{"id":"melbourne-flinders-street-land-act-1958","name":"Melbourne (Flinders-street) Land Act 1958","slug":"melbourne-flinders-street-land-act-1958","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"vic","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":175178,"registerId":"vic-melbourne-flinders-street-land-act-1958-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Melbourne (Flinders-street) Land Act 1958","content":"i\nVersion No. 002\nMelbourne (Flinders-street) Land Act 1958\nAct No. 6178/1958\nVersion incorporating amendments as at 29 June 2005\nTABLE OF PROVISIONS\nSection Page\n1. Short title 2\n2, 3. Repealed 2\n4. Use of spaces under Flinders-street Viaduct 2\n5. Nothing to affect provisions of Act No. 821 2\n═══════════════\nENDNOTES 3\n1. General Information 3\n2. Table of Amendments 4\n3. Explanatory Details 5\n\n1\nVersion No. 002\nMelbourne (Flinders-street) Land Act 1958\nAct No. 6178/1958\nVersion incorporating amendments as at 29 June 2005\nAn Act to provide that certain Land vested in the City of\nMelbourne shall be reserved as a Site for Municipal Purposes.\nPreamble\nWHEREAS the land described in paragraphs I, II\nand III of the Second Schedule to The Railway\nMelbourne Lands Exchange Act 1888 by force\nof the said Act was vested in the Mayor Aldermen\nCouncillors and Citizens of the City of Melbourne\n(hereinafter called the City of Melbourne) for the\npurposes of a general market but not otherwise:\nAND WHEREAS the City of Melbourne is to\nestablish a market on other land at West\nMelbourne in pursuance of the West Melbourne\nMarket Land Act 1956:\nAND WHEREAS part of the land described in\nparagraphs I, II and III of the said Schedule is\npursuant to section seven of the King-street\nBridge Act 1957 to be divested out of the City of\nMelbourne and become unalienated land of the\nCrown:\nAND WHEREAS it is expedient that the land\ndescribed in paragraphs I, II and III of the said\nSchedule not so divested out should be reserved as\na site for municipal purposes:\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):\n\nAct No. 6178/1958\nMelbourne (Flinders-street) Land Act 1958\n2\n1. Short title\nThis Act may be cited as the Melbourne\n(Flinders-street) Land Act 1958.\n* * * * *\n4. Use of spaces under Flinders-street Viaduct\nThe Lord Mayor Councillors and Citizens of the\nCity of Melbourne shall be entitled to the use of\nthe spaces under the Flinders-street Viaduct\nRailway.\n5. Nothing to affect provisions of Act No. 821\nNothing in this Act shall affect the provisions of\nThe Railway Construction Act 1884 or any\nRailway Loan Application Act in so far as they\napply to the Flinders-street Viaduct Railway.\n═══════════════\ns. 1\nSs 2, 3\nrepealed by\nNo. 31/2003\ns. 5\n\nAct No. 6178/1958\nMelbourne (Flinders-street) Land Act 1958\n3\nENDNOTES\n1. General Information\nThe Melbourne (Flinders-street) Land Act 1958 was assented to on\n15 April 1958 and came into operation on 15 April 1958.\nEndnotes\n\nAct No. 6178/1958\nMelbourne (Flinders-street) Land Act 1958\n4\n2. Table of Amendments\nThis Version incorporates amendments made to the Melbourne (Flinders-\nstreet) Land Act 1958 by Acts and subordinate instruments.\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\nMelbourne (Flinders Street Land) Act 2003, No. 31/2003\nAssent Date: 27.5.03\nCommencement Date: S. 5 on 29.6.05: Special Gazette (No. 120) 28.6.05 p. 1\nCurrent State: This information relates only to the provision/s\namending the Melbourne (Flinders-street) Land Act\n1958\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\nEndnotes\n\nAct No. 6178/1958\nMelbourne (Flinders-street) Land Act 1958\n5\n3. Explanatory Details\nNo entries at date of publication.\nEndnotes","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"Amendments made by the Melbourne (Flinders Street Land) Act 2003 repealed sections 2 and 3, narrowing the statute's text; the Act still reserves certain lands for municipal purposes and grants the City use of spaces under the Flinders‑street Viaduct (s4), while preserving application of railway statutes to the viaduct (s5). The preamble’s note of partial divestment to the Crown (per King‑street Bridge Act 1957) indicates the municipal footprint contemplated by the Act is smaller than the original 1888 vesting."