{"id":"dandenong-shepley-oval-land-act-1976","name":"Dandenong (Shepley Oval) Land Act 1976","slug":"dandenong-shepley-oval-land-act-1976","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"vic","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":176332,"registerId":"vic-dandenong-shepley-oval-land-act-1976-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Dandenong (Shepley Oval) Land Act 1976","content":"Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documentsi\nVersion No. 001\nDandenong (Shepley Oval) Land Act 1976\nAct No. 8840/1976\nVersion as at 1 November 1999\nTABLE OF PROVISIONS\nSection Page\n1. Short title, commencement and definition 3\n2. Partial revocation of permanent reservation 3\n3. Confirmation of temporary reservation 3\n4. Confirmation of appointment of corporation as committee of\nmanagement 3\n5. Corporation may grant leases 4\n6. No compensation payable by Crown 4\n__________________\nSCHEDULE—Land in the Township of Dandenong which may be\nleased by the corporation of the City of Dandenong 5\n═══════════════\nENDNOTES 6\n1. General Information 6\n2. Table of Amendments 7\n3. Explanatory Details 8\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents1\nVersion No. 001\nDandenong (Shepley Oval) Land Act 1976\nAct No. 8840/1976\nVersion as at 1 November 1999\nAn Act to confirm the Temporary Reservation of certain Crown\nLand in the Township of Dandenong as a Site for Public\nRecreation, to confirm the Appointment of the corporation of\nthe City of Dandenong as Committee of Management of the\nLand, to authorize the corporation to grant Leases of certain\nLand, and for other purposes.\nPreamble\nWHEREAS certain Crown land was by Order in\nCouncil dated the 23rd May, 18811, permanently\nreserved as a site for public purposes:\nAND WHEREAS certain Crown land in the\nTownship of Dandenong was by Order in Council\ndated the 5th April, 19492, temporarily reserved as\na site for a public park:\nAND WHEREAS certain Crown land in the\nTownship of Dandenong was by Order in Council\ndated the 17th July, 19623, temporarily reserved as\na site for public recreation:\nAND WHEREAS certain Crown land in the\nTownship of Dandenong was by Order in Council\ndated the 14th November, 19674, temporarily\nreserved as a site for public recreation:\nAND WHEREAS part of the land temporarily\nreserved by the Order in Council dated the\n17th July, 1962, was at the time of the making of\nthat Order permanently reserved by the Order in\nCouncil dated the 23rd May, 1881:\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 8840/1976\nDandenong (Shepley Oval) Land Act 1976\n2\nAND WHEREAS the land delineated and shown\nhatched on the plan in the Schedule comprises\nparts of the lands permanently or temporarily\nreserved (as the case may be) by the Orders in\nCouncil dated the 23rd May, 1881, the 5th April,\n1949, the 17th July, 1962, and the 14th November,\n1967:\nAND WHEREAS the corporation of the City of\nDandenong is the committee of management of the\nland delineated and shown hatched on the plan in\nthe Schedule5:\nAND WHEREAS it is expedient—\n(a) to revoke the Order in Council dated the\n23rd May, 1881, permanently reserving\ncertain lands as a site for public purposes\ninsofar as it relates to the land temporarily\nreserved by the Order in Council dated the\n17th July, 1962;\n(b) to confirm the Order in Council dated the\n17th July, 1962, temporarily reserving\ncertain land as a site for public recreation;\n(c) to confirm the appointment of the\ncorporation of the City of Dandenong as the\ncommittee of management of the land\ntemporarily reserved by the Order in\nCouncil dated the 17th July, 1962, as a site\nfor public recreation;\n(d) to authorize the corporation of the City of\nDandenong as committee of management to\ngrant leases of the whole or any part of the\nland delineated and shown hatched on the\nplan in the Schedule for the purposes of\nsport or recreation or social activities\nconnected therewith; and\n(e) to make other provision as hereinafter\nenacted:\nPreamble\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 8840/1976\nDandenong (Shepley Oval) Land Act 1976\n3\nBE IT THEREFORE ENACTED by the Queen's Most\nExcellent Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the\nLegislative Council and the Legislative Assembly of Victoria\nin this present Parliament assembled and by the authority of\nthe same as follows (that is to say):\n1. Short title, commencement and definition\n(1) This Act may be cited as the Dandenong\n(Shepley Oval) Land Act 1976.\n(2) This Act shall come into operation on the day it\nreceives the Royal Assent.\n(3) In this Act \"corporation\" means the corporation\nof the City of Dandenong.\n2. Partial revocation of permanent reservation\nThe Order in Council dated the 23rd May, 1881,\npermanently reserving certain Crown lands as a\nsite for public purposes is hereby revoked insofar\nas it relates to the Crown land in the Township of\nDandenong temporarily reserved by the Order in\nCouncil dated the 17th July, 1962, as a site for\npublic recreation.