The most significant characteristic of the ANU Acton campus is its landscape -  a mix of native and exotic plantings, with the Sullivans Creek waterway reinforcing this natural environment.

Over the last ten years there has been a significant amount of new buildings and other work on campus that has sometimes impacted negatively on the quality of the landscape. Procedures have been developed with the aim of protecting the landscape, and to keep damage to a minimum.

In an effort to minimise disruption and damage to the campus landscape, the Facilities and Services Division has developed the Landscape Protection Guidelines for the Australian National University Campus.

The purpose of the guidelines is to clearly articulate the aims, methods and procedures to protect the landscape during any works that have the potential to cause damage, and to identify the respective responsibilities of University staff and external consultants and contractors in these processes.