Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn Stuart Robinson will turn the ceremonial first sod on Monday to mark the start of construction of the Jamieson Development on Constitution Avenue.

Bishop Robinson hopes the construction of 89 apartments, with three ground floor commercial units, will herald a new era for the diocese.

The site was formerly home to the diocese's offices and is in the historic St John's Church precinct.

''The resources that flow out of that [development] will be used to advance the mission over the next few years,'' Bishop Robinson said.

''Because we don't have reserves for that purpose, we really need to think strategically about using our existing properties and any other means to generate income so that we can advance the church's mission.''

Bishop Robinson said income generated from the project would be deposited into a trust account and used to train and deploy ministry personnel, provide new community services for people who were marginalised or had special needs and for church planting.

The diocese already plans for new chaplaincies and work had already begun on the creation of a new church for foreign diplomats who were on postings to Canberra. ''These are people who come to Canberra for generally three, four or five years,'' Bishop Robinson said.

''We recognise it would be a very good thing if we could provide a church for them, to give them the fellowship and the support and care that a community like that - which is highly transient - really needs.''

Despite falling attendances at many Christian churches over recent decades, the Anglican diocese of Canberra and Goulburn planned to increase its flock.

New church communities had been created, including at St Saviour's Cathedral in Goulburn, at Marulan, North Bungendore and in the Sutton Road district.

Bishop Robinson also has big plans for Canberra.

''I'd like to see more chaplaincies taking place across the business district, at the airport, and in some of the shopping centre areas. I'd like to be seeing chaplaincy missions across all our Anglicare projects,'' he said.

''I'd like to see some international churches being started, I'd like to see some multicultural work being done, I'd like to continue our work with schools.''

Chaplaincies provided spiritual and practical support to particular parts of the community, for example business people and, where necessary, could involve the creation of a ''context-specific church''.

The diocese's staff moved from Jamieson House to Civic about 18 months ago.

Bishop Robinson said the redevelopment of the site would continue to cause disruption to staff and parishioners at St John's until it was completed in about a year.

''It's been a very significant upheaval for them and I'm very grateful to them for their patience and kindness and support,'' he said.