{"id":"carlton-recreation-ground-land-act-1966","name":"Carlton (Recreation Ground) Land Act 1966","slug":"carlton-recreation-ground-land-act-1966","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"vic","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":178022,"registerId":"vic-carlton-recreation-ground-land-act-1966-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Carlton (Recreation Ground) Land Act 1966","content":"Version No. 004\n\n**Carlton (Recreation Ground) Land Act 1966**\n\n**No. 7412 of 1966**\n\nVersion incorporating amendments as at  \n26 November 2025\n\n**table of provisions**\n\n*Section Page*\n\n1 Short title 2\n\n2 Definitions 2\n\n3 Corporation may grant leases of leasable land 3\n\n4 Corporation may make advances out of municipal fund 4\n\n6 Registrar-General and Registrar of Titles to make necessary amendments 4\n\nSchedules 5\n\n═══════════════\n\nEndnotes 6\n\n1 General information 6\n\n2 Table of Amendments 8\n\n3 Explanatory details 9\n\n**Version No.** **004**\n\n**Carlton (Recreation Ground) Land Act 1966**\n\n**No. 7412 of 1966**\n\nVersion incorporating amendments as at  \n26 November 2025\n\nAn Act to authorize the Granting of Leases of certain Land at Carlton in the City of Melbourne permanently reserved as a Site for a Public Park, and for other purposes.\n\n**Preamble**\n\nWHEREAS by an Order in Council of the 9th day of June, 1873 certain land in the City of Melbourne known as Princes Park was permanently reserved as a site for a public park and by Crown Grant Volume 600 Folio 119908 dated the 13th day of June, 1873[[1]](#endnote-2) that land was vested in the Board of Land and Works and the mayor aldermen councillors and citizens of the City of Melbourne as a site for a public park:\n\nAND WHEREAS by an Order in Council of the 9th day of October, 1917[[2]](#endnote-3) the council of the City of Melbourne was appointed as committee of management of the said land:\n\nAND WHEREAS the land described in the Schedule is part of the said land and is used for the purposes of sport and recreation:\n\nAND WHEREAS it is expedient to authorize the council of the City of Melbourne as committee of management of the said land to grant leases of the land described in the Schedule:\n\nAND WHEREAS it is expedient to empower the said council to make loans to lessees of the land described in the Schedule:\n\n**BE IT THEREFORE ENACTED by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly of Victoria in this present Parliament assembled and by the authority of the same as follows (that is to say):**\n\n\t1 Short title\n\nThis Act may be cited as the **Carlton (Recreation Ground) Land Act 1966**.\n\nS. 2 (Heading) inserted by No. 79/2013 s. 31(1).\n\n\t2 Definitions\n\nIn this Act unless inconsistent with the context or subject-matter—\n\nS. 2 def. of *Council* substituted as *corporation* by No. 7583 s. 3.\n\n***corporation*** means corporation of the City of Melbourne;\n\nS. 2 def. of *leasable land* inserted by No. 79/2013 s. 31(2), amended by No. 47/2025 s. 3.\n\n***leasable land*** means—\n\n(a) the land shown hatched on the plan lodged in the Central Plan Office and numbered LEGL./11-042, being Crown Allotments 2030 and 2031, Parish of Jika Jika at Carlton; and\n\n(ab) the land shown hatched on the plan lodged in the Central Plan Office and numbered LEGL./23-315, being Crown Allotments 2143, 2144, 2145, 2146, 2147 and 2148, Parish of Jika Jika at Carlton; and\n\n(b) the stratum specified in the Order in Council dated 5 December 1995, published in the Government Gazette dated 7 December 1995, pages 3448 to 3451, being Crown Allotment 1A of Section 118A at Carlton, Parish of Jika Jika.\n\nS. 3 (Heading) inserted by No. 79/2013 s. 32(1).\n\n\t3 Corporation may grant leases of leasable land\n\nS. 3(1) substituted by No. 7583 s. 4.\n\n(1) Any previous appointment of a committee of management of the land in the City of Melbourne known as Princes Park permanently reserved by the hereinbefore recited Order in Council of the 9th day of June, 1873 as a site for a public park is hereby revoked and the corporation is hereby appointed committee of management of the said land.\n\nS. 3(1A) inserted by No. 7583 s. 4, amended by Nos 88/1995 s. 4, 79/2013 s. 32(2).\n\n(1A) Notwithstanding anything in any Act the corporation as committee of management of the said land known as Princes Park may from time to time grant leases of the leasable land for the purposes of sport or recreation or social or cultural or educational activities or purposes connected therewith including the erection of buildings.\n\n(2) A lease under this section—\n\nS. 3(2)(a) amended by No. 7583 s. 5.\n\n(a) shall be subject to such covenants conditions exceptions and reservations as the corporation thinks fit;\n\nS. 3(2)(b) amended by No. 8703 s. 2.