Version incorporating amendments as at
6 August 2025
table of provisions
Section Page
1 Short title and commencement 1
2 Repeal and savings 1
3 Definitions 2
Part I—Survey co-ordination generally 6
4 Maintenance of Central Plan Office 6
5 Notice of intention to commence new surveys 6
6 Surveyor-General to require connexion of proposed surveys with existing surveys etc. 7
7 Quarterly returns by departments and public authorities of plans and surveys 8
8 Establishment of Central Plan Register and registration etc. of plans 9
9 Provisions with respect to Office of Titles plans 11
10 Inspection of registered plans 11
11 Provision of copy of registered plan 12
12 Surveys for establishment of standard traverses in certain areas and proclamation of survey areas 12
13 Surveyor-General to advise as to avoidance of duplication of surveys etc. 15
14 Power to Surveyor-General to carry out surveys 16
15 Adoption and maintenance of permanent marks 16
16 Penalty for destruction etc. of permanent marks 19
17 Notice of establishment etc. of permanent mark 19
18 Surveyors to report irregularities in position of permanent marks etc. 20
19 Costs of surveys etc. 20
20 Annual report of Surveyor-General upon administration of Act 21
21 Exemption of plans surveys etc. from operation of this Act 21
21A Land information systems to use AMG co-ordinates 22
21B Certified copies of certain maps and documents to be prima facie evidence 23
22 Regulations 24
Schedule 28
Endnotes 29
1 General information 29
2 Table of Amendments 31
3 Explanatory details 35
Version No.074
Survey Co-ordination Act 1958
No. 6388 of 1958
Version incorporating amendments as at
6 August 2025
An Act to consolidate the Law with respect to the Co-ordination of Surveys in Victoria and the Facilitation of Co-operation with the Commonwealth of Australia in relation to a National Mapping Scheme.
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly of Victoria in this present Parliament assembled and by the authority of the same as follows (that is to say):
S. 1 amended by Nos 7360 s. 2, 41/1987 s. 103(Sch. 4 item 63.1).
1 Short title and commencement
This Act may be cited as the Survey Co‑ordination Act 1958, and shall come into operation on a day to be fixed by proclamation of the Governor in Council published in the Government Gazette.
2 Repeal and savings
(1) The Act mentioned in the Schedule to the extent thereby expressed to be repealed is hereby repealed accordingly.
(2) Except as in this Act expressly or by necessary implication provided—
(a) all persons things and circumstances appointed or created by or under the repealed Act or existing or continuing under that Act immediately before the commencement of this Act shall under and subject to this Act continue to have the same status operation and effect as they respectively would have had if that Act had not been so repealed;
(b) in particular and without affecting the generality of the foregoing paragraph such repeal shall not disturb the continuity of status operation or effect of any proclamation regulation order appointment record survey list notice certificate requirement plan register consent notification index authority requisition report application exemption liability or right made effected issued granted given presented passed fixed accrued incurred or acquired or existing or continuing by or under the repealed Act before the commencement of this Act.
3 Definitions
In this Act unless inconsistent with the context or subject-matter—
S. 3 def. of Australian Geodetic Datum inserted by No. 56/1987 s. 4, amended by No. 7/1998 s. 24(a).
Australian Geodetic Datum means the 1966 adjustment of first order triangulation of Australia or any subsequent adjustment approved by the Surveyor-General based on the position of Johnson Geodetic Station which is determined as being:
Geodetic Latitude 25° 56' 54"⋅5515 South
Geodetic Longitude 133° 12' 30"⋅0771 East
Spheroidal Height 571⋅2 metres;
S. 3 def. of Australian Map Grid inserted by No. 56/1987 s. 4, amended by No. 7/1998 s. 24(b).
Australian Map Grid means the system of rectangular co-ordinates derived from a Transverse Mercator projection of latitudes and longitudes on the Australian Geodetic Datum and defined in the Australian Map Grid Technical Manual Special Publication 10, published by the National Mapping Council of Australia in 1986 or any later definition approved by the Minister and published in the Government Gazette;
