{"id":"a-2002-39","name":"Districts Act 2002","slug":"districts-act-2002","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"act","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"39 of 2002","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":23424,"registerId":"act-a-2002-39-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Districts Act 2002","content":"Authorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\nAustralian Capital Territory\nDistricts Act 2002\nA2002-39\nRepublication No 9\nEffective: 27 November 2023\nRepublication date: 27 November 2023\nLast amendment made by A2023-36\n\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\nAbout this republication\nThe republished law\nThis is a republication of the Districts Act 2002 (including any amendment made under the\nLegislation Act 2001, part 11.3 (Editorial changes)) as in force on 27 November 2023. It also\nincludes any commencement, amendment, repeal or expiry affecting this republished law to\n27 November 2023.\nThe legislation history and amendment history of the republished law are set out in endnotes 3\nand 4.\nKinds of republications\nThe Parliamentary Counsel’s Office prepares 2 kinds of republications of ACT laws (see the ACT\nlegislation register at www.legislation.act.gov.au):\n• authorised republications to which the Legislation Act 2001 applies\n• unauthorised republications.\nThe status of this republication appears on the bottom of each page.\nEditorial changes\nThe Legislation Act 2001, part 11.3 authorises the Parliamentary Counsel to make editorial\namendments and other changes of a formal nature when preparing a law for republication.\nEditorial changes do not change the effect of the law, but have effect as if they had been made by\nan Act commencing on the republication date (see Legislation Act 2001, s 115 and s 117). The\nchanges are made if the Parliamentary Counsel considers they are desirable to bring the law into\nline, or more closely into line, with current legislative drafting practice.\nThis republication includes amendments made under part 11.3 (see endnote 1).\nUncommenced provisions and amendments\nIf a provision of the republished law has not commenced, the symbol U appears immediately\nbefore the provision heading. Any uncommenced amendments that affect this republished law\nare accessible on the ACT legislation register (www.legislation.act.gov.au). For more\ninformation, see the home page for this law on the register.\nModifications\nIf a provision of the republished law is affected by a current modification, the\nsymbol M appears immediately before the provision heading. The text of the modifying\nprovision appears in the endnotes. For the legal status of modifications, see the Legislation\nAct 2001, section 95.\nPenalties\nAt the republication date, the value of a penalty unit for an offence against this law is $160 for an\nindividual and $810 for a corporation (see Legislation Act 2001, s 133).\n\nR9\n27/11/23\nDistricts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\ncontents 1\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\nAustralian Capital Territory\nDistricts Act 2002\nContents\nPage\nPart 1 Preliminary\n1 Name of Act 2\n3 Dictionary 2\n4 Notes 2\nPart 2 Dividing land\n5 Districts 3\n6 Divisions, sections and blocks 3\n7 Deposited plans 4\n8 Evidence 5\n9 Description of parcel of land for dealings 5\n10 Change of district or division names 5\n11 Correction etc of instruments 6\n12 Inspection of plans 6\n\nContents\nPage\ncontents 2 Districts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\nR9\n27/11/23\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\nPart 3 Street addresses\n13 Allocation of street addresses 7\n14 Guidelines about allocation of street addresses 7\n15 Requirement to display allocated address etc 8\n16 Action if requirement not complied with 9\nPart 4 Digital cadastral database\n17 Digital cadastral database 10\nPart 5 Miscellaneous\n18 Delegation by Minister 11\n19 Regulation-making power 11\nDictionary 12\nEndnotes\n1 About the endnotes 13\n2 Abbreviation key 13\n3 Legislation history 14\n4 Amendment history 16\n5 Earlier republications 17\n\nR9\n27/11/23\nDistricts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\npage 1\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\nAustralian Capital Territory\nDistricts Act 2002\nAn Act to provide for the division and description of land, and for other purposes\n\nPart 1 Preliminary\nSection 1\npage 2 Districts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\nR9\n27/11/23\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\nPart 1 Preliminary\n1 Name of Act\nThis Act is the Districts Act 2002.