The man charged with joint commission arson following a fire at Old Parliament House has pleaded not guilty.

Ryan Harder also pleaded not guilty to two charges of assaulting a frontline service provider and one charge of resisting a territory official, citing self-defence and the defence of others.

Harder, who is in his early 40s and living in Melbourne, also notified the court he would seek to change his bail conditions due to a busy work schedule. 

“I’m not a criminal, I’m not a bad person,” he told the ACT Magistrates Court via audio link on Tuesday.

The case will return to court on July 11.