\n\n(b) shall be for a term not exceeding forty years; and\n\n(c) shall if the term exceeds three years be subject to approval by the Governor in Council.\n\nS. 3(3) amended by Nos 7583 s. 5, 41/1987 s. 103(Sch. 4 item 6.1).\n\n(3) The moneys received by way of rent under any lease granted under this section shall be applied by the corporation towards the maintenance and improvement of the whole or any part of the said land permanently reserved as aforesaid or for such other purpose as the Minister in any particular case approves.\n\n(4) No person or body of persons whosoever or whatsoever shall be entitled to receive or shall receive from the Crown any money or consideration by way of compensation in respect of any improvement whatsoever or of any act matter or thing under this section.\n\n\t4 Corporation may make advances out of municipal fund\n\nS. 4(1) amended by Nos 7583 s. 5, 88/1995 s. 5, 79/2013 s. 33.\n\n(1) The corporation may apply out of the municipal fund a sum or sums not exceeding in the aggregate $200 000 for the purpose of making a loan or loans to any lessee of the leasable land for the purpose of erecting buildings on or making other improvements to the leasable land.\n\nS. 4(2) amended by No. 7583 s. 5.\n\n(2) Any loan made by the corporation to a lessee shall be upon such terms and conditions as the corporation thinks fit.\n\nS. 5  \ninserted by No. 88/1995 s. 6, repealed by No. 79/2013 s. 34.\n\n* * * * *\n\nS. 6  \ninserted by No. 88/1995 s. 6.\n\n\t6 Registrar-General and Registrar of Titles to make necessary amendments\n\n(1) The Registrar-General must make all entries on the records of enrolment of any Crown grant and on any memorial relating to land that are necessary because of the operation of any provision of this Act.\n\n(2) The Registrar of Titles must make any amendments to the Register under the **Transfer of Land Act 1958** that are necessary because of the operation of any provision of this Act.\n\nSchedules\n\nSch. substituted by No. 7583 s. 6, renumbered as Sch. 1 by No. 88/1995 s. 7(a), amended by No. 88/1995 s. 7(b), repealed by No. 79/2013 s. 35.\n\n* * * * *\n\nSch. 2 inserted by No. 88/1995 s. 8, repealed by No. 79/2013 s. 35.\n\n* * * * *\n\n ═══════════════\n\nEndnotes\n\n1 General information\n\nSee [www.legislation.vic.gov.au](http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au) for Victorian Bills, Acts and current Versions of legislation and up-to-date legislative information.\n\nThe **Carlton (Recreation Ground) Land Act 1966** was assented to on 17 May 1966 and came into operation on 17 May 1966.\n\nINTERPRETATION OF LEGISLATION ACT 1984 (ILA)\n\nStyle changes\n\nSection 54A of the ILA authorises the making of the style changes set out in Schedule 1 to that Act.\n\nReferences to ILA s. 39B\n\nSidenotes which cite ILA s. 39B refer to section 39B of the ILA which provides that where an undivided section or clause of a Schedule is amended by the insertion of one or more subsections or subclauses, the original section or clause becomes subsection or subclause (1) and is amended by the insertion of the expression \"(1)\" at the beginning of the original section or clause.\n\nInterpretation\n\nAs from 1 January 2001, amendments to section 36 of the ILA have the following effects:\n\n• Headings\n\nAll headings included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Act. Any heading inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Act. This includes headings to Parts, Divisions or Subdivisions in a Schedule; sections; clauses; items; tables; columns; examples; diagrams; notes or forms. See section 36(1A)(2A).\n\n• Examples, diagrams or notes\n\nAll examples, diagrams or notes included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Act. Any examples, diagrams or notes inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, form part of that Act. See section 36(3A).\n\n• Punctuation\n\nAll punctuation included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 forms part of that Act. Any punctuation inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Act. See section 36(3B).\n\n• Provision numbers\n\nAll provision numbers included in an Act form part of that Act, whether inserted in the Act before, on or after 1 January 2001. Provision numbers include section numbers, subsection numbers, paragraphs and subparagraphs. See section 36(3C).\n\n• Location of \"legislative items\"\n\nA \"legislative item\" is a penalty, an example or a note. As from 13 October 2004, a legislative item relating to a provision of an Act is taken to be at the foot of that provision even if it is preceded or followed by another legislative item that relates to that provision. For example, if a penalty at the foot of a provision is followed by a note, both of these legislative items will be regarded as being at the foot of that provision. See section 36B.