\n3 Dictionary\nThe dictionary at the end of this Act is part of this Act.\nNote 1 The dictionary at the end of this Act defines certain words and\nexpressions used in this Act, and includes references (signpost\ndefinitions) to other words and expressions defined elsewhere in this Act\nor in other legislation.\nFor example, the signpost definition ‘digital cadastral database—see\nsection 17.’ means that the expression ‘digital cadastral database’ is\ndefined in that section.\nNote 2 A definition in the dictionary (including a signpost definition) applies to\nthe entire Act unless the definition, or another provision of the Act,\nprovides otherwise or the contrary intention otherwise appears (see\nLegislation Act, s 155 and s 156 (1)).\n4 Notes\nA note included in this Act is explanatory and is not part of this Act.\nNote See the Legislation Act, s 127 (1), (4) and (5) for the legal status of notes.\n\nDividing land Part 2\nSection 5\nR9\n27/11/23\nDistricts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\npage 3\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\nPart 2 Dividing land\n5 Districts\n(1) The Minister must, by deposited plan, divide the land in the ACT into\ndistricts.\n(2) The boundaries of each district are the boundaries shown on the\ndeposited plan by which the district is created.\n(3) The Minister must determine a distinguishing name for each district.\n(4) A determination is a notifiable instrument.\nNote A notifiable instrument must be notified under the Legislation Act 2001.\n6 Divisions, sections and blocks\n(1) The Minister may, by deposited plan, do any of the following:\n(a) divide a district, or part of a district, into divisions or blocks;\n(b) divide a division, or part of a division, into sections;\n(c) divide a section into blocks.\n(2) The boundaries of each division, section or block are the boundaries\nshown on the deposited plan by which the division, section or block\nis created.\nNote The Minister must determine a distinguishing name for each division—\nsee the Public Place Names Act 1989, s 3 (1) (a).\n(3) The Minister must give each section and block a distinguishing\nnumber.\n\nPart 2 Dividing land\nSection 7\npage 4 Districts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\nR9\n27/11/23\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\n7 Deposited plans\n(1) A deposited plan is a plan prepared by a registered surveyor and\nregistered by the registrar-general under this section.\n(2) The plan must—\n(a) set out the boundaries of, and the distinguishing name or number\nfor, each district, division, section or block to be created by the\nplan; and\n(b) be lodged with the registrar-general in registrable form.\nNote A fee may be determined under the Land Titles Act 1925, s 139 for\nlodging plans with the registrar-general.\n(3) The registrar-general may register the plan only if the surveyor-\ngeneral has certified that—\n(a) the land divided by the plan is correctly described; and\n(b) the plan complies with this Act.\n(4) For subsection (3) (a), the surveyor-general may certify that land\ndivided by the plan is correctly described only if––\n(a) the boundaries of the land have been established by a registered\nsurveyor––\n(i) by survey; or\n(ii) for land that the plan divides into districts or divisions or\nthat the surveyor-general is satisfied is to be the subject of\na holding lease––by reference to information in the digital\ncadastral database; and\n(b) the plan and the information in the digital cadastral database are\nnot inconsistent with each other.\n(5) If this section is complied with, the registrar-general must register the\nplan by entering particulars of the plan, including a number for the\nplan, in the land titles register.\n\nDividing land Part 2\nSection 8\nR9\n27/11/23\nDistricts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\npage 5\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\n(6) If the plan amends another deposited plan, the registrar-general must\nalso enter a reference to the amendment on the other deposited plan.