{"id":"lake-corangamite-act-1966","name":"Lake Corangamite Act 1966","slug":"lake-corangamite-act-1966","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"vic","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":176290,"registerId":"vic-lake-corangamite-act-1966-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Lake Corangamite Act 1966","content":"Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documentsi\nVersion No. 001\nLake Corangamite Act 1966\nAct No. 7381/1966\nVersion incorporating amendments as at 7 August 2000\nTABLE OF PROVISIONS\nSection Page\n1. Short title 1\n2. Definition 1\n3. Power to owners to surrender certain land to the Crown 2\n4. Compensation payable by Crown 3\n5. Power to Commission to operate pipe connexion between Lakes\nGnarpurt and Corangamite 6\n6. Power to issue and apply $500 000 out of the Loan Fund 6\n7. Repealed 6\n8. Non-application of subdivision 6\n═══════════════\nENDNOTES 7\n1. General Information 7\n2. Table of Amendments 8\n3. Explanatory Details 9\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents1\nVersion No. 001\nLake Corangamite Act 1966\nAct No. 7381/1966\nVersion incorporating amendments as at 7 August 2000\nAn Act relating to the Surrender to the Crown of Certain Lands\ninundated by or adjacent to Lakes Corangamite, Gnarpurt or\nMurdeduke and for other purposes.\nPreamble\nWHEREAS certain lands alienated by the Crown\nin the vicinity of Lakes Corangamite Gnarpurt and\nMurdeduke have been inundated:\nAND WHEREAS it is just and expedient to\nauthorize the payment of certain compensation to\nowners who desire to surrender those lands to the\nCrown:\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\nThis Act may be cited as the Lake Corangamite\nAct 1966.\n2. Definition\nIn this Act unless the context or subject-matter\notherwise requires—\n\"reduced level\" means in relation to the surface\nof any land, the height of such surface above\na datum 453·54 feet lower than Geodetic\nBench Mark No. 14 established by the\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7381/1966\nLake Corangamite Act 1966\n2\nSurveyor-General under the provisions of the\nSurvey Co-ordination Act 1958 on the\nmain road between Ballarat and Colac near\nthe Irrewarra station.\n3. Power to owners to surrender certain land to the\nCrown\n(1) The owner of any land to which this Act applies\nmay at any time within two years of the\ncommencement of this Act elect in writing to\nsurrender such land to the Crown.\n(2) An owner who elects to surrender any such land to\nthe Crown pursuant to the provisions of this Act\nshall be entitled to be paid compensation in\naccordance with the provisions of this Act on the\ndelivery of a proper instrument of surrender.\n(3) This Act applies to any land—\n(a) which is adjacent to or inundated by Lake\nCorangamite and is at or below the reduced\nlevel of three hundred and eighty-eight feet;\n(b) which is adjacent to or inundated by Lake\nGnarpurt and is at or below the reduced level\nof three hundred and eighty-nine feet;\n(c) which is adjacent to or inundated by Lake\nMurdeduke and is at or below the reduced\nlevel of two hundred and eighty-three feet;\nand\n(d) which is adjacent to any land referred to in\nparagraphs (a) (b) or (c) and which has been\neroded by wave action—\nbut does not include any such land which has been\nacquired by the owner for a full consideration in\nmoney or money's worth since the 1st day of\nJanuary, 1954.\ns. 3\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7381/1966\nLake Corangamite Act 1966\n3\n(4) Where an owner elects to surrender any land to\nwhich this Act applies and the owner owns other\nland from which he will by that surrender lose all\nright of access by land he may elect to surrender\nthat other land and thereupon the land so elected\nto be surrendered shall for all purposes be deemed\nto be land to which this Act applies.\n(5) Where an owner elects to surrender any land to\nwhich this Act applies the Crown may require the\nowner to surrender any land within one chain\nfrom the boundary of any of the land which he has\nelected to surrender which is required to enable\nconvenient boundaries to be established between\nthe land retained by the owner and the land\nsurrendered to the Crown and thereupon any land\nso required to be surrendered shall for all purposes\nbe deemed to be land to which this Act applies.