S. 3 def. of Common-wealth survey authority amended by No. 6505 s. 2.
Commonwealth survey authority means the Commonwealth Government department or branch of the Defence Forces for the time being engaged upon surveys for the triangulation and mapping of Australia;
Commonwealth survey officer means any person duly authorized in writing by the officer in charge of the Commonwealth survey authority;
department means any Government department under the direct control of a Minister of the Crown;
S. 3 def. of licensed surveyor amended by Nos 9180 s. 2(1), 47/2004 s. 71(Sch. item 5.1(a)).
licensed surveyor means a licensed surveyor under the Surveying Act 2004;
S. 3 def. of municipality repealed by No. 12/1989 s. 4(1)(Sch. 2 item 117.1) (as amended by No. 13/1990 s. 38(2)(y)).
plan includes every plan map aerial photograph or description made or obtained as part of a survey or surveys;
prescribed means prescribed by this Act or by regulations under this Act;
S. 3 def. of proper officer amended by Nos 46/1998 s. 7(Sch. 1), 108/2004 s. 117(1) (Sch. 3 item 196.1).
proper officer means—
(a) in relation to a department—the department head within the meaning of the Public Administration Act 2004 thereof; and
(b) in relation to a public authority—an officer or employee of such authority nominated by such authority for the purposes of this Act;
S. 3 def. of public authority amended by No. 12/1989 s. 4(1)(Sch. 2 item 117.2).
public authority means any board commission trust or other body corporate or unincorporate (including a municipal council but not including a company incorporated for private profit) established or constituted by or under any Act for any public purpose, whether in respect of the whole of Victoria or of any particular area or areas thereof, and which is authorized or required by such Act to make surveys or the nature of whose functions requires that surveys be made by such authority or that plans of survey be lodged therewith;
registered plan means a plan of which a record has been entered in the Central Plan Register pursuant to this Act;
survey means the act or process of determining the form contour position area height depth or any other similar particulars with respect to any part of the earth's surface whether land or water or of any natural or artificial features on below or above any part of such surface or the length and direction of the bounding lines of any part of such surface or of any such natural or artificial features and includes the making or obtaining of a plan or plans thereof;
surveyor includes—
(a) any licensed surveyor; and
(b) any person who carries out or superintends any survey on behalf of any department or public authority;
S. 3 def. of Surveyor-General amended by Nos 9549 s. 2(1)(Sch. item 224), 10087 s. 3(1)(Sch. 1 item 248), 41/1987 s. 103(Sch. 4 item 63.2), repealed by No. 46/1998 s. 7(Sch. 1).
S. 3 def. of Surveyors Board amended by No. 9180 s. 2(1), substituted as def. of Surveyors Registration Board by No. 47/2004 s. 71(Sch. item 5.1(b)).
Surveyors Registration Board means the Surveyors Registration Board of Victoria established under the Surveying Act 2004.
Pt 1 (Heading) inserted by No. 7360 s. 3.
Part I—Survey co-ordination generally
No. 4732 s. 3.
S. 4 amended by Nos 10087 s. 3(1)(Sch. 1 item 248), 41/1987 s. 103(Sch. 4 item 63.4), 46/1998 s. 7(Sch. 1), 108/2004 s. 117(1) (Sch. 3 item 196.2), 51/2016 s. 33, 25/2025 s. 106(Sch. 1 item 43).
4 Maintenance of Central Plan Office
There shall be maintained in the Department of Transport and Planning a Central Plan Office.
No. 4732 s. 5.
5 Notice of intention to commence new surveys
No survey shall after the commencement of this Act be commenced by or on behalf of any department or public authority unless a notice in the prescribed form of intention to commence such survey has been delivered or forwarded to and received by the Surveyor-General at least five days before such survey is commenced:
Provided that where the urgency of the survey does not allow of five days' notice as aforesaid notice of intention to commence or (as the case may require) of having commenced such survey shall be given as early as is practicable in the circumstances and shall be accompanied by a certificate of the proper officer of the department or authority concerned setting out the reasons for such later notice.
