The ACT government is pressing ahead with its long-standing campaign to redraw its border with New South Wales, aiming to absorb a small parcel of land slated for future housing, despite facing formal opposition from the neighbouring Yass Valley Council.
Council Fights to Retain Land and Revenue
In December 2025, the Yass Valley Council formally adopted a position against transferring the land, which is part of the cross-border Ginninderry development at Parkwood. The council's stance followed a consultant's report which found the area represented a substantial and growing revenue base for the municipality.
The report, prepared by AEC Group, concluded that a border shift would result in the council permanently forgoing an opportunity to strengthen its financial capacity. Instead, the consultants suggested the council could implement a special rate variation for Parkwood ratepayers to cover the higher costs of servicing the development from the NSW side.
ACT Insists on Integrated Service Delivery
An ACT government spokesman countered the council's position, stating that providing municipal and state services across the border was not feasible. The spokesman emphasised that the issue had been under consideration for more than a decade.
"This has been carefully considered for well over a decade, and it's clear that a border adjustment would enable integrated, seamless service delivery by the ACT Government to a future housing estate in Parkwood," the spokesman said. The government acknowledged the council's stance but confirmed it would continue to lobby the NSW government for the change.
A Century-Old Border Quirk at Heart of Dispute
The land in question is a section of NSW encircled by the Murrumbidgee River and Ginninderra Creek, which is only accessible from the ACT. It was originally carved off from the Australian Capital Territory in the 1910 survey conducted by Charles Scrivener, which established a straight-line boundary.
The ACT has long sought to bring this enclave into its jurisdiction. ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr noted last year that officials were working to identify the legal pathways for a border adjustment, pending agreement from both the NSW and Commonwealth governments.
The consultant's report to Yass Valley Council also raised the potential for constructing a bridge to provide access to the area from the NSW side, which could alter the economic and service delivery arguments. The Parkwood development remains a key part of the broader Ginninderry project, with the ACT government already owning some blocks within the NSW portion of the site.
