Work could be stalled for weeks on the largest mixed-use development site in Australia, with developer Geocon required to lodge a new amendment to its development application for Republic.
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A Geocon spokesman said the developer would not be making any further comment on the $1 billion Belconnen project, where a stop-work notice was issued on Thursday.
Geocon declined to say how many workers had been stood down while the stop-work notice was in place on the site.
After knocking back proposed amendments to the development application for the mixed-use precinct, Access Canberra issued a stop-work notice for the site after identifying work that was allegedly inconsistent with building approvals.
The planning authority said in the notice of decision to reject the amendments the developer would need to submit a new application that accurately reflected intended changes.
"Due to the inconsistencies between the stated amendments in the application and changes shown on the plans, it is not possible to assess the application in its current form," the decision said.
Only work to rectify the site and bring it inline with the approved plans is allowed to take place under the stop-work notice.
Shadow planning minister Mark Parton said the Opposition wrote to Planning Minister Mick Gentleman in May about concerns with changes to Geocon's development application.
"I would be surprised if [Geocon] just put in a second DA and it's approved, but we'll see. There's obviously an independent process that will take place and we'll be watching it with great interest," he said.
A spokeswoman for the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development directorate said there was no statutory time frame for assessing development applications.
"Time frames for assessing and making a decision are largely dependent on the substance and quality of the amendment application," she said.
"The planning and land authority will continue to work with the applicant to make sure a new amendment application is assessed in a timely manner."
The first apartment owners were scheduled to settle just before Christmas, Geocon development manager Nathan Ross told The Canberra Times in May when the project's first stage was approaching its half-way point.
Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