No. 4732 s. 6.
6 Surveyor-General to require connexion of proposed surveys with existing surveys etc.
(1) Without limiting the generality of the provisions of this Act relating to surveys in or contiguous to proclaimed survey areas the Surveyor-General may by writing addressed to the proper officer of any department or public authority require in relation to any survey being carried out or proposed to be carried out by or on behalf of such department or authority—
(a) that such survey shall be connected to an existing local or general survey or based upon a specified datum as to levels or otherwise;
(b) that the surveyor carrying out such survey shall cause permanent marks of a prescribed kind to be established within or adjacent to the area surveyed as the Surveyor-General directs and also that such survey shall be connected with any permanent mark or marks already established;
(c) that the original or a true copy of any plan made or obtained as part of such survey showing the date of the survey and certified by the surveyor who carries out the survey together with a separate sketch plan certified by such surveyor showing the position of any permanent marks established and the connexion (if any) of such survey with any local or general survey or with any permanent mark or marks already established shall be forwarded to the Surveyor-General immediately after the completion of such plans.
(2) The proper officer of such department or public authority shall cause the survey to be carried out and plans prepared and forwarded in accordance with any such requisition of the Surveyor-General and any plans so forwarded shall be lodged in the Central Plan Office.
S. 6(3) amended by Nos 9180 s. 2(1), 47/2004 s. 71(Sch. item 5.2).
(3) Every survey commenced by or on behalf of any department or public authority after the commencement of this Act (whether the subject of a requisition by the Surveyor-General under the foregoing provisions of this section or not) shall, unless required to be carried out in accordance with the Surveying Act 2004 or the regulations under that Act, be carried out in accordance with the standards of measurement and accuracy prescribed by regulations under this Act relating to surveys of the appropriate kind.
No. 4732 s. 7.
7 Quarterly returns by departments and public authorities of plans and surveys
The proper officer of every department or public authority shall in each year within fourteen days after the last day of March June September and December respectively—
(a) cause to be compiled lists setting out the prescribed particulars with respect to—
(i) every plan prepared by or on behalf of such department or authority or lodged therewith during the period of three months ending on such last day; and
(ii) every survey carried out by or on behalf of such authority during such period of which a plan has not been made; and
(b) cause copies of such lists certified by him to be correct and complete to be forwarded to the Surveyor-General.
No. 4732 s. 8.
8 Establishment of Central Plan Register and registration etc. of plans
(1) The Surveyor-General after due enquiry shall cause to be entered in a register in the Central Plan Office which shall be called the Central Plan Register and which shall be in the prescribed form and contain the prescribed classifications and particulars a record of such of the plans—
(a) set out on any list forwarded to him under the foregoing provisions of this Act; or
(b) forwarded to him under the foregoing provisions of this Act—
as appear to him to be of general value for the purpose of this Act and shall cause to be marked or stamped upon every such plan (whether in the Central Plan Office or not) such particulars of its registration and classification as are prescribed.
(2) Where it appears to the Surveyor-General that any registered plan in the possession of any department or public authority is of such general value for the purposes of this Act that it ought to be lodged in the Central Plan Office, then—
(a) in the case of any plan in the possession of a department—with the consent of the Minister of the department concerned; and
(b) in the case of any plan in the possession of a public authority—with the consent of the chairman or president of such authority—
such plan may notwithstanding anything in any Act be lodged and kept in the Central Plan Office.
(3) No registered plan which remains in the possession of any department or public authority shall be destroyed or except in pursuance of this Act removed out of the possession of such department or authority without the consent in writing of the Surveyor-General.
(4) Any alteration to any registered plan which remains in the possession of any department or public authority shall within fourteen days of such alteration be notified in writing by the proper officer of such department or authority to the Surveyor-General and (where a copy of such registered plan has been provided to the Surveyor-General) a plan showing the details of such alteration shall be forwarded to the Surveyor-General with such notification.