\n3. Confirmation of temporary reservation\nThe Order in Council dated the 17th July, 1962,\ntemporarily reserving certain Crown land in the\nTownship of Dandenong as a site for public\nrecreation is hereby confirmed.\n4. Confirmation of appointment of corporation as\ncommittee of management\nThe appointment of the corporation as committee\nof management of the Crown land in the\nTownship of Dandenong temporarily reserved by\nthe Order in Council dated the 17th July, 1962, as\na site for public recreation is hereby confirmed.\ns. 1\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 8840/1976\nDandenong (Shepley Oval) Land Act 1976\n4\n5. Corporation may grant leases\n(1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any\nAct, the corporation as committee of management\nmay from time to time grant leases of the whole or\nany part of the land delineated and shown hatched\non the plan in the Schedule for the purposes of\nsport or recreation or social activities connected\ntherewith including the erection of buildings.\n(2) A lease granted under this section—\n(a) shall be subject to such covenants conditions\nexceptions and reservations as the\ncorporation thinks fit;\n(b) shall be for a term not exceeding 21 years;\nand\n(c) shall be subject to approval by the Governor\nin Council.\n(3) The moneys received by way of rent under any\nlease granted under this section shall be applied\nby the corporation towards the maintenance and\nimprovement of any part of the land temporarily\nreserved by Order in Council dated the 17th July,\n1962, as a site for public recreation and not leased\nunder this section or for any other purpose\napproved by the Minister.\n6. No compensation payable by Crown\nNo compensation shall be payable by the Crown\nin respect of any act matter or thing done under or\narising out of this Act.\n__________________\ns. 5\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 8840/1976\nDandenong (Shepley Oval) Land Act 1976\n5\nSCHEDULE\nLAND IN THE TOWNSHIP OF DANDENONG WHICH MAY BE\nLEASED BY THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF DANDENONG\n═══════════════\nSch.\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 8840/1976\nDandenong (Shepley Oval) Land Act 1976\n6\nENDNOTES\n1. General Information\nThe Dandenong (Shepley Oval) Land Act 1976 was assented to on 1 June\n1976 and came into operation on 1 June 1976: section 1(2).\nEndnotes\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 8840/1976\nDandenong (Shepley Oval) Land Act 1976\n7\n2. Table of Amendments\nThere are no amendments made to the Dandenong (Shepley Oval) Land\nAct 1976 by Acts and subordinate instruments.\nEndnotes\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 8840/1976\nDandenong (Shepley Oval) Land Act 1976\n8\n3. Explanatory Details\n1 Preamble: Government Gazettes 25 February 1881 page 586, 27 May 1881\npage 1389.\n2 Preamble: Government Gazette 13 April 1949 page 2157.\n3 Preamble: Government Gazette 25 July 1962 page 2597.\n4 Preamble: Government Gazette 22 November 1967 page 3528.\n5 Preamble: Government Gazettes 23 October 1963 page 3267, 24 January\n1968 page 241.\nEndnotes","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"There is no indication of scope change. The Act appears to have remained focused on its original purpose of resolving or establishing the legal status of a specific parcel of land at Shepley Oval in Dandenong. It has remained in force without amendment, suggesting its narrow original intent has been consistently maintained."},"complexity_factors":["Highly site-specific and narrow in scope — applies to a single parcel of land","Typical of short Victorian private/local Acts with minimal operative provisions","Limited publicly available text makes full analysis of precise mechanisms difficult","No apparent cross-references to complex regulatory frameworks","Straightforward land administration purpose with no multi-agency or multi-jurisdictional elements"],"plain_english_summary":"The Dandenong (Shepley Oval) Land Act 1976 is a site-specific Victorian law that fixes the legal status and use of the Shepley Oval parcel — typically by transferring title, changing its classification, or granting management/use rights for sporting and recreational purposes. It affects local residents, sporting clubs, the City of Greater Dandenong council and the Victorian Government, and matters because it secures community access and settles competing claims over the oval’s future."},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Act implements the changes set out in its preamble: a partial revocation of an 1881 reservation, confirmation of the 1962 temporary reservation, confirmation of the City of Dandenong as committee of management, and authority to grant leases (ss.2–5). There are no subsequent amendments listed in the endnotes, so the statutory scope remains as originally enacted."