\n(7) In this section:\nholding lease means a lease issued to allow for urban development\nand subdivision.\nregistrable form—a plan is in registrable form if—\n(a) it does not require a material correction, alteration or addition;\nand\n(b) it is in a printed or electronic form that the registrar-general is\nsatisfied is suitable for registration; and\n(c) it is otherwise in accordance with this Act.\n8 Evidence\nA deposited plan is evidence of the measurements and boundaries of\nthe areas of land shown on it unless the contrary is proved.\n9 Description of parcel of land for dealings\nThe description of a parcel of land by reference to the name or number\nof the district, division, section or block by which the parcel of land\nis described in the deposited plan on which the parcel of land is shown\nis sufficient description of the parcel of land for dealings with the\nparcel of land.\n10 Change of district or division names\n(1) This section applies if—\n(a) a name (the earlier name) has been determined for a district or\ndivision as mentioned in section 5 (Districts) or section 6\n(Divisions, sections and blocks); and\n(b) another name (the later name) is later determined for the district\nor division.\n\nPart 2 Dividing land\nSection 11\npage 6 Districts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\nR9\n27/11/23\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\n(2) A reference in a deposited plan or any other instrument to the earlier\nname is, from the time the later determination has effect, taken to be\na reference to the later name.\n11 Correction etc of instruments\n(1) If an instrument relating to a parcel of land shown in a deposited plan\nis presented to the registrar-general, the registrar-general must make\nthe entries, cancellations and corrections (if any) to the instrument the\nregistrar-general considers necessary so that the parcel of land is\ndescribed by reference to the name or number of the district, division,\nsection or block by which it is described in the deposited plan.\n(2) In this section:\ninstrument means the original of an instrument in the land titles\nregister.\n12 Inspection of plans\n(1) The registrar-general must make plans lodged under this Act\navailable for inspection at the registrar-general’s office.\n(2) The registrar-general may also make plans available for inspection in\nother ways (for example, by emailing copies to people on request).\n(3) Plans may be made available for inspection in printed or electronic\nform.\nNote A fee may be determined under the Land Titles Act 1925, s 139 for\ninspection of plans.\n\nStreet addresses Part 3\nSection 13\nR9\n27/11/23\nDistricts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\npage 7\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\nPart 3 Street addresses\n13 Allocation of street addresses\n(1) The Minister may allocate a street address to a block or unit.\n(2) The allocation must be in accordance with the guidelines (if any)\nmade by the Minister under section 14.\n(3) If the Minister allocates a street address to a block or unit, the Minister\nmust—\n(a) record details of the street address in—\n(i) a register kept for this section by the Minister; and\n(ii) the digital cadastral database; and\n(b) make details of the street address publicly available (for\nexample, through ACT government shopfronts and public\nlibraries).\n14 Guidelines about allocation of street addresses\n(1) The Minister may make guidelines about the allocation of street\naddresses to blocks and units.\n(2) The guidelines may make provision about a matter by applying,\nadopting or incorporating an Australian Standard, or a provision of\nan Australian Standard, as in force from time to time.\nNote 1 The text of an applied, adopted or incorporated law or instrument,\nwhether applied as in force from time to time or as at a particular time, is\ntaken to be a notifiable instrument if the operation of the Legislation Act\n2001, s 47 (5) or (6) is not disapplied (see s 47 (7)).\nNote 2 A notifiable instrument must be notified under the Legislation Act 2001.\n(3) The guidelines are a notifiable instrument.\nNote A notifiable instrument must be notified under the Legislation Act 2001.