(5) For the purpose of the registration and classification of plans pursuant to this Act, every person duly authorized by the Surveyor-General shall at all reasonable times have free access to all plans set out on any list forwarded to the Surveyor-General under the foregoing provisions of this Act which are in the possession of any department or public authority.
(6) The Surveyor-General shall cause to be published in the prescribed manner and form—
(a) in the month of July in every year in which the Minister so directs—an index of all plans recorded in the Central Plan Register as at the thirtieth day of June then last past; and
(b) in the month of July in every year in which an index as aforesaid is not published—a supplementary index of all plans so recorded since the last publication of the index or supplementary index (as the case may be) up to the thirtieth day of June then last past.
(7) A copy of such portion of each such index or supplementary index as is required shall be made available by the Surveyor-General—
(a) without charge, to the Commonwealth survey authority and to every department and public authority; and
(b) upon payment of the prescribed fee, to any person.
No. 4732 s. 9.
S. 9(1) amended by Nos 9549 s. 2(1)(Sch. item 225), 46/1998 s. 7(Sch. 1), 108/2004 s. 117(1) (Sch. 3 item 196.3).
9 Provisions with respect to Office of Titles plans
(1) There is to be employed under Part 3 of the Public Administration Act 2004 a person in the Office of Titles (hereinafter called the Titles Office Survey Officer) who shall (so far as relates to the carrying out of this Act) be responsible to the Surveyor-General and whose duty it shall be to assist in the co-ordination of lodged plans and other plans in the Office of Titles with registered plans in the Central Plan Office and to provide to the Central Plan Office such information with respect to such lodged plans or other plans as may be necessary or expedient for the purposes of this Act.
(2) Every person duly authorized in writing by the Surveyor-General whether generally or in any particular case and every Commonwealth survey officer shall at all reasonable times be entitled to inspect any lodged plans or other plans in the Office of Titles.
No. 4732 s. 10.
10 Inspection of registered plans
(1) Every surveyor every Commonwealth survey officer and every person duly authorized in writing by the Surveyor-General shall at all reasonable times be entitled to inspect any registered plan in the Central Plan Office, and the Surveyor-General when so required shall give the authority necessary for the inspection by any such surveyor of any registered plan which is not in the Central Plan Office.
(2) Every person duly authorized in writing by the Surveyor-General whether generally or in any particular case and every Commonwealth survey officer shall at all reasonable times be entitled to inspect any registered plan in the possession of any department or public authority.
No. 4732 s. 11.
11 Provision of copy of registered plan
Every department or public authority shall, when so required by the Surveyor-General by writing addressed to the proper officer thereof, provide an accurate copy of any registered plan in its possession—
(a) to the Surveyor-General or to any Commonwealth survey officer; or
(b) to any other department or public authority or to any licensed surveyor—
(i) at such charge as is provided by or under any other Act for the sale of such copy; or
(ii) (where there is no such provision) at a charge which shall not exceed the cost of preparation of such copy plus Ten per centum of such cost.
No. 4732 s. 12.
12 Surveys for establishment of standard traverses in certain areas and proclamation of survey areas
S. 12(1) amended by Nos 56/1987 s. 5(a)–(d), 47/2004 s. 71(Sch. item 5.3).
(1) The Surveyor-General, after consultation with the Surveyors Registration Board and with representatives of such departments as may be concerned and of such public authorities as he thinks proper, may cause to be carried out in an area such survey or surveys as he considers necessary for establishing a standard traverse for such area for the convenient connexion of local or general surveys with the Australian Map Grid, and may cause to be established on or adjacent to the standard traverse so established such permanent marks of any prescribed kind as he considers proper.
(2) Upon a report of the Surveyor-General in writing to the effect—
(a) that the foregoing provisions of this section have been carried out to his satisfaction with respect to any area within Victoria and a standard traverse established for such area; or
(b) that there are in existence in any area within Victoria sufficient permanent marks for the establishment of a local traverse for such area—
the Governor in Council by proclamation published in the Government Gazette may proclaim such area to be a "proclaimed survey area" for the purposes of this Act.