\n\n• Other material\n\nAny explanatory memorandum, table of provisions, endnotes, index and other material printed after the Endnotes does not form part of an Act.  \nSee section 36(3)(3D)(3E).\n\n2 Table of Amendments\n\nThis publication incorporates amendments made to the **Carlton (Recreation Ground) Land Act 1966** by Acts and subordinate instruments.\n\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\n\n**Carlton (Recreation Ground) (Amendment) Land Act 1967, No. 7583/1967**\n\n| Assent Date: | 21.11.67 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Commencement Date: | 21.11.67 |\n| Current State: | All of Act in operation |\n\n\n**Carlton (Recreation Ground) Land Act 1975, No. 8703/1975**\n\n| Assent Date: | 16.5.75 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Commencement Date: | 16.5.75: s. 1(3) |\n| Current State: | All of Act in operation |\n\n\n**Conservation, Forests and Lands Act 1987, No. 41/1987**\n\n| Assent Date: | 19.5.87 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Commencement Date: | S. 103(Sch. 4 item 6.1) on 1.7.87: Government Gazette 24.6.87 p. 1694 |\n| Current State: | This information relates only to the provision/s amending the **Carlton (Recreation Ground) Land Act 1966** |\n\n\n**Carlton (Recreation Ground) Land (Amendment) Act 1995, No. 88/1995**\n\n| Assent Date: | 5.12.95 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Commencement Date: | 5.12.95 |\n| Current State: | All of Act in operation |\n\n\n**Parks and Crown Land Legislation Amendment Act 2013, No. 79/2013**\n\n| Assent Date: | 17.12.13 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Commencement Date: | Ss 31–35 on 18.12.13: s. 2(1) |\n| Current State: | This information relates only to the provision/s amending the **Carlton (Recreation Ground) Land Act 1966** |\n\n\n**Parks and Public Land Legislation Amendment (Central West and Other Matters) Act 2025, No. 47/2025**\n\n| Assent Date: | 25.11.25 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Commencement Date: | S. 3 on 26.11.25: s. 2(1) |\n| Current State: | This information relates only to the provision/s amending the **Carlton (Recreation Ground) Land Act 1966** |\n\n\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\n\n3 Explanatory details\n\n1. Preamble: Government Gazette 13 June 1873 page 1059. [↑](#endnote-ref-2)\n\n2. Preamble: Government Gazette 17 October 1917 page 3258. [↑](#endnote-ref-3)","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Based on the title and available information, the Act appears to remain consistent with its original purpose of reserving or regulating a specific recreation ground in Carlton. There is no indication of amendments that broadened or narrowed its scope."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely narrow and specific subject matter — a single parcel of land","Likely very short Act with few operative provisions","No cross-references to complex regulatory schemes apparent","1966 vintage legislation tends to use plain drafting style","Insufficient text provided to identify any hidden complexity"],"plain_english_summary":"The Carlton (Recreation Ground) Land Act 1966 legally preserves a specific parcel of Carlton land as a recreation ground, fixing its ownership/use to protect it from being sold or redeveloped without parliamentary action. It chiefly affects the local or state authorities who manage the site, nearby residents and users of the open space, and anyone proposing development or disposal. Its significance is that the recreation status is entrenched by statute, so changing the land’s purpose would generally require new legislation."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The legislation has expanded its geographic scope over time. Originally focused on specific allotments (2030 and 2031), amendments in 1995 and 2025 have added additional parcels of land (Crown Allotment 1A of Section 118A, and Crown Allotments 2143-2148). The 2025 amendment specifically expanded the 'leasable land' definition to include six additional Crown allotments, suggesting the Act is being used to facilitate development or leasing arrangements beyond its original 1966 boundaries. However, the core purpose—enabling leasing of parkland for sporting/recreational purposes—remains consistent."