{"id":"williamstown-melbourne-harbor-trust-land-act-1963","name":"Williamstown (Melbourne Harbor Trust) Land Act 1963","slug":"williamstown-melbourne-harbor-trust-land-act-1963","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"vic","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":174129,"registerId":"vic-williamstown-melbourne-harbor-trust-land-act-1963-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Williamstown (Melbourne Harbor Trust) Land Act 1963","content":"Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documentsi\nVersion No. 001\nWilliamstown (Melbourne Harbor Trust)\nLand Act 1963\nAct No. 7098/1963\nVersion as at 18 February 2003\nTABLE OF PROVISIONS\nSection Page\n1. Short title 2\n2. Closing of portion of Railway-terrace described in Second\nSchedule 2\n3. Vesting in Melbourne Harbor Trust Commissioners of land\ndescribed in First Schedule 2\n4. Consequential amendment of No. 6312 Second Schedule Part I 3\n__________________\nSCHEDULES 4\nSCHEDULE 1—Crown Land Vested by this Act in the Melbourne\nHarbor Trust Commissioners 4\nSCHEDULE 2—Portion of Road Closed by this Act 5\n═══════════════\nENDNOTES 6\n1. General Information 6\n2. Table of Amendments 7\n3. Explanatory Details 8\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents1\nVersion No. 001\nWilliamstown (Melbourne Harbor Trust)\nLand Act 1963\nAct No. 7098/1963\nVersion as at 18 February 2003\nAn Act to close Portion of a certain Road on Crown Land in the\nCity of Williamstown and to vest the Land comprised therein\nand certain other Crown Land in the Melbourne Harbor Trust\nCommissioners, and for other purposes.\nPreamble\nWHEREAS the land described in the First\nSchedule to this Act is unalienated land of the\nCrown:\nAND WHEREAS part of the said land forms\nportion of a public road in the city of\nWilliamstown known as Railway-terrace which\nportion is no longer required as a road and is\ndescribed in the Second Schedule to this Act:\nAND WHEREAS it is expedient that the said\nportion of the said public road should be closed as\na road and that the whole of the land described in\nthe said First Schedule should be vested in the\nMelbourne Harbor Trust Commissioners upon trust\nfor the purposes of the Melbourne Harbor Trust\nAct 1958:\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\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7098/1963\nWilliamstown (Melbourne Harbor Trust) Land Act 1963\n2\n1. Short title\nThis Act may be cited as the Williamstown\n(Melbourne Harbor Trust) Land Act 1963.\n2. Closing of portion of Railway-terrace described in\nSecond Schedule\nThe portion described in the Second Schedule to\nthis Act of the hereinbefore recited public road in\nthe city of Williamstown known as Railway-\nterrace shall be closed as a road and all rights\neasements and privileges existing or claimed as\nregards the said portion of the said public road or\nthe land forming it either in the public or by any\nperson or body of persons whomsoever or\nwhatsoever as incident to any past dedication or\nsupposed dedication thereof or by any past user\nthereof or by any fiction of law shall cease and\ndetermine.\n3. Vesting in Melbourne Harbor Trust Commissioners\nof land described in First Schedule\n(1) The land described in the First Schedule to this\nAct shall by virtue of this Act be vested in the\nMelbourne Harbor Trust Commissioners upon\ntrust for the purposes of the Melbourne Harbor\nTrust Act 1958.\n(2) The Melbourne Harbor Trust Commissioners shall\nconstruct and maintain and permit the public to\nuse a roadway not less than one hundred and fifty\nlinks wide and of such cross section as the\nGovernor in Council approves within and along\nthe southern and eastern boundaries of any land\nreclaimed from the waters of Port Phillip Bay\nwithin the area described in the said First\nSchedule:\nProvided that if at any time any wharf jetty or\nother structure is constructed on or adjacent to the\nsaid eastern boundary the Governor in Council\ns. 1\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7098/1963\nWilliamstown (Melbourne Harbor Trust) Land Act 1963\n3\nmay be proclamation published in the\nGovernment Gazette declare that the said\nCommissioners may prohibit the public from\nusing such part of the roadway along the said\neastern boundary as he considers necessary for the\nsafety of the wharf jetty or structure or of the\npublic.\n4. Consequential amendment of No. 6312 Second\nSchedule Part I\nIn Part I of the Second Schedule to the\nMelbourne Harbor Trust Act 1958 after\nparagraph (d) there shall be inserted the following\nparagraph—\n\"(e) the land described in the First Schedule to\nthe Williamstown (Melbourne Harbor\nTrust) Land Act 1963.