(3) After the publication of any such proclamation every survey for any purpose under any Act of any area which is wholly or partly within or contiguous to the proclaimed survey area to which the proclamation relates whether carried out by or on behalf of any department or public authority or by any surveyor privately employed shall be connected to the standard traverse or local traverse (as the case may be) for such proclaimed survey area either—
(a) directly; or
(b) where the Surveyor-General or some person duly authorized in writing in that behalf by the Surveyor-General so authorizes in writing—indirectly by way of connexion with an existing survey or permanent mark already connected or proposed to be connected to such standard or local traverse—
and no plan of any such survey shall be lodged with or accepted or otherwise used by any department or public authority or be of any validity whatever for any purpose under any Act unless it shows such connexion as aforesaid certified by the surveyor who carries out the survey or is accompanied by a sketch plan showing such connexion so certified.
(4) It shall be the duty of the Surveyor-General when so requested to advise the surveyor of any department or public authority or any licensed surveyor as to how proposed surveys of any such area as aforesaid may be connected with the standard or local traverse and to authorize any such indirect connexion as aforesaid as appears to him to be more convenient or economical than a direct connexion with such traverse, and any survey carried out or plan prepared in accordance with any such written authority of the Surveyor-General shall, where such authority is attached to the plan, be deemed for all purposes a sufficient compliance with the requirements of this section.
S. 12(5) amended by No. 9019 s. 2(1)(Sch. item 219).
(5) A record of the plan or plans of every standard or local traverse established pursuant to this section shall be entered in the Central Plan Register and a copy of every plan of a standard traverse certified by the surveyor who carried out the survey and by the Surveyor-General shall be forwarded by the Surveyor-General to the Commonwealth survey authority immediately upon the completion thereof.
No. 4732 s. 13.
13 Surveyor-General to advise as to avoidance of duplication of surveys etc.
(1) It shall be the duty of the Surveyor-General—
(a) to advise the proper officer of any department or public authority or any licensed surveyor of all registered plans and of all proposed surveys which may render unnecessary or limit the scope of any survey proposed to be carried out by or on behalf of such department or authority or by such licensed surveyor; and
(b) to take all such steps as may be expedient for avoiding unnecessary duplication of surveys, including—
(i) the carrying out for or on behalf of and with the consent of any two or more departments or public authorities of any survey which may be required by such departments or authorities; or
(ii) the arranging for the carrying out with the consent of the departments and public authorities concerned of any such survey by any one such department or authority—
upon such terms as to payment of the costs of such survey as are agreed upon by such departments or authorities and the Surveyor-General or, in default of such agreement, as are fixed by Order of the Governor in Council.
(2) Notwithstanding anything in any other Act or enactment and without affecting the generality of any of the provisions of this Act, every department and public authority is hereby authorized—
(a) to carry out all such surveys and to do all such acts and things as are directed or authorized by or under this Act in all respects as if such surveys acts or things were part of the ordinary functions of such department or authority; and
(b) generally to co-operate with the Surveyor-General and with the Commonwealth survey authority for the co-ordination of surveys in Victoria, the avoidance of unnecessary duplication of surveys and the facilitation of the Commonwealth national mapping scheme.
No. 4732 s. 14.
14 Power to Surveyor-General to carry out surveys
The Surveyor-General may at any time cause to be carried out any survey which he considers necessary or expedient for the purposes of this Act and may establish upon the area surveyed such permanent marks of any prescribed kind as he considers necessary and a record of the plan of every such survey shall be entered in the Central Plan Register.
No. 4732 s. 15.
15 Adoption and maintenance of permanent marks
(1) The Surveyor-General may adopt any particular reference marks or other survey marks or any class of reference marks or other survey marks established by any department or public authority whether before or after the commencement of this Act to be permanent marks for the purposes of this Act by publication of a notice in the Government Gazette specifying the marks or class of marks so adopted.
