{"id":"tas:act-1964-008","name":"Government House Land Act 1964","slug":"government-house-land-act-1964","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"tas","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"8 of 1964","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":110384,"registerId":"tas-act-1964-008-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Short title","content":"### 1 Short title\n\n> This Act may be cited as the [Government House Land Act 1964](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1964-008) .","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"2","sectionType":"section","heading":"Dedication of Government House land","content":"### 2 Dedication of Government House land\n\n> The piece of land that is described in [Schedule 1](#JS1@EN) is by force of this section –\n> \n> > > (a) dedicated for the purpose of being used as a site for the residence of the Governor and for purposes incidental thereto; and\n> > \n> > > (ab) [*\\[Section 2 Amended by No. 14 of 2017, s. 4, Applied:13 Jun 2017\\]*](/view/html/inforce/2017-06-13/act-2017-014#GS4@EN) dedicated for the purpose of being used, including by leasing out of part of the land or the use under licence, or by other authority, of part of the land, to raise revenue to be applied for the maintenance and preservation of the site and the residence; and\n> > \n> > > (b) reserved for all time for those purposes –\n> \n> and shall not be used for any other purpose.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"SCHEDULE 1 - City of Hobart","sectionType":"part","heading":"SCHEDULE 1 - City of Hobart","content":"# SCHEDULE 1 - City of Hobart SCHEDULE 1 - City of Hobart\n\n[Section 2](#GS2@EN)\n\n[*\\[Schedule 1 Amended by No. 58 of 2002, Sched. 4, Applied:05 Mar 2003\\]*](/view/html/inforce/2003-03-05/act-2002-058#JS4@Ja1@GC1@EN)\n\n| 37 A. 8P. |\n| Government House Grounds. |\n| Commencing at a point distant 16 feet 4½ inches south-easterly from State permanent mark Number 11 on the Lower Domain Road and bounded on the south-west and north-west by 796 feet 10 inches north-westerly and north-easterly in several bearings along that road again on the south-west and on the west by 760 feet 6¾ inches north-westerly and northerly in several bearings again along that road on the north-east and again on the north-west by 245 feet 1¾ inches south-easterly and north-easterly in several bearings along land vested in the Botanical Gardens Board within the meaning of the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens Act 2002 again on the north-east by 144 feet 9¼ inches south-easterly in two bearings again along that land on the south-east by 82 feet 1½ inches south-westerly in two bearings again along that land again on the north-east by 123 feet 5 inches south-easterly again along that land again on the north-west and again on the north-east by 278 feet 8 inches north-easterly and south-easterly in several bearings again along that land again on the south-west by 39 feet 11¼ inches north-westerly again along that land again on the north-west by 49 feet 11¾ inches north-easterly again along that land again on the south-west by 175 feet 11¼ inches north-westerly again along that land again on the north-west by 254 feet 7½ inches north-easterly again along that land again on the north-east by 10 inches south-easterly again along that land again on the north-west by 675 feet 11¼ inches north-easterly again along that land again on the south-west and on the south by 764 feet ¼ inch north-westerly and westerly in several bearings again along that land to the Northern Outlet Road on the north again on the north-east and again on the south-east by 3 041 feet 11¼ inches easterly south-easterly and south-westerly in several bearings along the Northern Outlet Road aforesaid and along the Tasman Highway and thence again on the south-west by 171 feet 1½ inches north-westerly along part of the Queens Domain (occupied by Police Department) to the point of commencement, being the area of land shown on Plan Number 965 filed and registered in the office of the Surveyor-General and Secretary for Lands at Hobart and delineated on the plan set forth in Schedule 2 and therein bounded by heavy black lines. |","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"SCHEDULE 2 - City of Hobart","sectionType":"part","heading":"SCHEDULE 2 - City of Hobart","content":"# SCHEDULE 2 - City of Hobart SCHEDULE 2 - City of Hobart\n\n[![graphic image](/image/SG0198.gif)](/image/SG0198.gif)","sortOrder":3}],"analysis":{"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"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":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose of dedicating and protecting the Government House site. The 2017 amendment expanded the permitted uses to include revenue-raising activities, but this was ancillary to the core purpose of maintaining the site rather than a fundamental shift in scope."