Canberra's Jacka Suburb Faces Major Rezoning Toward Medium-Density Housing

Jacka sits in the path of a rezoning push that ACT planning staff have scheduled for public exhibition before the end of 2026.

The move matters now because the ACT government is racing to meet its 30,000-home target by 2030 while public servants continue to buy into Gungahlin corridors where land supply has tightened. Low vacancy rates across the territory have pushed rents higher and left fewer entry-level blocks available for first-home buyers who work at the Belconnen offices or the Australian Taxation Office complex.

Jacka’s current low-rise profile stretches along Horse Park Drive and backs onto the Gungahlin Lakes Golf Club. Residents use the nearby Gungahlin Marketplace for weekly shopping and the Gungahlin Community Council for local submissions on development applications. Both landmarks sit inside the same growth corridor the ACT Planning Authority has flagged for review.

Price signals and clearance data

ACT median house prices reached $835,000 in the June quarter, yet Jacka medians remain roughly $120,000 below that figure. Auction clearance rates across Canberra have held near 65 percent through the first half of 2026, with blocks in Jacka selling after shorter marketing campaigns than comparable lots in established Gungahlin estates. Those numbers have caught the eye of small-scale developers who already own several corner sites zoned RZ1.

Next steps for buyers and owners

Anyone considering a purchase in Jacka should check the ACT Planning Authority’s upcoming exhibition documents due in September. Current RZ1 owners may gain subdivision rights if the rezoning proceeds to RZ2, while buyers should factor in possible infrastructure contributions listed in the draft variation. Local agents report steady inquiry from public servants seeking three-bedroom townhouses under $750,000 before any density uplift takes effect.