(2) Any permanent mark required or authorized to be established under this Act whether by the Surveyor-General or by any department or public authority may be so established—
(a) upon any Crown land;
(b) upon any land vested in or under the care and management of any department or public authority or any committee of management or body of trustees for any public purpose;
(c) (after consultation with the engineer or surveyor of the municipality concerned) upon any public street road lane or thoroughfare; or
(d) (with the consent of the owner or occupier thereof) upon any privately owned land—
and every person duly authorized by the Surveyor-General or by the proper officer of the department or public authority concerned shall at all reasonable times have access to such land street road lane or thoroughfare for the purpose of the establishment inspection and maintenance of any permanent mark or the connexion of any survey with any permanent mark.
S. 15(3) amended by No. 31/1994 s. 3(Sch. 1 item 55.1).
(3) All permanent marks established by the Surveyor-General under this Act, whether to mark the standard traverse for any survey area proposed to be proclaimed pursuant to this Act or otherwise, shall be established out of moneys provided by Parliament, and shall be maintained in good order and condition—
(a) if upon any land (other than a public street road lane or thoroughfare) vested in or under the care and management of any department or public authority or of any committee of management or body of trustees for any public purpose—by the department authority committee or body concerned out of such moneys as are available for the care and management of such land;
(b) if upon any public street road lane or thoroughfare the maintenance whereof is charged upon any department or public authority—by such department or authority out of such moneys as are available for the maintenance of such street road lane or thoroughfare; or
S. 15(3)(c) amended by No. 12/1989 s. 4(1)(Sch. 2 item 117.3).
(c) in any other case—by the municipal council within the municipal district of which such marks are established out of the municipal or town fund of the municipality[1].
(4) All permanent marks established by any department or public authority upon a requisition of the Surveyor-General under section six of this Act in relation to any survey carried out by or on behalf of such department or authority shall be established out of such moneys as are available to the department or authority concerned for the purposes of such survey and all permanent marks so established and all permanent marks adopted under the foregoing provisions of this section, shall be maintained in good order and condition out of such moneys as are available for the maintenance of the works or undertakings of the department or authority concerned:
S. 15(4) Proviso amended by Nos 9019 s. 2(1)(Sch. item 220), 10087 s. 3(1)(Sch. 1 item 249), 41/1987 s. 103(Sch. 4 item 63.5).
Provided that where the Minister is satisfied, upon the application of the proper officer of any department or public authority, that the maintenance of any such mark or marks causes undue expense or inconvenience to such department or authority, he may by writing exempt such department or authority from such maintenance, and thereafter such maintenance shall be carried out by the Surveyor-General or by such other department or public authority or by such committee of management or body of trustees as the Governor in Council by Order directs.
No. 4732 s. 16.
S. 16 amended by Nos 9549 s. 2(1)(Sch. item 226), 10/2004 s. 15(Sch. 1 item 31).
16 Penalty for destruction etc. of permanent marks
Any person who destroys removes mutilates or defaces or directly or indirectly causes any alteration in the position of any permanent mark established or adopted pursuant to this Act shall be liable to a penalty of not less than 0⋅1 penalty unit and not more than 1 penalty unit and upon a conviction for any such offence the court may in addition to any penalty imposed order the payment of a reasonable amount of damages (including any expense incurred in replacing or re‑establishing such mark) to the department public authority committee of management or body of trustees charged under this Act with the maintenance of such permanent mark:
Provided that the removal or alteration of any permanent mark for the purpose of any building reconstruction or other work in accordance with such provisions as to notice supervision re-establishment and report to the Surveyor-General as are prescribed by regulations under this Act shall not be deemed an offence against this section.
No. 4732 s. 17.
17 Notice of establishment etc. of permanent mark
(1) The Surveyor-General shall, where necessary, give notice in writing of the establishment removal or alteration of any permanent mark to the department, public authority, committee of management or body of trustees (as the case requires) charged under this Act with the maintenance of such permanent mark.
