Background

Federal Golf Club and its retirement village operator partner Mbark held pre-DA consultation on its proposed concessional lease variation and retirement village design and siting applications between 24 June and 5 August, 2023. You can find information relating to that consultation here. The design and siting development applications have since been approved by the Territory Planning Authority and can be viewed here.

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During the 2023 consultation, Federal was proposing to remove the concessional status from approximately 5.8 hectares of the Club’s 85.9 hectare lease. Following advice from the Territory Planning Authority, the area proposed to be deconcessionalised has been expanded to include adjacent water storage and detention facilities. The proposed area is now 6.9 hectares. This revised area is consistent with the lease area approved by the Territory Planning Authority to be subdivided and have retirement villages added as a permitted use.

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Due to this change and the passage of time since our previous pre-DA consultations, Federal and Mbark are seeking further comments from the community on the proposed deconcessionalisation of this 6.9 hectare area.

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Concessional status

The Club’s lease is a market rent lease and is considered concessional due to the rental rate being fixed for the first 20 years of the lease term. Since 2002, the Club has paid a full market rent to occupy the site, with the most recent rent review occurring in 2022. Federal will be required to continue paying full market rent over the 79 hectare concessional portion of the lease area.

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If approved, Federal will be required to pay the full market value of the area to be deconcessionalised. This amount is determined by ACT Government valuers, and will reflect the current permitted uses in the lease, being an 18 hole golf course.

Removing the concessional status does not permit Federal to proceed with constructing a retirement village on its land. Before this can happen, the Club must pay to the ACT Government a lease variation charge that reflects the uplift in the value of the land created by adding the retirement village use. This substantial payment is similarly determined by ACT Government valuers. Details on the lease variation charge can be found here.

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How to participate

FGC and Mbark will hold consultation sessions across three days in early June. At these sessions materials will be presented that outline the proposal and representatives of Federal and Mbark will be available to answer your questions. 

Online session 1: Tuesday 2 June 2026 from 6.30pm via Zoom
Public forum: Wednesday 3 June 2026 from 7pm, Woden Valley Community Council via Zoom
Online session 2: Thursday 4 June 2026 from 6.30pm via Zoom

Please register your interest to attend a session via email at taniaparkes@taniaparkes.com.au nominating which you would like to attend, and the details will be emailed to you.
For further information please contact Tania Parkes on:
Email: taniaparkes@taniaparkes.com.au
Telephone: 1800 172 173 (free call, mobile charges may apply)

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Consultation materials

In the link below you will find plans that illustrate the area proposed to have its concessional status removed.

• Area plans and overlays

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