In every neighbourhood we design and deliver, we focus on the people and the environment.

Through greenfield development and urban renewal, we create experiences and lifestyles that are uniquely Canberran, where everyone feels welcome and at home.

See our current residential neighbourhoods and commercial projects.

Our values

We act in a trustworthy, responsible and professional manner.

We consider long-term social, design, environmental and economic objectives when developing and selling land.

We experiment, invent and innovate to find solutions that best serve the community.

Our team

Our agency is structured based on projects with integrated delivery teams. This structure supports collaboration and makes us accountable for delivering our vision.

Our CEO, John Dietz

John has a strong background in transformational leadership, corporate governance, public sector accountability, urban and suburban development and delivery of housing solutions.

He has extensive practical experience with a range of management methodologies used for cost, schedule, feasibility and status reporting. His understanding of effective corporate governance and program delivery techniques with public sector accountability, was advanced while responsible for the delivery of Defence Housing Australia’s (DHA) national land acquisition, development and construction program. From 2011 until recently, John was the General Manager of the Property Provisioning Group within DHA.

John has a passion for innovation. Prior to joining DHA John worked for Thales Australia where he was responsible for delivering a number of major, innovative, high profile technology programs. John’s experience prior to joining Thales was predominantly in software engineering.

John holds a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Economics from the Australian National University. He has also completed a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment from Securities Institute Education and holds a Half Masters in Project Management from the University of South Australia.

Work with us

We offer exciting career prospects in a supportive team environment. See our current employment opportunities on the Jobs ACT website.

Our Board

A governing Board oversees our operations. The Board was established, with members appointed, under section 45 of the CRASLA Act.

The Board includes members with experience in Australian-based and international land development, major infrastructure construction and civil works, public administration, governance and experience in the not-for-profit housing sector and environmentally sustainable development. 

The Board and its subcommittees are guided by these charters:

• Suburban Land Agency Board Charter (PDF 348KB) (Word Doc 82KB)
• Suburban Land Agency Board Audit and Risk Committee Charter (PDF 356KB)  (Word Doc 74KB)
• Suburban Land Agency Significant Programs & Culture Committee Charter (PDF 293KB) (Word Doc 73KB)

John Fitzgerald, Chair

John has extensive experience in infrastructure policy and delivery, public transport and urban renewal.  He has a strong background in governance, finance and commercial negotiations. In recent years he was a Specialist Advisor to KPMG and Interim CEO of Infrastructure Australia, leading the organisation through substantial change and the production of the first Australian Infrastructure Audit.

He is Chairman of Evolution Rail Pty Ltd (manufactures and maintains high capacity Melbourne metro trains) and Infranexus Management Pty Ltd (an IFM Investors subsidiary). He is also a Director on Infrastructure Australia. John’s previous positions included Chair of Canberra Light Rail Board, Chair of NSW Government’s Sydney International Convention Exhibition and Entertainment Precinct project, Director of Victorian Funds Management Corporation, Barangaroo Delivery Authority, Port of Melbourne Corporation and Infrastructure Partnerships Australia Boards.

Prior to joining KPMG in 2011 John was Deputy Secretary at the Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF).  Before joining DTF in 2000, John predominantly had an investment banking background.

John holds a Master of Public Infrastructure (Research) from the University of Melbourne and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Institute of Public Administration Australia (Victoria).

Shelley Penn AM, Deputy Chair

Shelley Penn is a Melbourne-based architect, urbanist and non-executive director. Established in 1993, her practice has been recognised through architecture awards, publication and exhibition in Australia and overseas. In 2000, her focus broadened to encompass strategic advice to government and the private sector on the achievement of high quality outcomes in public architecture and urban design.

She is the Monash University Architect; Director of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art; and Director of Infranexus Management Pty Ltd. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Office of Projects Victoria and the Board of Open House Melbourne - Centre for Architecture Victoria.  Shelley is an Adjunct Professor in Architecture Practice at Monash University, Associate Professor in Architecture at the University of Melbourne, and a member of State Design Review Panels in Victoria, NSW, WA and the ACT.