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short statute — only 2 operative sections plus schedules","No defined terms section; only one technical term ('permanent mark') used in context","Single straightforward purpose with minimal conditional language","Schedule 1 contains archaic land surveying language (feet, inches, compass bearings) but this is standard for property descriptions rather than legal complexity","Only one amendment of substance (2017) adding a revenue-raising purpose","No cross-references to other Acts except incidental mention of Botanical Gardens Act for boundary description"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does:**\n\nThis Act protects the land where Tasmania's Government House sits — the official residence of the State Governor.\n\n**Key points:**\n\n* **Dedicates the land** — Section 2 formally sets aside a specific parcel of land in Hobart (described in painstaking detail in Schedule 1) for two purposes:\n    * As the Governor's official residence and related uses; and\n    * To generate revenue (through leases or licences) to pay for upkeep and preservation of the property.\n\n* **Protects it forever** — The land is \"reserved for all time\" and cannot be used for anything else. This prevents the land from being sold off or repurposed for other government projects.\n\n* **Defines the boundaries precisely** — Schedule 1 provides a metes-and-bounds description (a technical survey using distances and compass directions) of exactly where the property lines run, referencing roads, permanent survey marks, and neighbouring land.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n\nPrimarily the Tasmanian Government and the Office of the Governor. It also affects anyone who might lease part of the land (the 2017 amendment explicitly allows commercial arrangements to fund maintenance).\n\n**Why it matters:**\n\nThis is a \"statutory lock\" on an important heritage and constitutional site. It ensures that Government House remains available for its ceremonial and residential purpose in perpetuity, while allowing practical flexibility to keep the building maintained through revenue-raising activities."},"summary":{"complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Act appears to have remained true to its original intent since 1964 — to designate and protect the Government House land for its official purpose. Amendments have been minor (likely administrative or definitional updates) with no evidence of scope creep or broadened application."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely narrow and specific subject matter — a single parcel of land","Long-standing legislation with minimal amendments since 1964","No complex regulatory framework, penalties, or administrative machinery","Affects virtually no private parties directly","Straightforward Crown land reservation concept with no competing legal regimes"],"plain_english_summary":"The Act legally reserves and protects the specific parcel of Tasmanian Crown land occupied by Government House, locking it in for use as the Governor’s official residence.  \n\nIt affects the Governor, the Tasmanian Government and the public as owner-stakeholders by ensuring the land can’t be repurposed or disposed of without further Parliamentary action, making the designation durable and largely symbolic rather than affecting everyday life."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The Act’s scope was broadened by the 2017 amendment (No. 14 of 2017, s.4, applied 13 Jun 2017): section 2(ab) now expressly permits leasing, licensing or use by other authority of part of the dedicated land to raise revenue for maintenance and preservation. Before that amendment the text confined the dedication to use as the Governor’s residence and incidental purposes only."},"complexity_factors":["Statutory dedication and absolute reservation of land “for all time” (s.2) produces a clear but inflexible legal constraint on use.","2017 amendment added an express power to lease/license or permit other authority to raise revenue for maintenance (s.2(ab)), creating a new revenue‑use rule and administrative decision point.","Schedule 1 uses precise metes-and-bounds and references Plan Number 965 filed with the Surveyor‑General, requiring cadastral verification to apply the statute on the ground.","The Act specifies the purpose for revenue application (maintenance and preservation) but does not set procedural rules, decision criteria, or identify the decision‑maker for leasing/licensing (s.2(ab)), leaving operational discretion to other instruments or authorities.","References in the boundary description to land vested in the Botanical Gardens Board tie the dedication to adjacent statutory interests (Schedule 1), introducing potential overlap with other statutes."],"plain_english_summary":"This Act dedicates the land described in Schedule 1 as the site for the Governor’s residence and reserves it “for all time” to that purpose, prohibiting other uses. A 2017 amendment (s.2(ab)) allows part of the land to be leased, licensed or otherwise used to raise revenue that must be applied to maintenance and preservation. The boundary is fixed by a Surveyor‑General plan (Schedule 1/Plan No. 965)."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/government-house-land-act-1964","history":"/api/acts/government-house-land-act-1964/history","analysis":"/api/acts/government-house-land-act-1964/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/government-house-land-act-1964/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/government-house-land-act-1964/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/government-house-land-act-1964/documents"}}