Questions & Answers

Do neighbouring buildings need to be shown on the plans?

Relevant neighbouring buildings should be shown where they help explain how your development relates to the properties around it.

This does not mean every neighbouring building needs to be drawn in full detail. The amount of information required depends on what needs to be assessed.

For example, an adjoining dwelling may need to be shown where its relationship to the proposal is important for assessing privacy, solar access, building separation or other impacts on surrounding development. ACT Planning specifically considers how a proposed development interacts with adjacent development and its suitability within the site and surrounds.

Depending on the issue, neighbouring development could be represented on the site plan, elevations, sections or shadow diagrams.

Reference: ACT Planning – Before you apply ? Prepare your documents – https://www.planning.act.gov.au/applications-and-assessments/development-applications/before-you-apply

Last reviewed: 9 September 2026 Information current as at: 12 September 2026

Short Answer

Yes, where neighbouring buildings are relevant to assessing the proposal. The DA documentation must show how the proposed development works with surrounding blocks and developments, so relevant neighbouring buildings may need to be shown on the plans.

Detailed Explanation

ACT Planning – Before you apply ? Prepare your documents provides a particularly useful requirement for this question. It states that DA documentation must:

  • address each relevant provision of the Territory Plan, including mandatory requirements;
  • include relevant conditions of previous approvals; and
  • “show how the proposed development works with surrounding blocks and developments.” 

This is reinforced by After you apply ? Territory Plan and Statutory Assessment, which explains that the Territory Planning Authority considers:

  • the suitability of the proposed development in the context of the site and surrounds;
  • its probable impacts; and
  • how the proposed development will interact with adjacent developments. 

Therefore, neighbouring buildings should be represented in the DA documentation where their location, form or relationship to the proposal is necessary to demonstrate these matters. There is not a general requirement in these references that every neighbouring building must be fully drawn on every architectural plan.

Example: If a proposed two-storey dwelling could affect the solar access of the adjoining house, the adjoining development may need to be represented in the relevant plans or shadow diagrams so that the impact can be assessed.

Key Point

No minimum block size does not remove the need for planning assessment.

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