Past roles include Chair National Capital Authority, National President Australian Institute of Architects, Associate Victorian Government Architect and Co-chair Barangaroo Review 2011. In 2014 she was named an AFR/Westpac ‘100 Women of Influence’ in the Public Policy Category.  Through practice, advocacy and advisory work, Shelley is driven by her commitment to improving social outcomes, enriching culture and sustainability through advancing the quality of the built environment. She was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2021. 

Julie Garland McLellan

Julie Garland McLellan is a professional director with experience on a range of boards in the not-for-profit, government and commercial sectors.

She has served on the boards of the Melbourne Water Corporation, Victorian Energy Networks Corporation, City West Water, Victorian Minerals and Energy Council, the University of Melbourne’s Engineering Foundation, Kimbriki Environmental Enterprises, Oldfields Holdings, Hats Holdings, Professional Speakers Association, Kyoto Energy, Wind Hydrogen, Bounty Mining, Melbourne Chamber of Mines, Fitness Australia and Hassall & Associates.

Julie has held senior management, strategic planning and executive leadership roles with major and international corporations including: Thames Water, Tillyard, BHP, KPMG and Gamesa Energy Australia.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering with Honors from City University, London. She has an Executive MBA from the Instituto de Empresa Madrid, a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment from Securities Institute (now FINSIA), and an Advanced Diploma in Company Directorship from the AICD.

She is an AICD Fellow and an accredited Certified Speaking Professional through Professional Speakers Australia. Julie has written textbooks on company directorship for the commercial, government and not-for-profit sectors.

Guy Gibson

Guy Gibson has a long career in town planning and urban development, including 25 years with Lendlease.  When he retired from Lendlease in October 2021, he was the Head of Development in Queensland, with responsibility for five master planned community projects, and two urban regeneration projects.  He had previously been General Manager of Lendlease’s Communities business in Qld, as well as having national roles for Lendlease in Government Relations, and Affordable Housing and Sustainability.  During his career at Lendlease, he worked on over thirty new community projects, covering all aspects from site identification and acquisition, conversion, planning and design, delivery, marketing, and sales.

Prior to joining Lendlease in 1996, Guy Gibson was Director of Town Planning at Brisbane City Council from 1993 to 1996 and Project Manager of the Council’s Urban Renewal Program from 1991 to 1993.  Before joining BCC in 1987, he worked for the National Capital Development Commission in Canberra. 

Guy is a graduate of the University of Queensland Planning School.  He is a Life Member and past President of the Property Council of Australia (Queensland), and is a previous National Director of the Property Council of Australia.  He is a Board Member of ‘Brisbane Sustainability Agency’, which was created by Brisbane City Council to help make Brisbane Australia’s most sustainable city.  He is also a Board Member of ‘Suburban Futures’, a not-for-profit established to promote a better understanding of the important role of the suburban economy in the life of our cities, through shared insights, information and analysis.  He has contributed to numerous advisory committees and professional boards including ‘Urban Futures Brisbane’, a Board established by the Brisbane City Council to provide strategic advice to Council on planning and implementing Brisbane’s development future.

Guy is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Clare Petre

Clare Petre has a long career in the government, community and media sectors. She was the Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW for over 16 years and prior to that was a Senior Assistant Commonwealth Ombudsman. 

Clare was previously a Board member of City West Housing and Energy Consumers Australia, and has served on a range of NSW and Commonwealth government advisory bodies.  She chaired the consumer advisory panels for ASIC and the Credit & Insurance Ombudsman, and was Chair of the Australian and New Zealand Ombudsman Association. 

Clare is currently the Customer Advocate (Wealth Remediation) for NAB, Chair of the New Energy Tech Consumer Code Council, Chair of the Independent Accountability Panel for the Energy Charter, Chair of the Code of Conduct Committee of the Australian Council for International Development, and Deputy Chair of the Asylum Seekers Centre. 