\n\nPart 3 Street addresses\nSection 15\npage 8 Districts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\nR9\n27/11/23\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\n15 Requirement to display allocated address etc\n(1) This section applies if—\n(a) details of the allocated address for a block or unit have been\nrecorded and made available under section 13; and\n(b) either—\n(i) the allocated address is not displayed at the frontage of the\nblock or unit; or\n(ii) a street address other than the allocated address is\ndisplayed at the frontage of the block or unit; and\n(c) the owner of the block or unit has been given written notice of\nthe allocated address.\n(2) The Minister may, in writing, require the owner of the block or unit—\n(a) to display the allocated address at the frontage of the block or\nunit; or\n(b) if a street address other than the allocated address is displayed\nat the frontage of the block or unit—\n(i) to remove the street address; and\n(ii) to display the allocated address at the frontage of the block\nor unit.\nNote For how documents may be served, see Legislation Act 2001, pt 19.5.\n(3) The requirement must state the time within which the action must be\ntaken.\n(4) The time stated must not be less than 21 days after the day the\nrequirement is made.\n\nStreet addresses Part 3\nSection 16\nR9\n27/11/23\nDistricts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\npage 9\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\n16 Action if requirement not complied with\n(1) This section applies if the owner of a block or unit does not comply\nwith a requirement under section 15 in relation to the block or unit.\n(2) The Minister may arrange for the taking of reasonable action to\nensure—\n(a) the allocated address is displayed at the frontage of the block or\nunit; or\n(b) the street address other than the allocated address is removed\nfrom, and the allocated address displayed at, the frontage of the\nblock or unit.\n(3) The reasonable cost of work carried out under this section is a debt\nowing to the Territory by the owner of the block or unit.\n\nPart 4 Digital cadastral database\nSection 17\npage 10 Districts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\nR9\n27/11/23\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\nPart 4 Digital cadastral database\n17 Digital cadastral database\n(1) The territory planning authority must keep an electronic database of\ninformation about land in the ACT (the digital cadastral database).\n(2) The digital cadastral database must include the following\ninformation:\n(a) the boundaries of, and the distinguishing name or number for,\neach district, division, section and block created under section 5\n(Districts) or section 6 (Divisions, sections and blocks of\ndistricts);\n(b) each allocated address.\n(3) The digital cadastral database may include any other information the\nterritory planning authority considers appropriate.\n\nMiscellaneous Part 5\nSection 18\nR9\n27/11/23\nDistricts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\npage 11\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\nPart 5 Miscellaneous\n18 Delegation by Minister\n(1) The Minister must not delegate the Minister’s functions under this\nAct to someone other than the surveyor-general.\nNote For the making of delegations and the exercise of delegated functions,\nsee Legislation Act 2001, pt 19.4.\n(2) Subsection (1) has effect despite the Legislation Act 2001,\nsection 254A (Delegation by Minister).\n19 Regulation-making power\nThe Executive may make regulations for this Act.\nNote Regulations must be notified, and presented to the Legislative Assembly,\nunder the Legislation Act 2001.\n\nDictionary\npage 12 Districts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\nR9\n27/11/23\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\nDictionary\n(see s 3)\nNote 1 The Legislation Act 2001 contains definitions and other provisions\nrelevant to this Act.\nNote 2 In particular, the following terms that are defined in the Legislation\nAct 2001, dict, pt 1, are particularly relevant to this Act:\n• function\n• registered surveyor\n• registrar-general\n• surveyor-general\n• territory planning authority.\nallocated address, for a block or unit, means the street address\nallocated to the block or unit under section 13.\nblock means a block under section 6.\ndeposited plan—see section 7.\ndigital cadastral database—see section 17.\ndistrict means a district under section 5.\ndivision, in relation to land, means a division under section 6.