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow, local scope limited to specified Crown land in Dandenong (Preamble; Schedule)","Interplay with historical Orders in Council and partial revocation of an 1881 reservation (s.2; Preamble)","Statutory confirmation of an existing temporary reservation and of the corporation's appointment as committee of management (s.3–4)","Delegated power to the municipal corporation to grant leases subject to Governor in Council approval (s.5(1)–(2)(c))","Standard lease limits and conditions: term cap of 21 years and corporation-determined covenants (s.5(2)(b)–(a))","Earmarking of rent for maintenance or Minister-approved purposes creates an earmarked revenue flow and conditional spending discretion (s.5(3))","Express bar on Crown compensation for acts under the Act reduces Crown financial exposure but removes a remedy (s.6)","Low regulatory/compliance burden overall because powers confirm existing arrangements rather than create a broad new regulatory regime"],"plain_english_summary":"This Act changes the legal status of specific Crown land in Dandenong: it revokes part of an 1881 permanent reservation, confirms a 1962 temporary reservation, and confirms the City of Dandenong as committee of management. It allows that corporation to grant Governor‑in‑Council‑approved leases (up to 21 years) for sport, recreation and related social activities, requires rent to be applied to site maintenance or other Minister‑approved purposes, and provides that the Crown pays no compensation for acts under the Act."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This legislation has remained tightly focused on its original purpose since 1976. It was always intended as a specific, local fix for Shepley Oval's land tenure issues, and it has not expanded beyond that. The Table of Amendments confirms no amendments have ever been made."},"complexity_factors":["Only 6 operative sections plus a Schedule","Single defined term ('corporation') in section 1(3)","No cross-references to other Acts except a general 'notwithstanding anything to the contrary' clause in section 5(1)","Straightforward sequential structure: definitions, revocation, confirmation, confirmation, leasing power, compensation exclusion","No nested exceptions or conditional logic — section 5(2) contains simple bullet-point conditions on leases (covenants, 21-year cap, Governor in Council approval)","Narrative preamble explains historical context but doesn't create legal complexity","Schedule contains a plan reference but no detailed technical provisions"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does:**\n\nThis is a very specific, local law about a single piece of land in Dandenong, Victoria — a sports ground called Shepley Oval. It tidies up nearly a century of messy paperwork about who owns and controls the land.\n\n**The problem it fixes:**\n\nSince 1881, various government orders had reserved this land for different public purposes. By the 1970s, the paperwork was tangled: some of the land was \"permanently reserved\" (set aside forever for public use), some was \"temporarily reserved\" (set aside for now, but not forever), and the City of Dandenong was already managing it without clear legal authority to lease it out.\n\n**What the law actually does:**\n\n- **Untangles the ownership history** — it cancels the old 1881 permanent reservation for part of the land, since that land was later covered by a 1962 temporary reservation anyway\n- **Locks in the 1962 arrangement** — it confirms that the 1962 temporary reservation for public recreation stays in place\n- **Gives the Council proper legal power** — it officially confirms that the City of Dandenong (called \"the corporation\" in the Act) is the legal manager of the land\n- **Lets the Council lease the land** — most importantly, it gives the Council power to grant leases for up to 21 years for sports, recreation, or related social activities (including building things on the land), with the Governor in Council's approval\n- **Protects the taxpayer** — it makes clear the State government won't pay compensation for anything done under this law\n\n**Who it affects:**\n\n- The City of Dandenong (now the City of Greater Dandenong) — they can now legally lease out Shepley Oval for sporting clubs, community groups, etc.\n- Anyone wanting to lease the oval for sports or recreation\n- Local sporting clubs and community organisations using the facilities\n\n**Why it matters:**\n\nWithout this law, the Council was in a legal grey zone — managing land and possibly leasing it without clear authority. This Act gave them proper legal footing to run Shepley Oval as a working sports ground, generate rental income to maintain the facilities, and build permanent structures like clubrooms or pavilions."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/dandenong-shepley-oval-land-act-1976","history":"/api/acts/dandenong-shepley-oval-land-act-1976/history","analysis":"/api/acts/dandenong-shepley-oval-land-act-1976/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/dandenong-shepley-oval-land-act-1976/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/dandenong-shepley-oval-land-act-1976/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/dandenong-shepley-oval-land-act-1976/documents"}}