\n4. Compensation payable by Crown\n(1) The compensation payable to any person who\nsurrenders land to the Crown pursuant to this Act\nshall be equal to such percentage of the average\nvalue of undeveloped land surrounding and\nadjacent to the relevant lake which is not subject\nto flooding as is specified in the appropriate\nfollowing table:\nTABLE A\nLand Inundated by or Adjacent to Lake Corangamite\nwhich is— Percentage of the Value of\nAt or above reduced\nLevel of— Below reduced Level of—\nUndeveloped Land which is\nnot Subject to Flooding\nFeet Feet %\n0 380 0\n380 381 5\n381 382 14\n382 383 23\n383 384 32\n384 385 41\ns. 4\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7381/1966\nLake Corangamite Act 1966\n4\nLand Inundated by or Adjacent to Lake Corangamite\nwhich is— Percentage of the Value of\nAt or above reduced\nLevel of— Below reduced Level of— Undeveloped Land which is\nnot Subject to Flooding\nFeet Feet %\n385 386 50\n386 387 59\n387 388 68\n388 389 77\n389 390 86\n390 391 95\n391 . . 100\nTABLE B\nLand Inundated by or Adjacent to Lake Gnarpurt\nwhich is— Percentage of the Value of\nAt or above reduced\nLevel of— Below reduced Level of— Undeveloped Land which is\nnot Subject to Flooding\nFeet Feet %\n0 383 0\n383 384 5\n384 385 14\n385 386 23\n386 387 32\n387 388 41\n388 389 50\n389 390 59\n390 391 68\n391 392 77\n392 393 86\n393 394 95\n394 . . 100\ns. 4\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7381/1966\nLake Corangamite Act 1966\n5\nTABLE C\nLand Inundated by or Adjacent to Lake Murdeduke\nwhich is— Percentage of the Value of\nAt or above reduced\nLevel of— Below reduced Level of— Undeveloped Land which is\nnot Subject to Flooding\nFeet Feet %\n0 278 0\n278 279 5\n279 280 14\n280 281 23\n281 282 32\n282 283 41\n283 284 50\n284 285 59\n285 286 68\n286 287 77\n287 288 86\n288 289 95\n289 . . 100\n(2) The percentage of value of undeveloped land\napplicable to any particular area or areas of land\nshall be determined—\n(a) as nearly as may be on the basis of existing\nor readily available survey information; or\n(b) where because of the irregular or broken\nnature of the surface of any area the relevant\nreduced levels cannot be determined with\nreasonable accuracy from available survey\ninformation, by agreement with the owner\nhaving regard to the approximate level of the\narea in question.\n(3) Where the compensation payable in accordance\nwith the foregoing provisions in respect of the\nwhole of the lands surrendered by any one owner\nis less than an average of $50 per acre for the\nwhole of that land the compensation payable shall\nnevertheless be calculated and payable on the\nbasis of $50 per acre for that land.\ns. 4\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7381/1966\nLake Corangamite Act 1966\n6\n5. Power to Commission to operate pipe connexion\nbetween Lakes Gnarpurt and Corangamite\nThe State Rivers and Water Supply Commission\nmay after the surface of Lake Corangamite next\nrecedes to a reduced level of 385 feet open and it\nor any Authority within the meaning of the Water\nAct 1989 may thereafter keep open the pipe\nconnexion constructed by it between Lake\nGnarpurt and Lake Corangamite and the Crown or\nany Authority within the meaning of the Water\nAct 1989 shall not be liable for damage to any\nland that results from the operation of that pipe\nconnexion.\n6. Power to issue and apply $500 000 out of the Loan\nFund\nThere may be issued and applied out of the Loan\nFund such amount not exceeding $500 000 as is\nrequired for the purposes of this Act.\n* * * * *\n8. Non-application of subdivision\nSubdivision (3) of Division 9 of Part XIX of the\nLocal Government Act 1958 does not apply in\nrelation to an election to surrender or to the\nsurrender of any land pursuant to this Act.\n═══════════════\nS. 5\namended by\nNo. 49/1994\ns. 9(6)(a)(b).\ns. 5\nS. 7\nrepealed by\nNo. 9861\ns. 3(1)(Sch. 2).\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7381/1966\nLake Corangamite Act 1966\n7\nENDNOTES\n1. General Information\nThe Lake Corangamite Act 1966 was assented to on 27 April 1966 and\ncame into operation on 27 April 1966.\nEndnotes\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7381/1966\nLake Corangamite Act 1966\n8\n2. Table of Amendments\nThis Version incorporates amendments made to the Lake Corangamite Act\n1966 by Acts and subordinate instruments.