\nsection, in relation to land, means a section under section 6.\nunit—see the Unit Titles Act 2001, section 9.\n\nEndnotes\nAbout the endnotes 1\nR9\n27/11/23\nDistricts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\npage 13\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\nEndnotes\n1 About the endnotes\nAmending and modifying laws are annotated in the legislation history and the\namendment history. Current modifications are not included in the republished law\nbut are set out in the endnotes.\nNot all editorial amendments made under the Legislation Act 2001, part 11.3 are\nannotated in the amendment history. Full details of any amendments can be\nobtained from the Parliamentary Counsel’s Office.\nUncommenced amending laws are not included in the republished law. The details\nof these laws are underlined in the legislation history. Uncommenced expiries are\nunderlined in the legislation history and amendment history.\nIf all the provisions of the law have been renumbered, a table of renumbered\nprovisions gives details of previous and current numbering.\nThe endnotes also include a table of earlier republications.\n2 Abbreviation key\nA = Act NI = Notifiable instrument\nAF = Approved form o = order\nam = amended om = omitted/repealed\namdt = amendment ord = ordinance\nAR = Assembly resolution orig = original\nch = chapter par = paragraph/subparagraph\nCN = Commencement notice pres = present\ndef = definition prev = previous\nDI = Disallowable instrument (prev...) = previously\ndict = dictionary pt = part\ndisallowed = disallowed by the Legislative r = rule/subrule\nAssembly reloc = relocated\ndiv = division renum = renumbered\nexp = expires/expired R[X] = Republication No\nGaz = gazette RI = reissue\nhdg = heading s = section/subsection\nIA = Interpretation Act 1967 sch = schedule\nins = inserted/added sdiv = subdivision\nLA = Legislation Act 2001 SL = Subordinate law\nLR = legislation register sub = substituted\nLRA = Legislation (Republication) Act 1996 underlining = whole or part not commenced\nmod = modified/modification or to be expired\n\nEndnotes\n3 Legislation history\npage 14 Districts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\nR9\n27/11/23\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\n3 Legislation history\nDistricts Act 2002 A2002-39\nnotified LR 10 October 2002\ns 1, s 2 commenced 10 October 2002 (LA s 75 (1))\nremainder commenced 11 October 2002 (s 2)\nas amended by\nPublic Place Names Amendment Act 2002 A2002-54 s 6\nnotified LR 20 December 2002\ns 1, s 2 commenced 20 December 2002 (LA s 75 (1))\ns 6 commenced 21 December 2002 (s 2)\nSurveyors Act 2007 A2007-33 sch 1 pt 1.1\nnotified LR 25 October 2007\ns 1, s 2 commenced 25 October 2007 (LA s 75 (1))\nsch 1 pt 1.1 commenced 14 November 2007 (s 2 and CN2007-15)\nSurveyors Amendment Act 2010 A2010-6 sch 1 pt 1.1\nnotified LR 2 March 2010\ns 1, s 2 commenced 2 March 2010 (LA s 75 (1))\nsch 1 pt 1.1 commenced 3 March 2010 (s 2)\nStatute Law Amendment Act 2011 (No 2) A2011-28 sch 3 pt 3.9\nnotified LR 31 August 2011\ns 1, s 2 commenced 31 August 2011 (LA s 75 (1))\nsch 3 pt 3.9 commenced 21 September 2011 (s 2 (1))\nPlanning, Building and Environment Legislation Amendment\nAct 2013 A2013-15 pt 5\nnotified LR 21 May 2013\ns 1, s 2 commenced 21 May 2013 (LA s 75 (1))\npt 5 commenced 22 May 2013 (s 2)\nLand Titles (Electronic Conveyancing) Legislation Amendment\nAct 2020 A2020-16 sch 1 pt 1.7\nnotified LR 13 May 2020\ns 1, s 2 commenced 13 May 2020 (LA s 75 (1))\nsch 1 pt 1.7 commenced 1 June 2020 (s 2 and see Electronic\nConveyancing National Law (ACT) Act 2020 A2020-15 s 2)\n\nEndnotes\nLegislation history 3\nR9\n27/11/23\nDistricts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\npage 15\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\nPlanning (Consequential Amendments) Act 2023 A2023-36\nsch 1 pt 1.18\nnotified LR 29 September 2023\ns 1, s 2 commenced 29 September 2023 (LA s 75 (1))\nsch 1 pt 1.18 commenced 27 November 2023 (s 2 (1) and see\nPlanning Act 2023 A2023-18, s 2 (2) and CN2023-10)\n\nEndnotes\n4 Amendment history\npage 16 Districts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\nR9\n27/11/23\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\n4 Amendment history\nCommencement\ns 2 om LA s 89 (4)\nDistricts\ns 5 am A2011-28 amdt 3.56\nDivisions, sections and blocks\ns 6 am A2002-54 