Actew Corporation last week lodged a development application for the $200million expansion with the ACT Planning and Land Authority.

Chamber of Commerce chief executive Chris Peters said the application should be approved as soon as possible to keep tradespeople working in the territory.

''The problem we've got is a number of our major constructions, particularly our civil works, are coming to a conclusion,'' he said.

''The risk for us is we will lose our tradespeople, particularly on the civil engineering side, who are very mobile. They'll move wherever the work is.''

Actew Corporation managing director Mark Sullivan has previously said the territory's planning and approvals process had caused delays.

Full report in today's Canberra Times