², min block size 500m², max one per block.		 Yes Yes The proposed secondary residence is 58m² (under the 90m² maximum); the block is 700m² (over the 500m² minimum); this is the only secondary residence proposed on the block.
Shown here: 2 of 7 outcome themes, and 1 of 12 assessment requirement controls. Every theme and every applicable control must be addressed in the real submission — controls that don't apply to your proposal (e.g. height limits for multi-unit housing) are simply marked "No" and can usually be left with a brief note.

Example: District Policy

EXAMPLE — FICTIONAL PROPERTY

District Policies — Sampleton District

The government template is a placeholder that must be paired with the correct district technical specification for your suburb before you can answer it.
Assessment Outcomes

The Sampleton District Technical Specification does not identify any additional assessment outcomes applicable to secondary residence development on this block. No district-specific outcomes apply.

Assessment Requirements

The Sampleton District Technical Specification does not identify any additional assessment requirements applicable to this proposal.

Unlike the other two templates, the District Policy document doesn't contain the actual policy content — it only prompts you to insert your district's name and respond. You'll need to find and read your suburb's own district technical specification (via the ACT Planning website) before you can answer these two questions accurately. If your district specification does set out extra outcomes or requirements for your suburb, they must each be listed and individually addressed here, the same way the Residential Zones Policy template is answered above.
These templates form part of the Development Outcomes Report, one of the core documents required for almost every granny flat DA. See the full DA Documentation Checklist for every document you'll need, or download the blank official templates directly from the government links there.

Not sure how to answer these for your own block?

Canberra Drafting manages our DA & BA paperwork end to end — call us and we'll walk you through exactly what your block needs.

Call: 0403 370 551

This page shows illustrative extracts only, based on a fictional property, prepared by the Granny Flat Team to help owner builders understand the level of detail expected in the official Development Outcomes Report templates. It is not an official ACT Government document and does not replace the real templates, which must be downloaded and completed for your own block. Always confirm current requirements with your certifier, drafter, or the DA Gateway Team before lodging.