The developer has said earlier studies had been conducted into the site's Indigenous cultural heritage elements prior to Doma buying the site in 2016.

ABC Canberra reported on Monday that Ngambri man Shane Mortimer said the site was a spiritual place used for sacred men's business and pointed to rocky outcroppings on the site. The report said neither the government or developer consulted registered Aboriginal organisations or local elders abut the site.

This spurred calls for the development to be halted until a study of the site's Indigenous values had been carried out.

In a written statement, Doma said the reason it did not consult about the site's geological and Indigenous cultural heritage was because it believed studies conducted prior to its purchase "appropriately" closed off the issues.

The statement pointed to a field investigation by environmental consultancy firm Biosis in November 2013. It said while the report showed there were Aboriginal heritage sites within a 3.5 kilometre area there were no sites located within 4-hectare Campbell site.

A proposed development would not impact on any identified cultural heritage sites, the Biosis report said, but an unanticipated discovery plan should be developed in case previously unidentified artefacts or sites are located during construction.

"Doma propose to follow this recommendation when construction begins" the statement said.

"Where artefacts are discovered during development of the site, an unanticipated discovery plan has been formulated and will be followed.

"Doma have extensive experience in doing this in our work in Newcastle."

The developer has asked Biosis to provide an addendum for the report, which was requested by the National Capital Authority.

READ MORE:

Doma purchased the site in 2016 for $20 million. It previously belonged to Abacus Property Group, which purchased the site from the Commonwealth in 2002.

"We believe that the Commonwealth is required to clear any environmental and heritage process prior to divestment, but we were not a party to that sale so cannot comment on it," the statement said.

Doma's development, dubbed the Foothills, has proposed 244 homes for the site. This was revised down from a previous plan to build more than 600 apartments on the site.

The site is on Commonwealth land and a works application for the buildings is currently under consideration by the National Capital Authority. A concept plan has already been approved by the NCA.

Australian National University Centre for Indigenous Studies senior lecturer Dr Ed Wensing on Monday said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples rights and interest in the land was not properly taken into consideration as they were not consulted.

He called for the development to be halted and for the ACT and Commonwealth governments to conduct a public review into both planning statutes.

Dr Wensing drew comparisons with the recent destruction by Rio Tinto of ancient Indigenous caves dating by 46,000 years in Western Australia.

It is not the first stoush around heritage on the Campbell site. Previously residents campaigned against the demolition of the former CSIRO headquarters, which they said had heritage significance.