\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\nPublic Account (Trust Funds) Act 1982, No. 9861/1982\nAssent Date: 5.1.83\nCommencement Date: Sch. 2 on 1.7.82: s. 3(2); rest of Act on 12.1.83:\nGovernment Gazette 12.1.83 p. 81\nCurrent State: All of Act in operation\nWater (Further Amendment) Act 1994, No. 49/1994\nAssent Date: 7.6.94\nCommencement Date: S. 9(6) on 1.7.94: s. 2(4)\nCurrent State: This information relates only to the provision/s\namending the Lake Corangamite Act 1966\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\nEndnotes\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7381/1966\nLake Corangamite Act 1966\n9\n3. Explanatory Details\nNo entries at date of publication.\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"},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Insufficient text was provided to assess whether the scope of the Act changed from its original intent. The Act appears to have remained largely as made, based on the version history showing a single consolidated version still in force."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely limited legislative text was provided — only metadata and version history, making full analysis impossible","The Act appears to be a single-subject, geographically specific piece of legislation, which typically carries low inherent complexity","As a 1966 Act, it may use older drafting conventions that can occasionally be harder to interpret","No amendments or cross-references were visible in the provided text to assess interaction with other laws"],"plain_english_summary":"The Lake Corangamite Act 1966 is a Victoria-specific law establishing legal arrangements for Lake Corangamite and its surrounds. Although the full text wasn't available, it governs matters affecting the lake (e.g., land use, water access or management) and remains in force in its consolidated form.\n\nIt matters to landowners, farmers, businesses and anyone with interests near Lake Corangamite, who may face specific obligations or restrictions beyond general environmental or water laws."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The text of the version supplied records later changes: section 5 was amended (Water (Further Amendment) Act 1994) and section 7 was repealed (Public Account (Trust Funds) Act 1982), as noted in the endnotes. The amendment to s.5 (as reflected in the current text) broadens which authorities may operate the pipe connexion and confirms the Crown’s non‑liability when the pipe is operated; the repeal removed an original provision identified as s.7. These recorded amendments therefore altered operational and liability elements and removed at least one original clause from the Act."},"complexity_factors":["Compensation is determined by graduated percentage tables keyed to precise ‘reduced level’ heights for three different lakes (multiple tiers and near‑continuous bands).","‘Reduced level’ is defined relative to a specific geodetic datum, requiring survey data to apply the tables accurately.","Owner election window and procedural triggers: surrender must be elected in writing within two years and requires delivery of a proper instrument of surrender.","Exceptions and special rules: exclusions for land purchased since 1 Jan 1954; a minimum compensation floor where aggregate amounts fall below $50/acre.","Crown discretion to require surrender of adjacent land within one chain to create convenient boundaries, creating transfer and access consequences for owners.","Survey uncertainty mechanism: where levels are irregular, compensation percentages may be agreed with the owner, adding negotiation.","Operational and liability rule for infrastructure: empowered authority may operate a pipe connexion once the lake recedes to a specified level and Crown liability for resulting damage is negated.","Funding constraint: power to issue up to $500,000 from the Loan Fund limits available Crown expenditure under the Act.","Statutory interactions and removals: a local government subdivision is explicitly non‑applicable; later amendments and a repeal are recorded in endnotes, affecting application."],"plain_english_summary":"This Act lets owners of land inundated by, adjacent to, or eroded by wave action from Lakes Corangamite, Gnarpurt or Murdeduke elect (within two years) to surrender that land to the Crown in return for statutory compensation calculated as a percentage of nearby undeveloped land values. The Crown meets compensation (with a Loan Fund cap) and may require small adjoining strips to be surrendered to form convenient boundaries.