s 6; A2013-15 s 9; ss renum R7 LA\nDeposited plans\ns 7 am A2007-33 amdt 1.1, amdt 1.4; A2010-6 amdt 1.1;\nA2020-16 amdt 1.25\nCorrection etc of instruments\ns 11 am A2020-16 amdt 1.26\nInspection of plans\ns 12 am A2011-28 amdt 3.57\nAllocation of street addresses\ns 13 am A2011-28 amdt 3.57\nGuidelines about allocation of street addresses\ns 14 am A2011-28 amdt 3.58\nDigital cadastral database\ns 17 am A2007-33 amdt 1.2, amdt 1.3; A2023-36 amdt 1.106\nDelegation by Minister\ns 18 am A2007-33 amdt 1.4; A2010-6 amdt 1.2\nTransitional and consequential provisions\npt 6 hdg exp 11 October 2003 (s 23)\nDistricts and deposited plans under repealed Act\ns 20 exp 11 October 2003 (s 23)\nRepeal of Districts Act 1966\ns 21 om LA s 89 (3)\nAmended Acts\ns 22 om LA s 89 (3)\nExpiry of pt 6\ns 23 exp 11 October 2003 (s 23)\nAmendments of other Acts\nsch 1 om LA s 89 (3)\nDictionary\ndict am A2007-33 amdt 1.4; A2010-6 amdt 1.3, amdt 1.4;\nA2023-36 amdt 1.107\n\nEndnotes\nEarlier republications 5\nR9\n27/11/23\nDistricts Act 2002\nEffective: 27/11/23\npage 17\nAuthorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au\n5 Earlier republications\nSome earlier republications were not numbered. The number in column 1 refers to\nthe publication order.\nSince 12 September 2001 every authorised republication has been published in\nelectronic pdf format on the ACT legislation register. A selection of authorised\nrepublications have also been published in printed format. These republications are\nmarked with an asterisk (*) in column 1. Electronic and printed versions of an\nauthorised republication are identical.\nRepublication\nNo and date\nEffective Last\namendment\nmade by\nRepublication\nfor\nR1\n11 Oct 2002\n11 Oct 2002–\n20 Dec 2002\nnot amended new Act\nR2\n21 Dec 2002\n21 Dec 2002–\n11 Oct 2003\nA2002-54 amendments by\nA2002-54\nR3\n12 Oct 2003\n12 Oct 2003–\n13 Nov 2007\nA2002-54 commenced expiry\nR4\n14 Nov 2007\n14 Nov 2007–\n2 Mar 2010\nA2007-33 amendments by\nA2007-33\nR5\n3 Mar 2010\n3 Mar 2010–\n20 Sept 2011\nA2010-6 amendments by\nA2010-6\nR6\n21 Sept 2011\n21 Sept 2011–\n21 May 2013\nA2011-28 amendments by\nA2011-28\nR7\n22 May 2013\n22 May 2013–\n31 May 2020\nA2013-15 amendments by\nA2013-15\nR8\n1 June 2020\n1 June 2020–\n26 Nov 2023\nA2020-16 amendments by\nA2020-16\n© Australian Capital Territory 2023","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains focused on its original purpose of land division and addressing. The 2023 amendments (A2023-36) updated references to the territory planning authority following the new Planning Act 2023, but did not expand the substantive scope beyond land division, deposited plans, street addressing, and the digital cadastral database."},"complexity_factors":["Short statute with only 19 operative sections across 5 Parts","Minimal defined terms (only 8 definitions in the Dictionary, plus 5 signpost definitions)","Limited cross-referencing—primarily internal references to other sections of this Act","Straightforward conditional logic with clear triggers (e.g., 'if this section is complied with')","No nested exceptions or complex deeming provisions","Single delegation restriction (section 18) and standard regulation-making power (section 19)","Procedural requirements (certification, registration) are linear and clearly sequenced"],"plain_english_summary":"This law establishes how land in the ACT is divided, mapped and officially named/numbered, and how street addresses are allocated and maintained in a digital cadastral database. It sets roles for the Minister and land professionals and governs how subdivisions and deposited plans become legal records. It matters to property owners, buyers, developers, surveyors and government agencies because it gives every parcel a unique, legally recognised identity for transactions, services and emergency response."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The Act has grown beyond a simple statute for dividing and naming land. Original core functions (creating and registering deposited plans, naming districts) remain, but successive amendments have added substantive new functions: a formal power for the Minister to allocate and enforce the display of street addresses (ss 13–16), a mandatory digital cadastral database maintained by the territory planning authority (s 17), and linkages to electronic conveyancing processes (amendments noted in the history). These additions expand the Act from boundary-definition and plan-registration mechanics to include address management, publication duties and active enforcement powers — increasing administrative scope, operational responsibilities and interaction with other statutory systems."