{"id":"nsw:act-1905-014","name":"Statistical Maps Act 1905","slug":"statistical-maps-act-1905","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"nsw","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"14 of 1905","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":112037,"registerId":"nsw-act-1905-014-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Name of Act","content":"#### 1 Name of Act\n\n1 Name of Act\n\n> This Act may be cited as the [Statistical Maps Act 1905](/view/html/inforce/current/act-1905-014) and shall come into force two months after the date of its passing.","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"2","sectionType":"section","heading":"Interpretation","content":"#### 2 Interpretation\n\n2 Interpretation\n\n> In this Act Statistician means Government Statistician, and includes the Acting Government Statistician.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Maps may be compiled and issued","content":"#### 3 Maps may be compiled and issued\n\n3 Maps may be compiled and issued\n\n> Maps, by the authority of the Governor, may be compiled and issued for the purpose of public information or otherwise, showing:\n> \n> > (a) the area of land used for the purposes of the following industries, namely, agriculture, pastoral pursuits, timber-getting, and mining respectively,\n> \n> > (b) the nature of such industry,\n> \n> > (c) the yield per acre from such industry:\n> \n> Provided that if the information has been supplied to the Statistician under the provisions of the [Census Act 1901](/view/pdf/asmade/act-1900-65) or has been obtained under any promise of secrecy, the owner of any such land may, at any time after the passing of this Act and before it comes into force, notify, in writing, the Statistician that the owner objects to such information being divulged with reference to the owner’s land.\n> \n> If such notice is so given, no such information regarding that land shall be published.\n> \n> The notice may be served on the Statistician personally or sent by post.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"4","sectionType":"section","heading":"Exemption from penalty for giving necessary information","content":"#### 4 Exemption from penalty for giving necessary information\n\n4 Exemption from penalty for giving necessary information\n\n> Notwithstanding anything contained in the [Census Act 1901](/view/pdf/asmade/act-1900-65), any officer, enumerator, collector, or other person employed under that Act, divulging the contents of any householder’s schedule or any return or information furnished under that Act, necessary to, and for the purposes of such compilation, and not objected to in accordance with the provisions of the last preceding section, shall be exempt from any penalty.","sortOrder":3}],"analysis":{"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Insufficient substantive content was provided to determine whether the Act's scope changed from its original intent. However, the absence of any amendments since 1995 and the unchanged title since 1905 strongly suggest the scope has remained narrow and consistent with its original purpose of governing the creation or use of official statistical maps in NSW."},"complexity_factors":["The actual substantive text of the Act was not provided — only metadata and navigation elements were included, preventing full analysis","The Act's age (1905) means any technical legal language would likely reflect archaic drafting conventions","The narrow subject matter (statistical maps) suggests limited complexity in scope","No amendments appear to have been made since 1995, suggesting a static and simple legal framework","Short title and apparent single-subject focus indicate minimal structural complexity"],"plain_english_summary":"The Statistical Maps Act 1905 (NSW) is an old administrative law governing official maps used to record and display statistical or demographic information. Though technically still in force (current version dated 15 June 1995), it appears dormant and largely irrelevant today.\n\nIt would historically have affected government agencies producing statistical or geographic maps, but now has little practical impact on ordinary people and likely remains on the books due to administrative inertia."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: enabling the compilation of statistical maps showing land use for specific industries while protecting confidential census information. No evidence of scope creep."},"complexity_factors":["Only 4 sections total","Single defined term ('Statistician')","One conditional provision (the opt-out mechanism in section 3)","One cross-reference to the Census Act 1901","Simple structure with no nested exceptions or subsections beyond basic lettered paragraphs"],"plain_english_summary":"This law allows the government to create and publish maps showing how land is being used across Australia—specifically for farming, grazing, timber-cutting, and mining. The maps can show what type of industry is operating on the land and how productive it is (yield per acre).\n\n**Key protections for landowners:**\n- If land information was collected under the Census Act 1901 or obtained with a promise of secrecy, landowners can **opt out** by writing to the Government Statistician before the Act takes effect (two months after passing). Once they object, their information cannot be published.\n- Government workers who share census information to make these maps are protected from penalties, **unless** the landowner has objected.\n\n**Who it affects:** Landowners in agricultural, pastoral, timber, and mining industries; government statisticians; and census workers.\n\n**Why it matters:** It balances public transparency about land use with privacy protections for individual property owners."},"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"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"No change from an earlier text can be determined from the supplied material. The Act authorises the compilation and publication of specified statistical maps, provides an owner objection window for information supplied under the Census Act or under promise of secrecy, and grants an exemption from penalties for census officers who divulge necessary information for that purpose (ss2–4)."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow subject matter: only map compilation and publication, defined industries and yield metrics (s3).","Defined office: 'Statistician' term limited to Government Statistician/Acting Government Statistician (s2), reducing institutional ambiguity.","Timing constraint for owner objection: objections must be given after passage but before commencement, creating a strict window and an implementation risk if notices are missed (s3).","Interplay with the Census Act and promises of secrecy: the Act exempts publication where information was supplied under the Census Act or obtained under a promise of secrecy unless objection is lodged, producing cross‑statute dependence (s3).","Penalty exemption for census personnel when divulging necessary information for the maps, subject to the owner objection carve‑out, creates limited legal interplay between confidentiality rules and enforcement (s4).","Conferred discretion: maps are produced 'by the authority of the Governor' and 'may be compiled and issued', which leaves administrative discretion over whether and when to publish (s3)."],"plain_english_summary":"This Act allows the Government Statistician, with the Governor’s authority, to compile and publish maps showing land used for agriculture, pastoral pursuits, timber-getting and mining, the nature of those industries and yield per acre. Owners who previously supplied information under the Census Act or under a promise of secrecy can lodge a written objection before the Act commences to prevent publication about their land. Officers who disclose necessary information for preparing the maps are exempted from penalty unless an owner has validly objected."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/statistical-maps-act-1905","history":"/api/acts/statistical-maps-act-1905/history","analysis":"/api/acts/statistical-maps-act-1905/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/statistical-maps-act-1905/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/statistical-maps-act-1905/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/statistical-maps-act-1905/documents"}}