Stage 2B Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Stage 2B draft EIS on exhibition until Friday, 5 September 2025.
Design, planning, and approvals for Stage 2B are progressing.
Infrastructure Canberra has submitted a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to both the Australian and ACT governments for approval.
About the Stage 2B EIS
Infrastructure Canberra has submitted a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to both the Australian and ACT governments for approval.
The draft EIS examines the project's potential environmental, social and economic impacts, and suggests ways to manage or mitigate them. It includes the ACT Government's preferred alignment option, State Circle East, and an alternative alignment option through the National Triangle and Barton.
The draft EIS is on public exhibition for feedback in a submission or representation.
An EIS assesses the environmental, social and economic impacts a project may have on its surroundings and suggests ways to manage them. An EIS:
describes the current environment of the project area
details the features of the project and describes how it would be built and operated
looks at the anticipated impacts of the project
outlines how positive outcomes may be achieved or enhanced
outlines how potentially adverse impacts can be avoided or reduced
provides a conclusion about whether the impacts are acceptable and justified.
Stage 2B is a complex project that requires several Australian and Territory government environmental and planning approvals.
The project connects Commonwealth Park to Woden, passing over areas of Commonwealth and Territory land, and is likely to significantly impact matters of national environmental significance.
The Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) is responsible for protecting nationally significant matters using the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The EPBC Act protects and manages nationally significant plants, animals, habitats and heritage places.
The Territory Planning Authority (TPA) requires formal assessment of potential environmental impacts in zoned Territory Land for some proposals. This is done through an EIS process, as outlined in the Planning Act 2023.
The draft EIS has been prepared to satisfy legislative requirements under both the EPBC Act and the Planning Act.
DCCEEW will consider the consistency of the draft EIS with the Commonwealth EIS guidelines (July 2024). The TPA will consider the consistency of the draft EIS with the EIS scoping document it issued for the project in March 2024.
The draft EIS is on public exhibition Friday, 5 September 2025.
Under the EPBC Act, Infrastructure Canberra has published the draft EIS. You can view the draft EIS on this webpage.
Under the Planning Act, the draft EIS is displayed on the TPA’s website.
Printed copies are also available to view at:
Civic Library (Civic Square, London Circuit, Canberra City)
Dickson Library (Antill Street, Dickson)
Gungahlin Library (Corner of Hibberson and Gozzard Streets, Gungahlin)
Tuggeranong Library (Cowlishaw St, Greenway)
Woden Library (Corinna Street, Phillip)
Submissions on the draft EIS close Friday, 5 September 2025.
The community is invited to review the draft EIS and make a submission during the public exhibition period.
Read the Submissions guide to find out what to include in your submission.
Submissions can be made either through Infrastructure Canberra or the TPA:
Submissions to Infrastructure Canberra
You can make your submission to Infrastructure Canberra by:
Email: Write or attach your submission and send to Stage2BEIS@act.gov.au.
Mail:
Infrastructure Canberra - Stage 2B EIS
PO Box 158, ACT 2601
Representations (submissions) can be made to the TPA (under the Planning Act) on the Infrastructure Canberra website.
Representations to TPA
Representations to the TPA under the Planning Act 2023 for impacts in zoned Territory Land should be addressed to the Chief Planner and be made in one of the following ways:
Online: Make a representations (submissions) to the TPA by completing the Public Submission Smartform.
Email: ACEPDcustomerservices@act.gov.au
Mail:
Land, Planning and Building Services Shopfront,
GPO Box 158, Canberra City 2601
By hand:
Access Canberra Land, Planning and Building Services Shopfront at 8 Darling Street, Mitchell ACT 2911
All submissions and representations will be considered by both DCCEEW and the TPA. Infrastructure Canberra and the TPA will share all submissions and representations with one another.
This will ensure Infrastructure Canberra has collected and considered all submissions appropriately.
All matters will be reviewed and considered during the exhibition period. The EIS will be updated to address concerns and suggestions made.
The final EIS will include a report that outlines:
the submissions and representations
the issues raised
a response to the issues
key project amendments made to the Draft EIS in response to submissions.
After the public exhibition period feedback from the community will be used to inform revisions to the draft EIS where appropriate.
The revised, final EIS will include a report outlining the comments received, issues raised and a response to the issues and values identified. It will include one alignment.
Once this process is complete the revised, final EIS will be lodged again to DCCEEW and TPA for consideration and approval. This process will determine if the project can proceed and if so, under what conditions. The final EIS will also be made publicly available.
Following completion of the EIS process, the Project will progress to Development Application approval, Parliamentary approval and Works Approval.
Infrastructure Canberra is hosting drop-in information sessions. At these events, you can meet some of the technical specialists and project team, ask questions, learn how to navigate the online EIS and find out how to make a submission.
July drop-in information sessions
10am - 2pm, Monday 21 July, ACT Government Office, 220 London Circuit, Canberra
1pm – 4pm, Tuesday 22 July, Woden Library
2.30pm – 6.30pm, Wednesday 23 July, Albert Hall
4pm – 7pm, Thursday 24 July, Presbyterian Church of Saint Andrew
11am – 3pm, Saturday 26 July, Canberra Bridge Club
August drop-in information sessions
2.30pm - 6.30pm, Monday 11 August, ACT Government Office, 220 London Circuit, Canberra
10am - 2pm, Tuesday 12 August, Albert Hall
2:30pm – 6.30pm, Wednesday 13 August, Canberra Bridge Club
3pm - 7pm, Thursday 14 August, Woden Library
11am - 2pm, Sunday 17 August, Presbyterian Church of Saint Andrew
Draft EIS
The draft EIS examines the environmental, social and economic impacts Stage 2B may have on its surroundings and suggests ways to manage them.
The draft EIS is structured in a way that makes it easier for the community to understand the impacts in areas most important to them. The document looks at the project as a whole and as seven unique precincts, plus the Mitchell Depot (which would be expanded by the project). Precincts include Commonwealth Avenue, Parliament House, Inner South, Yarra Glen and Woden. The draft EIS also includes an alternative alignment through National Triangle and Barton precincts.
View the parts and chapters of the draft EIS in the sections below.
Part A describes the project and discusses the surrounding context. The executive summary and first five chapters provide an overview of the project and draft EIS. The remaining chapters in Part A consider construction, sustainability, legislation and EIS assessment approaches and methodologies.
Use the button below to download all of Part A as a single PDF, or choose a tile below to read individual chapters in an accessible format.
Part B is the assessment of the environmental impacts resulting from the project’s construction and operation. These 10 chapters provide an assessment for each precinct, Mitchell Depot and issues that are not precinct-specific and/or apply to the whole project.
Use the button below to download all of Part B as a single PDF, or choose a tile below to read individual chapters in an accessible format.
Part C includes a chapter that lists management and mitigation measures to address the identified environmental impacts. The final chapter concludes and summarises the draft EIS findings and details the justification for carrying out the project.
Use the button below to download all of Part C as a single PDF, or choose a tile below to read individual chapters in an accessible format.
Part D includes appendices and technical reports that support the draft EIS.