},"complexity_factors":["Relatively short Act (19 substantive sections plus dictionary)","Around 8 Act-specific defined terms (allocated address, block, deposited plan, digital cadastral database, district, division, section, unit) plus reliance on definitions in other Acts (Legislation Act 2001, Unit Titles Act 2001)","Cross-references to multiple other statutes (Legislation Act 2001, Land Titles Act 1925, Unit Titles Act 2001, Surveyors Act and Planning Act amendments)","Conditional registration logic requiring surveyor-general certification before the registrar-general may register a deposited plan (s 7(3)–(4))","Ministerial discretions with procedural constraints (guidelines are notifiable instruments; minimum 21-day compliance time for address display) (s 14, s 15)","Enforcement mechanics that convert reasonable enforcement costs into a recoverable debt (s 16)","Interaction with an electronic system (digital cadastral database) that creates operational dependency and data-quality risk (s 17)","Restriction on delegation of Ministerial functions (only to surveyor-general) concentrates decision-making (s 18)","Amendment history linking the Act to electronic conveyancing and planning reforms (adds conditionality and external dependencies)"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does (in plain English)**\n\n- The Act sets out how land in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is divided, named and recorded (sections 5–7). The Minister divides the ACT into districts, and may further divide districts into divisions, sections and blocks, using deposited plans prepared by registered surveyors (s 5–6, s 7).\n\n- Deposited plans that meet the rules must be registered by the registrar-general after the surveyor-general certifies the plan is correct (s 7(3)–(5)). Once registered, a deposited plan is evidence of the boundaries and measurements shown on it (s 8), and referring to a parcel of land by district/division/section/block is a sufficient legal description when dealing with that land (s 9).\n\n- The Minister may allocate official street addresses to blocks or units, must record those addresses in a Ministerial register and in the digital cadastral database, and must make them publicly available (s 13). The Minister can make guidelines about how addresses are allocated (s 14).\n\n- If a property owner is notified of an allocated address but does not display it (or displays a different street address), the Minister may require the owner to display the allocated address (minimum 21 days to comply) (s 15). If the owner does not comply, the Minister may arrange for the address to be displayed (or the incorrect address removed), and the reasonable cost is a debt owed by the owner to the Territory (s 16).\n\n- The territory planning authority must keep an electronic record called the digital cadastral database. That database must include the boundaries and identifying names/numbers for districts, divisions, sections and blocks and must include each allocated street address (s 17). It may also include other land-related information the authority considers appropriate.\n\n- The Minister may only delegate functions under this Act to the surveyor-general (s 18). The Executive can make regulations under the Act (s 19). The Act interacts with other Territory laws (for example, payment of fees under the Land Titles Act and definitions in the Legislation Act and Unit Titles Act).\n\n**Who this affects**\n\n- Landowners in the ACT: their parcels will be described by the deposited-plan system; they may have an allocated street address that they must display on request, and they may be required to pay the reasonable cost if the Territory must enforce that display (s 9, s 15–16).\n\n- Registered surveyors and the surveyor-general: surveyors prepare deposited plans; the surveyor-general must certify plans before registration (s 7). The surveyor-general is the only official to whom the Minister may delegate functions under this Act (s 18).