},"complexity_factors":["Short statute with only 6 operative sections (one repealed)","Minimal defined terms (only 2: 'corporation' and 'leasable land')","Straightforward conditional logic: leases >3 years require Governor in Council approval","Heavy reliance on external documents (Crown Grant Volume 600 Folio 119908, specific plan numbers LEGL./11-042 and LEGL./23-315) to define the land boundaries","Simple purpose structure: grant leases, make loans, update land titles","Amendment history shows incremental expansion of 'leasable land' definition (added Crown Allotments 2143-2148 in 2025) rather than structural complexity"],"plain_english_summary":"This law deals with a specific parcel of public parkland in Carlton, Melbourne, known as Princes Park.\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Allows long-term leasing:** The City of Melbourne (referred to as 'the corporation') can grant leases of certain designated land within Princes Park for up to 40 years. These leases can be used for sport, recreation, social, cultural, or educational activities, including building construction.\n- **Provides loan power:** The City can lend money (up to $200,000 total) to tenants (lessees) to help them build or improve facilities on the land.\n- **Manages the land:** It appoints the City of Melbourne as the official manager ('committee of management') of Princes Park, replacing any previous management arrangements.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- **The City of Melbourne:** Gives them specific powers to lease public parkland and provide loans that they wouldn't normally have under general planning laws.\n- **Sports clubs and community groups:** These are the likely tenants who want to build facilities (like clubhouses or sporting grounds) on the parkland.\n- **The general public:** The law requires that rent money from leases must be used to maintain and improve the park, or as approved by the Minister.\n\n**Key restrictions:**\n- Leases over 3 years need approval from the Governor in Council (the Victorian Government's executive decision-making body).\n- No one can claim compensation from the government for improvements they make to the land.\n- The specific land that can be leased is strictly defined by reference to official survey plans.\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThis is a classic example of 'special legislation'—a law passed to solve a specific local problem. Princes Park was permanently reserved as public parkland in 1873, which normally prevents private leasing or building. This Act creates a legal exception, allowing the Carlton Football Club and other community groups to develop facilities on the park while keeping the land publicly owned."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The Act's operational scope has been expanded and formalised since 1966. Amendments now (a) appoint the City of Melbourne corporation as committee of management, (b) define specific parcels and a stratum as 'leasable land', (c) broaden authorised lease purposes to include social, cultural and educational uses and erection of buildings, (d) cap lease terms at 40 years and require Governor in Council approval for terms over three years, (e) authorise loans from the municipal fund up to $200,000, and (f) require registry/Title amendments to give effect to those changes."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow, location-specific subject matter (defined 'leasable land' by plan and Crown allotments)","Clear delegation of discretion to the corporation over lease terms, covenants and loan conditions","Procedural requirement for Governor in Council approval for leases over three years","Financial limit and municipal‑fund lending power capped at $200,000","Requirement for registry amendments under Transfer of Land Act and enrolment records","Multiple historical amendments altering definitions and managers (1967–2025) but without layered regulatory regimes"],"plain_english_summary":"This Act lets the City of Melbourne act as committee of management for Princes Park and to grant leases of specified parcels for sport, recreation, social, cultural or educational uses, including building works. Rents must be applied to park maintenance or other Minister‑approved purposes. The council may also lend up to $200,000 from the municipal fund to lessees. Leases may run up to 40 years and, if over three years, require Governor in Council approval."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/carlton-recreation-ground-land-act-1966","history":"/api/acts/carlton-recreation-ground-land-act-1966/history","analysis":"/api/acts/carlton-recreation-ground-land-act-1966/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/carlton-recreation-ground-land-act-1966/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/carlton-recreation-ground-land-act-1966/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/carlton-recreation-ground-land-act-1966/documents"}}