Clare has a Masters degree in Social Administration (LSE), Bachelor of Social Studies and Diploma of Criminology (Sydney), and is member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Board meeting minutes

As part of its Open Government Strategy, the ACT Government is committed to:

• transparency in process and information
• participation by citizens in the governing process
• public collaboration in finding solutions to problems and participation in the improved well-being of the community

In line with the strategy, we publish approved Board minutes as soon as practicable after each meeting. Sensitive commercial or personal matters and internal operational issues will not be included.

The latest Board meeting minutes are available for review:

2022

• Meeting 62 - 14 January 2022 (PDF 198KB) (Word Doc 57KB)

• Meeting 63 - 10 February 2022 (PDF 178KB) (Word Doc 65MB)
• Meeting 64 - 31 March 2022 (PDF 178KB) (Word Doc 65MB)
• Meeting 65 - 29 April 2022 (PDF 183KB)(Word Doc 66MB)
• Meeting 66 - 19 May 2022 (PDF 176KB) (Word Doc 65MB)
• Meeting 67 - 14 June 2022 (PDF 179KB) (Word Doc 66MB)
• Meeting 68 - 28 July 2022 (PDF 193KB) (Word Doc 67KB)
• Meeting 69 - 21 September 2022 (PDF 242KB (Word Doc 65KB)
• Meeting 70 - 13 October 2022 (PDF 165KB) (Word Doc 66KB)
• Meeting 71 - 11 November 2022 (PDF 163KB) (Word Doc 66KB)
• Meeting 72 - 17 November 2022 (PDF160KB) (Word Doc 65KB)
• Meeting 73 - 6 December 2022 (PDF609KB) (Word Doc 826KB)

2021

• Meeting 52 - 11 February 2021 (PDF 198KB) (Word Doc 60KB)

• Meeting 53 - 30 March 2021 (PDF 195KB) (Word Doc 60KB)
• Meeting 54 - 16 April 2021 (PDF 189KB) (Word Doc 61KB)
• Meeting 55 - 5 May 2021 (PDF 203KB) (Word Doc 62KB)
• Meeting 56 - 3 June 2021 (PDF 193KB) (Word Doc 62KB)
• Meeting 56c - 22 July 2021 (PDF 190KB) (Word Doc 50KB)
• Meeting 57 - 29 July 2021 (PDF 197KB) (Word Doc 60KB)
• Meeting 58 - 27 August 2021 (PDF 191KB) (Word Doc 60KB)
• Meeting 59 - 23 September 2021 (PDF 201KB) (Word Doc 63KB)
• Meeting 59c - 20 October 2021 (PDF 186KB) (Word Doc 56KB)
• Meeting 60 - 4 November 2021 (PDF 196KB) (Word Doc 57KB)
• Meeting 60b - 19 November 2021 (PDF 183KB) (Word Doc 56KB)
• Meeting 61 - 2 December 2021 (PDF 197KB) (Word Doc 58KB)

See previous Board meeting minutes.

Our achievements

Our achievements are published each year in our annual report.

Awards

We were proud to be recognised for the following awards:

• Winner of Stakeholder Engagement for Belconnen Town Centre Place Design Brief at the 2021 Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) ACT Awards. Click here to find out more. 
• Joint Commendation of Great Place for the Dickson Pool Forecourt at the 2021 PIA ACT Awards. Click here to find out more.
• Joint Winner of From Plan to Place Planning Excellence for Campbell Section 5 at the 2021 PIA ACT Awards. Click here to find out more. 
• Commendation in Planning Excellence for Public Engagement and Community Planning at the 2020 PIA ACT Awards. You can view the commendation announcement and acceptance speech here. 
• Joint Winner of the Centrepiece Award: Exemplary Leadership in Ginninderry Master Planning and Place Process Commendation: Canberra Brickworks Delivery Strategy at the 2019 Place Leaders Awards. Click here to find out more.