In August 2023, the ACT Heritage Council decided not to provisionally register the Former Commonwealth Bank Building. For a statement of reasons, read Notifiable instrument NI2023–493.

The external presentation of the Former Commonwealth Bank Building has been provisionally registered on the ACT Heritage Register because it is strongly reflective of the National Capital Development Commission’s (NCDC) planning framework and design ambitions that guided new construction in the Civic area during the mid-1960s. The Heritage Council wanted to hear your comments to see if they got it right.

Provisional registration is only the first step to let you know why the Council thinks a place or object is important to the ACT and you, its residents. The Council wanted to hear what you think about their initial assessment to see if you think they got it right, or if there is other information to consider.

The Council’s initial view of heritage significance is in the survey, but you may find the following overview helpful.

The Former Commonwealth Bank Building was constructed at a particularly important time in the development of Canberra and its recognition internationally as a notable planned city, marking a rapid change from the relatively slow pace of growth in the city in the war years and through the 1950s. The formation of the NCDC and the planning guidance thus established, was a direct result of the priority given to the city by the Commonwealth in the 1960s. A core focus of NCDC attention was the planning of the inner-city areas and oversight of the construction of institutional buildings in ways that reflected aesthetic principles and development priorities. The scale, massing and form of the Former Commonwealth Bank Building reflected these NCDC concerns. The building was planned as an integral component of the neighbouring Civic Square Precinct, Ainslie Place and London Circuit schemes. The external appearance of the building has remained little changed to the present, retaining the integrity of this original planning context.

Check out the document library, site images and map of the property below to understand what was being proposed.

Responses were provided through the survey form below and via email.

Comments made through this website are formal statutory consultation comments and are given to the Council. The statutory consultation notice can be found on the ACT Government’s Find a Public Notice site.

This was the opportunity for you to say if you think the Council has it right or wrong, or if there is anything else they should have considered.

A common outcome of consultation is the Council confirming or rethinking what is included in their assessment, or what a final decision may look like. This can involve changing boundaries or adding or removing features that make up the significant fabric of the place.