\n\nThe State Rivers and Water Supply Commission (or a water authority) may open and keep a pipe link between Lakes Gnarpurt and Corangamite once Corangamite falls to a specified level, and the Crown is not liable for damage caused by operating that pipe. Land bought since 1 January 1954 is excluded."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: compensating landowners for surrendering flooded land around three specific lakes and managing the pipe connection between two of them. The amendments made (repeal of section 7 regarding trust funds, and updating the water authority references in section 5) are technical housekeeping changes that do not expand the substantive scope beyond the original 1966 intent."},"complexity_factors":["Only 1 defined term ('reduced level') in the interpretation section","Straightforward conditional logic: land must meet specific elevation criteria AND adjacency to specific lakes","Simple mathematical tables for compensation calculation (3 tables, 12-13 rows each)","Single cross-reference to the Water Act 1989 (as amended) and Local Government Act 1958","No nested exceptions—only one exclusion (land acquired after 1954 for full consideration)","Short length (8 operative sections, one repealed)","Clear spatial boundaries defined by specific reduced levels for each lake"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does:**\n\nThis is a Victorian law from 1966 that lets landowners give up (\"surrender\") flooded or flood-prone farmland around three specific lakes—Corangamite, Gnarpurt, and Murdeduke—to the Victorian Government (\"the Crown\"). In return, the government pays them compensation based on how badly the land is flooded.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n\n- **Landowners** with property adjacent to or underwater from these three lakes, specifically land below certain height levels (measured in \"reduced level\" feet above a benchmark near Irrewarra station).\n- **The State Rivers and Water Supply Commission** (now part of water authorities), which gets permission to operate a pipe between Lakes Gnarpurt and Corangamite when water levels drop.\n\n**Key details:**\n\n- **Time limit:** Landowners had **two years** from when the Act started (1966) to elect to surrender their land.\n- **Compensation formula:** Payment is calculated as a percentage of the value of dry, undeveloped land nearby. The deeper the flooding, the higher the percentage—from 0% for land above certain levels up to 100% for the most submerged land. There's also a **minimum floor** of $50 per acre (even if the formula gives a lower amount).\n- **Extra land:** If surrendering land cuts off access to other owned land, that other land can be surrendered too. The government can also require surrender of narrow strips (up to one chain, or about 20 metres) to tidy up boundaries.\n- **Exclusion:** Land bought after 1 January 1954 for full market price doesn't qualify—this stops speculators buying flooded land just to claim compensation.\n- **Funding:** Up to $500,000 could be borrowed from the Loan Fund to pay for this scheme.\n- **Water pipe:** The Commission can open and maintain a pipe connecting Lakes Gnarpurt and Corangamite when Lake Corangamite drops to a certain level, without liability for resulting damage.\n\n**Why it matters:**\n\nThis was a **one-off historical scheme** to deal with persistent flooding problems in Western Victoria. Rather than forcing landowners to keep worthless flooded property, the government offered a structured buy-back. The pipe connection provision was likely about managing water levels between the lakes. The Act is now largely historical—most eligible landowners would have long since made their elections or missed the two-year window."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/lake-corangamite-act-1966","history":"/api/acts/lake-corangamite-act-1966/history","analysis":"/api/acts/lake-corangamite-act-1966/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/lake-corangamite-act-1966/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/lake-corangamite-act-1966/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/lake-corangamite-act-1966/documents"}}