\n\n- The registrar-general and territory planning authority: they register deposited plans, maintain public inspection arrangements (s 7, s 12), and keep and publish the digital cadastral database (s 17).\n\n- The Minister: decides district/division names, allocates addresses, issues guidelines and enforcement notices (s 5, s 13–15).\n\n**Why it matters (mechanics and immediate effects)**\n\n- The Act creates a standard, legally recognised way to describe, record and inspect land boundaries and street addresses in the ACT. That reduces ambiguity in land dealings (s 7–9), supports public access to cadastral information (s 12, s 17) and links addresses formally to land records (s 13, s 17).\n\n- It gives the Territory a tool to enforce standard street-address display (s 15–16), which can affect postal delivery, emergency services locating properties and digital mapping services that rely on authoritative address data.\n\n**Official rationale (as stated or implied by the Act)**\n\n- The Act is framed to provide a reliable, centrally maintained system for defining land parcels and addresses and to support modern cadastral practice (including an electronic database) (s 5–7, s 17).\n\n**Testing that rationale against costs, incentives and trade-offs**\n\n- Who pays: private landowners bear the direct cost when required to display an allocated address and, if they don’t comply, must pay the reasonable cost the Territory incurs to fix the display (s 16). Surveyors (private professionals) supply the technical work to prepare deposited plans; fees for lodging plans and inspection may also apply under the Land Titles Act (s 7 note; s 12 note).\n\n- Who decides and how much discretion: the Minister makes key decisions (creating districts, allocating addresses, issuing guidelines) and may adopt external standards by reference in guidelines (s 5, s 13–14). The Minister’s delegation power is tightly limited: only the surveyor-general may receive delegated functions under this Act (s 18), concentrating administrative discretion in an expert office.\n\n- Compliance burden and enforcement: owners must display allocated addresses once notified, with at least 21 days to comply (s 15(3)–(4)). Non-compliance converts to a recoverable debt for reasonable enforcement costs (s 16). That creates a clear compliance path but imposes a small administrative and potentially financial burden on owners.\n\n- Interaction with private markets and transactions: legally sufficient parcel descriptions tied to deposited plans simplify conveyancing and reduce transaction uncertainty (s 7–9). The Act’s link to a digital cadastral database supports electronic conveyancing and third-party services that rely on authoritative land and address data (s 17). Reliance on the digital cadastral database for some certification (see s 7(4)(a)(ii)) may reduce the need for fresh physical surveys in certain holding-lease contexts, shifting costs or effort between parties.\n\n- Implementation risks and data quality: the system depends on accurate deposited plans and an up-to-date digital cadastral database (s 7, s 17). Errors in the database or certification could create downstream transaction or boundary disputes (s 8). The Act relies on the surveyor-general’s certification to manage that risk (s 7(3)–(4)).\n\n- Opportunity and administrative costs: maintaining, publishing and updating the digital cadastral database and an address register requires ongoing government resources (s 13, s 17). Those are public costs that enable private-sector efficiencies (conveyancers, mapping services) and public services (emergency services, mail delivery).\n\n**Concrete statutory hooks to note**\n\n- Deposited plans must be prepared by a registered surveyor and registered after surveyor-general certification (s 7).\n- Deposited plan entries are evidence of boundaries (s 8) and sufficient for dealings (s 9).\n- Ministerial allocation and record-keeping of street addresses; publication requirements (s 13).\n- Ministerial power to require display and to recover costs if the owner does not comply (s 15–16).\n- Mandatory digital cadastral database maintained by the territory planning authority with specific required content (s 17).\n- Delegation restriction to the surveyor-general (s 18).\n\n(References in parentheses are to sections of the Districts Act 2002.)"},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. 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