},"complexity_factors":["Very short statute with only a few operative clauses (ss 1, 4, 5) and a preamble.","Cross‑references to older statutes (Railway Melbourne Lands Exchange Act 1888; King‑street Bridge Act 1957; Railway Construction Act 1884) requiring look‑ups to fully trace land title and rights.","Amendment history: sections 2 and 3 were repealed by a 2003 Act (affects interpretation of historical scope).","Limited detail on administration, maintenance, cost allocation or procedural steps creates interpretive ambiguity for implementation (e.g. who bears upkeep or licensing costs for use of viaduct spaces).","Interaction between Crown divestment (preamble) and municipal reservation may require property‑law analysis to identify affected parcels."],"plain_english_summary":"This Act reserves certain land that had been vested in the City of Melbourne as a site for municipal purposes and expressly gives the City — through the Lord Mayor, Councillors and Citizens — the right to use the spaces beneath the Flinders‑street Viaduct Railway (s4). It preserves the operation of existing rail legislation in relation to the viaduct (s5). The preamble records that part of the original land was to be divested to the Crown, which affects which parcels remain under municipal control."},"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":"Based on available information, the Act appears to retain its original narrow purpose relating to a specific Flinders Street land parcel. There is no indication of amendments that broadened or significantly altered its original intent."},"complexity_factors":["Highly specific and narrow in scope — deals with a single land parcel","Typical of mid-century single-purpose Victorian land Acts, which tend to be brief and straightforward","Insufficient legislative text was provided to identify complex provisions, definitions, or interactions with other laws","Likely contains minimal operative provisions beyond authorising a specific transaction or use"],"plain_english_summary":"The Melbourne (Flinders Street) Land Act 1958 is a narrow Victorian law concerning a specific parcel of Crown land in the Flinders Street area of Melbourne’s CBD. It most likely authorises or records the use, transfer or reservation of that government-owned land.\n\nIt mainly affects government agencies, statutory bodies and any developers or businesses with interests in that site. Its practical significance is largely historical, having fulfilled a mid‑20th century land-management purpose."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: converting the use of specific Flinders Street land from market-only to general municipal purposes, and securing viaduct access. The 2003 amendment merely repealed obsolete sections (2 and 3) without expanding scope."},"complexity_factors":["Only 3 operative sections remain (sections 2 and 3 were repealed in 2003)","Zero defined terms in the interpretation section (no interpretation section exists)","No cross-references to other legislation beyond simple name-checks of three related Acts","No conditional logic, exceptions, or regulatory machinery","Extremely narrow scope: applies to one specific parcel of land and one specific local government body","Total length is approximately 2 pages of substantive content"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does:**\n\nThis short Act changes the purpose of a specific parcel of land in Melbourne's CBD. Originally, this land (near Flinders Street) was given to the City of Melbourne in 1888 **only** to be used as a general market. By 1958, the Council wanted to move its market operations to West Melbourne instead. This Act allows that change by:\n\n- **Reserving the land for general \"municipal purposes\"** — meaning the City of Melbourne can now use it for any council-related function (parks, offices, public facilities, etc.), not just a market.\n- **Giving the Council rights to use the spaces underneath the Flinders Street railway viaduct** — the area beneath the train tracks.\n- **Protecting existing railway laws** — ensuring this change doesn't interfere with the railway operations above or around the land.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- The **City of Melbourne** (the Council), which gains flexibility in how it uses this valuable CBD land.\n- **Victorian Railways** and the Crown, whose existing rights and infrastructure are protected.\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThis is a classic example of \"housekeeping\" legislation that unlocks urban planning flexibility. Without this Act, the Council would be legally stuck using prime real estate only as a market, even after building a new market elsewhere. It also formalised access to the space under the viaduct — now familiar to Melburnians as the home of bars, restaurants, and cultural venues along the Yarra River."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/melbourne-flinders-street-land-act-1958","history":"/api/acts/melbourne-flinders-street-land-act-1958/history","analysis":"/api/acts/melbourne-flinders-street-land-act-1958/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/melbourne-flinders-street-land-act-1958/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/melbourne-flinders-street-land-act-1958/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/melbourne-flinders-street-land-act-1958/documents"}}