ACTmapi guide: find a block, its zone and overlays in Canberra

ACTmapi is the ACT Government's free online mapping site for Canberra and the rest of the Territory. To check a property, open the Territory Plan Map at actmapi.act.gov.au, search for the address or block, and click the block. ACTmapi shows the block and section numbers, the suburb (called a division in the ACT) and the Territory Plan land use zone, with separate maps for flood, bushfire, heritage, noise and utilities.

The ACT Government's own planning site tells people to use ACTmapi to find their block and section numbers and the zoning of their block before they renovate, knock down and rebuild, or buy. Here is how to do that, and what ACTmapi will not tell you.

How to find a block and its zone in ACTmapi

1. Pick the right map. The ACTmapi home page lists a set of separate maps rather than one big one. For zoning, choose the Territory Plan Map. The Basic map also shows blocks, sections and easements if you just want boundaries.
2. Search for the property. Use the Search Blocks tool to find a block (land parcel). On the Basic map it describes itself as finding a land parcel by address, or refining the search by district, division (suburb) and section. In the ACT a property is identified by its block and section in a division, so it is worth noting all three.
3. Click the block. The Identify tool selects map features at the point you click and lists the results. The block's record carries its block and section numbers, its division and district, and its land use zone.
4. Read the zone. The Territory Plan Land Use Zones layer colours each block by zone. Residential zones run from RZ1 Suburban, RZ2 Suburban Core, RZ3 Urban Residential and RZ4 Medium Density Residential to RZ5 High Density Residential. Other codes include CZ for commercial zones, IZ for industrial, CF for community facilities, PRZ for parks and recreation, TSZ for transport and services, and NUZ for non-urban land.
5. Check the overlays. Turn on Territory Plan Overlay Zones to see whether any overlay provision sits over the block.
6. Open the planning rules. The Territory Plan Map has a link to the Territory Plan itself. The zone and district policies that say what can be built are in the Territory Plan, published on the ACT Legislation Register.
7. Save or print. You can print the map to a PDF at A4 or A3, share a link to the current view, or run the Block Detail Report tool on a selected block.

Other ACTmapi maps worth opening

Each topic is its own map, so you open them one after another. The ones most useful to a buyer are:

• Flood Map for mapped flood information.
• Bushfire Map for bushfire-related mapping.
• Heritage Map for heritage places. The ACT Heritage Register is also searchable on its own.
• Noise Map for mapped noise information.
• Utility Infrastructure Map for where network assets run. The ACT planning site warns that building over or too close to utility assets can leave the owner liable to remove the obstruction or pay to move the main.
• Development Map and Historic Plans Map for development information and old plans.
• Aerial Imagery Map for aerial photos.

The Basic map also includes an Easements layer, which shows where an easement is mapped against the block. For what an easement can mean for a buyer, see easements on title explained.

What ACTmapi does not show a buyer

ACTmapi is a good free tool, but there are gaps a buyer should know about.

The zone is not the whole answer. A zone label tells you which set of rules applies. What you can actually build depends on the zone and district policies in the Territory Plan, and for single houses on the development controls that decide whether work is exempt from needing a development application. ACTmapi links to these but does not apply them to your plans.

It is not the lease or the title. Residential land in the ACT is generally held on a Crown lease. The lease itself, and anything registered against it, comes from the lease and title documents, not from the map.

Topics are split across maps. Zoning, flood, bushfire, heritage and noise each live on a different map. To see them all for one block, you open each map, search again and note what you find. Comparing two or three properties this way takes a while.

Mapping is not an assessment of the block. A flood or bushfire layer shows what is mapped, not how a particular house would fare. ACTmapi also says nothing about the ground: there is no soil reactivity, fill or rock information, and no site classification. That needs a site investigation.

Development nearby is a separate search. The ACT publishes development applications through its own planning site. See how to check development applications near a property for what to look for.

Check its disclaimer. ACTmapi's disclaimer describes the material as a general reference source and asks users to check its accuracy, currency and completeness, and to get professional advice, before relying on it in any important matter.

One PDF for an ACT address

LayeredGeo's Property Report reads public ACT planning and hazard data and puts it together for one address: the Territory Plan zone, flood, bushfire, heritage, noise, vegetation and environment layers, development applications from ACT DA Finder within 250 m, and the source for each layer. It is an independent product, not ACTmapi and not a government service. It saves opening a separate map for each topic when you are working through a shortlist. Pop in your address for a free preview, or check out a sample report.

Common questions

What is ACTmapi?

ACTmapi is the ACT Government's free online mapping service. It has separate maps for the Territory Plan, blocks and boundaries, aerial imagery, flood, bushfire, heritage, noise, utilities and more, so you can look up a block in Canberra or anywhere in the ACT.

How do I find my block and section number in the ACT?

Open ACTmapi, choose the Basic map or the Territory Plan Map, use Search Blocks to find the street address and click the block with the Identify tool. The result shows the block and section numbers and the division, which is the ACT name for a suburb.

How do I check the zoning of a block in Canberra?

Open the Territory Plan Map in ACTmapi, search for the address or block, and look at the Territory Plan Land Use Zones layer. Residential zones run from RZ1 Suburban to RZ5 High Density Residential. The rules for each zone are in the Territory Plan on the ACT Legislation Register.

Is ACTmapi free?

Yes. ACTmapi is a free government tool and you do not need an account to search a block, view the maps or print a PDF map.

LayeredGeo's Property Report pulls together public planning and site data for property due diligence across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, the ACT and Tasmania, so you can understand a place before you commit.

About this article. Published by LayeredGeo. It is general information about how property and ground conditions are assessed in Australia, not engineering, planning, legal or financial advice, and it is not specific to any property. Check anything that matters against the source dataset or a suitably qualified professional before you rely on it. If you spot something wrong, tell us at hello@layeredgeo.com.au and we will fix it.

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