The Committee was established in 1938, but as a background to this action it might be noted that in 1920 Parliament approved the appointment of a committee, later known as the Federal Capital Advisory Committee, to advise the government on matters involved in the development of Canberra.
This Committee was active until the establishment of the Federal Capital Commission in 1925, which body was abolished in 1930 - its activities being divided amongst various Departments. Following certain questions affecting the Canberra plan asked in Parliament in 1938, the
Government gave consideration to the question of appointing a special Standing Committee to advise on the development of Canberra, and shortly after (22 December, 1938) the National Capital Development Ordinance was promulgated.
(1)
The Ordinance provided that the Minister of the Interior may refer to the Committee any matter in relation to the planning and development of the city upon which he desired the advice of the Committee. It further provided that the NCPDC might, on its own initiative enquire into matters affecting the city's planning and development enumerated in Section 7 of the Ordinance - viz. "(a) the approved plan, (b) proposals for the general and progressive development of the city, (c) designs for the siting, lay-out or construction of any public building ..., (d) proposals for the establishment of zones ..., (e) land
sub-divisions ..., (f) sites for ... all buildings, (g) the location, design, or construction of any private building, (h) building and zoning regulations, (i) provision for services and public utilities, (j) schemes for ... beautification ... and recreation (k) any matter  which might ... adversely effect the development of the city (1) any other matters whatever with respect to city and regional planning relation to the city" (2)
The original ordinance of 1938 provided for a Committee structured as follows: "The Committee shall consist of the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public works, the Chairman of the Advisory Council ..., the Assistant Secretary, (Civic Administration), Department of the Interior, and four other members to be appointed by the Governor-General of whom at least three shall be persons who, he is satisfied, are authorities on town-planning, architecture or
engineering." (3) This was amended in 1953, on the retirement of C.S. Daley, when the Assistant Secretary (Civic Administration) became the Assistant Secretary (Planning and Development). (4) The Committee was thus non-elected, and basically technical. It defended this despite persistent requests by the Advisory Council for elected members, and that the Committee refer its reports to the Council. In 1948, for example, the Executive Member "said that the Committee was essentially a technical body, and that representation of certain interests therein would not tend to assist its effectiveness and particularly its independence of position.
The place for consultation with the local citizens in regard to proposals and developmental schemes was in the Departmental Development Committee". (5)
In 1955, the Advisory Council, under the Chairmanship of
Mr. A.T. Shakespeare, suggested that the NCPDC be incorporated into the Seat of Government Act, as increased powers might lead to more effective functioning.
The Senate Select Committee on the development of Canberra agreed, and noted that: "the present architectural control exercised by
the building authority is inadequate and the oversight of standards by the NCPDC ineffective". (6)
Thus the problem of the lack of power vested in the committee led to its being widely recognised as ineffective - even by its own members: "the committee itself is held in surprisingly poor esteem by its ex-members." (7)
This led, in 1957, to the abolition of the NCPDC (by the
National Capital Development Repeals Ordinance (No. 16 of 1957) and notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. 64 of 28 November 1957 p.3643) - and the creation of the National Capital Development Commission (under an Act (No. 42 of 1957) rather than an Ordinance) and its advisory body, the National Capital Planning Committee. (8)
Secretarial work for the NCPDC was performed by an officer of the Department of the Interior (9); meetings were called by the Executive Member of the Committee. (10) Attempts were made to meet monthly, and, after fairly irregular meetings in the war years, this goal was achieved. (11) Minutes were kept of each meeting, these now being in archival custody. These summarised members' opinions, and recorded decisions. Files were kept on matters arising out of the meetings, and these, the file register, and the subject index to the files were transferred to archival custody from the then Lands Branch, Department of the Interior, in 1969 (12).
Notes
(1) See Ordinance number 37 of 1938, printed in Commonwealth Gazette,  No. 81 (22 December, 1938).
(2) ibid., pp 2-3.
(3) ibid., p.1.
(4) Ordinance Number 7 of 1953, notified in Commonwealth Gazette on  16 April 1953.
(5) CRS A... 'Minutes of the National Capital Planning and Development  Committee.' - minutes of the 66th Meeting (held on 6, 7 May 1948)  pp. 13-14.
(6) The Senate, Report from the Select Committee appointed to inquire  into and Report upon the Development of Canberra, September 1955,  p.48.
(7) ibid., p.47.
(8) Act No. 42 of 1957
(9) See CRS A1378/T2, p.80 (a).
(10) National Capital Development Ordinance, P.1 (para.3 (4)) (11) See the minutes of the committee, referred to in 5 above. (12) AA1969/111 of 20 March 1969.
 

Historical agency address
Postal:  The Secretary, National Capital Planning and Development
         Committee, Department of the Interior, Canberra
Meeting: Advisory Council Room, "Acton Offices", at "the Department
         of the Interior"
Legislation administered
National Capital Development Ordinance, 1938-1953 (No. 37 of 1938, No, 7 of 1953). Repealed by National Capital Development Repeals Ordinance (No. 16 of 1957)

Previous agency unregistered

ACT Development Committee, (9 Mar-?29 Jun 1949)  
Departmental Development Committee

Subsequent agency unregistered

National Capital Planning Committee, 1957-