\"\n__________________\ns. 4\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7098/1963\nWilliamstown (Melbourne Harbor Trust) Land Act 1963\n4\nSCHEDULES\nFIRST SCHEDULE\nCROWN LAND VESTED BY THIS ACT IN THE MELBOURNE\nHARBOR TRUST COMMISSIONERS\n168 acres and 29 perches more or less situate partly in the city of\nWilliamstown, parish of Cut-paw-paw, county of Bourke and partly in the\nwaters of Port Phillip Bay:\nCommencing at the north-eastern angle of allotment 7 section 19 Township\nof Williamstown; bounded thence by a line bearing 44º 10' 30\" 37 feet\n8 inches; by the Railway reserve bearing 44º 31' 30\" 920 feet 9½ inches,\n41º 43' 30\" 230 feet 1½ inches and 36º 54' 30\" 249 feet 11½ inches; by part\nof the boundary of the lands described in Part I of the Second Schedule to the\nMelbourne Harbor Trust Act 1958 bearing 174º 53' 30\" 28 feet 6½ inches\nand 77º 15' 14\" 1,095 feet 7¼ inches; by part of the boundary of the land\ndescribed in Part IV of the Second Schedule to the Melbourne Harbor\nTrust Act 1958 bearing 172º 24' 32\" 2,880 feet; by lines bearing 262º 24' 30\"\n2,620 feet, 303º 49' 1,296 feet 1 inch, 27º 33' 338 feet 5½ inches and 336º 58'\n175 feet 2 inches, and thence by allotment 7 section 19 bearing\n66º 58' 436 feet 3 inches and 52º 36' 953 feet 8½ inches to the point of\ncommencement.\n__________________\nPreamble,\nsection 3.\nSch. 1\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7098/1963\nWilliamstown (Melbourne Harbor Trust) Land Act 1963\n5\nSECOND SCHEDULE\nPORTION OF ROAD CLOSED BY THIS ACT\nSuch portion of Railway-terrace as may exist east of a line from the north-\neastern angle of allotment 7 section 19 Township of Williamstown bearing\n44º 10' 30\" 37 feet 8 inches to the southern angle of the Railway reserve.\n═══════════════\nPreamble,\nsection 2.\nSch. 2\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7098/1963\nWilliamstown (Melbourne Harbor Trust) Land Act 1963\n6\nENDNOTES\n1. General Information\nThe Williamstown (Melbourne Harbor Trust) Land Act 1963 was\nassented to on 10 December 1963 and came into operation on 10 December\n1963.\nEndnotes\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7098/1963\nWilliamstown (Melbourne Harbor Trust) Land Act 1963\n7\n2. Table of Amendments\nThere are no amendments made to the Williamstown (Melbourne Harbor\nTrust) Land Act 1963 by Acts and subordinate instruments.\nEndnotes\n\nVictorian Legislation and Parliamentary DocumentsAct No. 7098/1963\nWilliamstown (Melbourne Harbor Trust) Land Act 1963\n8\n3. Explanatory Details\nNo entries at date of publication.\nEndnotes","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation has remained exactly as enacted in 1963. It was always intended as a specific, one-off land transfer for Williamstown harbor development, and has not expanded beyond this original purpose. No amendments have been made."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short statute: only 4 operative sections plus 2 schedules","No defined terms section; all terms are used in their ordinary meaning","Single cross-reference to the Melbourne Harbor Trust Act 1958 (one amendment and one trust purpose reference)","One conditional provision (the 'Provided that' safety exception in section 3(2))","Schedules consist solely of land descriptions using bearings and distances (metes and bounds), which is standard for property legislation but not legally complex in structure","No amendments since enactment (clean legislative history)","Straightforward purposive structure: close road, vest land, amend schedule"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does:**\n\nThis is a very specific, one-off piece of Victorian legislation from 1963 that deals with a land transfer in Williamstown, Melbourne. It does three main things:\n\n*   **Closes a road:** It shuts down a section of \"Railway-terrace\" (a public road) that was no longer needed. This removes all public rights to use that road.\n*   **Transfers Crown land:** It gives (\"vests\") approximately 168 acres of Crown land (government-owned land) to the Melbourne Harbor Trust Commissioners. This land includes the closed road plus other waterfront areas in Port Phillip Bay.\n*   **Sets conditions:** The Harbor Trust must build and maintain a public roadway at least 150 links wide (about 30 metres) along the southern and eastern boundaries of any land they reclaim from the bay. However, if they build a wharf or jetty on the eastern side, the government can ban public access to parts of that road for safety reasons.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n\n*   **Melbourne Harbor Trust Commissioners:** They gain ownership of the land but must maintain public access roads.\n*   **The public:** They lose the use of the closed section of Railway-terrace, but gain a new roadway along the waterfront (with potential restrictions near wharves).\n*   **Future developers:** Anyone building on this land must comply with the road maintenance and safety provisions.\n\n**Why it matters:**\n\nThis is a classic example of \"railway and harbour legislation\" common in Australian states during the 20th century. It facilitated industrial waterfront development by transferring public land to a statutory authority while trying to balance public access rights. The Act remains relevant for property lawyers dealing with historical land titles in Williamstown and for understanding the legal basis of current waterfront infrastructure."},"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":"The Act operates as described in its preamble: it closes the specified road portion, vests the listed Crown land in the Melbourne Harbor Trust Commissioners, and inserts that land into the Melbourne Harbor Trust Act 1958 schedule. Endnotes state there have been no amendments to this Act, so its scope has not changed since enactment."},"complexity_factors":["Short, focused statutory scheme limited to land transfer and road closure (preamble; ss 2–4).","Technical metes-and-bounds descriptions in Schedules 1 and 2 (precise bearings and distances).","Extinguishment of rights, easements and privileges over the closed road (s 2) — legal effect on private rights.","Vesting of land in the Melbourne Harbor Trust Commissioners on trust for purposes of the Melbourne Harbor Trust Act 1958 (s 3(1)).","Operational requirement for the Trust to construct and maintain a public roadway 150 links wide along reclaimed land (s 3(2)) — creates implementation cost for the Trust.","Executive discretion for the Governor in Council to prohibit public use by proclamation near wharves (s 3(2) proviso).","Consequential amendment to the Melbourne Harbor Trust Act 1958 Second Schedule (s 4) — statutory cross-reference/interplay.","Use of an archaic unit of length ('links') in the construction requirement (s 3(2))."],"plain_english_summary":"This Act closes a named portion of Railway-terrace in Williamstown and vests the Crown land described in Schedule 1 in the Melbourne Harbor Trust Commissioners for the purposes of the Melbourne Harbor Trust Act 1958. It extinguishes existing rights and easements over the closed road (s 2), requires the Trust to construct and maintain a public roadway at least 150 links wide along reclaimed land (s 3(2)) — funded and operated by the Trust — and allows the Governor in Council to prohibit public use near wharves by proclamation (s 3(2) proviso)."},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Based on available information, there is no indication the scope changed from its original intent. Acts of this type — dealing with a specific land parcel and a named statutory authority — are typically narrow and purpose-built, with little scope for mission creep. The Act appears to have remained in its 'as made' form without significant amendment."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow and highly specific subject matter — a single land transaction or land status determination","Historical context requires knowledge of the Melbourne Harbor Trust's legislative framework","Limited text provided makes it impossible to assess any detailed provisions, schedules, or conditions","Potential interaction with other Victorian land, harbour, or crown land legislation of the era","Determining current relevance requires tracing subsequent amendments or related instruments"],"plain_english_summary":"The Williamstown (Melbourne Harbor Trust) Land Act 1963 is a Victorian law that dealt with specific Williamstown land formerly managed by the Melbourne Harbor Trust, authorising its transfer, sale, lease or change of use. It primarily affected the Trust and parties with interests in that land; today it is mostly a historical administrative instrument that may still define legal ownership."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/williamstown-melbourne-harbor-trust-land-act-1963","history":"/api/acts/williamstown-melbourne-harbor-trust-land-act-1963/history","analysis":"/api/acts/williamstown-melbourne-harbor-trust-land-act-1963/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/williamstown-melbourne-harbor-trust-land-act-1963/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/williamstown-melbourne-harbor-trust-land-act-1963/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/williamstown-melbourne-harbor-trust-land-act-1963/documents"}}