(2) The Surveyor-General shall give notice in writing to the Titles Office Survey Officer of the establishment removal or alteration of any permanent mark in any case where he considers that such establishment removal or alteration is likely to affect any lodged plan or other plan in the Office of Titles.
No. 4732 s. 18.
18 Surveyors to report irregularities in position of permanent marks etc.
(1) Any surveyor who discovers any apparent irregularity in the position of any permanent mark or that any such permanent mark has been destroyed or removed or is in disrepair or that any measurements made by him differ from those shown upon any registered plan shall furnish a report in writing thereon to the Surveyor-General.
S. 18(2) amended by No. 74/2000 s. 3(Sch. 1 item 123).
(2) Any officer or employee of any department or public authority (other than a surveyor) who discovers that any permanent mark has been destroyed or removed or is in disrepair shall report the same to the proper officer of such department or authority who shall thereupon notify the same in writing to the Surveyor-General.
No. 4732 s. 19.
19 Costs of surveys etc.
S. 19(1) amended by No. 31/1994 s. 3(Sch. 1 item 55.2).
(1) The costs of any survey authorized to be carried out by the Surveyor-General under this Act shall be met out of moneys provided by Parliament.
(2) The additional costs occasioned to any department or public authority in relation to any survey by reason of the operation of this Act or any requisition of the Surveyor-General thereunder shall be deemed to be part of the costs of such survey and shall be met out of such moneys as are available to such department or public authority for such survey.
No. 4732 s. 20.
S. 20 amended by Nos 9019 s. 2(1)(Sch. item 220), 10087 s. 3(1)(Sch. 1 item 249), 41/1987 s. 103(Sch. 4 item 63.6).
20 Annual report of Surveyor-General upon administration of Act
The Surveyor-General shall furnish to the Minister before the thirty-first day of July in each year a report upon the progress of surveys within Victoria under the Commonwealth national mapping scheme and upon the co-ordination of surveys under this Act with such surveys under the Commonwealth scheme and generally upon the administration of this Act during the period of twelve months ended on the thirtieth day of June then last past, and a copy of such report shall be laid before each House of Parliament.
No. 4732 s. 21.
21 Exemption of plans surveys etc. from operation of this Act
(1) Upon the application of the proper officer of any department or public authority or any licensed surveyor privately employed, the Surveyor-General may by writing exempt from all or any of the provisions of this Act relating to surveys or plans (either permanently or for any specified period and subject to such conditions as the Surveyor-General thinks fit) any particular survey being carried out or proposed to be carried out by such department authority or surveyor or any particular plan of survey in the possession of or to be prepared by such department authority or surveyor or any class of such surveys or plans if he is of opinion that compliance with such provisions or any such provision (as the case may be) in respect of such survey or plan or class of surveys or plans would entail the disclosure of any information which would adversely affect the public or such department or authority or would cause undue expense or inconvenience to such department or authority or the person by whom such surveyor is employed.
S. 21(2) amended by Nos 9019 s. 2(1)(Sch. item 220), 10087 s. 3(1)(Sch. 1 item 249), 41/1987 s. 103(Sch. 4 item 63.7).
(2) The Minister of the department concerned or the chairman or president of the public authority concerned or any such licensed surveyor as aforesaid may require that any decision of the Surveyor-General upon any such application as aforesaid be referred by the Minister to the Governor in Council who may by Order exercise all or any of the powers of exemption hereinbefore provided, and the decision of the Governor in Council on any such matters shall be final.
S. 21(3) amended by Nos 9019 s. 2(1)(Sch. item 220), 10087 s. 3(1)(Sch. 1 item 249), 41/1987 s. 103(Sch. 4 item 63.7).
(3) The Minister of the department concerned or the chairman or president of the public authority concerned may require that any requisition of the Surveyor-General made pursuant to this Act be referred by the Minister to the Governor in Council who may by Order cancel or confirm (either with or without modification) such requisition, and the decision of the Governor in Council shall be final.
S. 21A inserted by No. 56/1987 s. 6.
21A Land information systems to use AMG co-ordinates
Every land information system using land related data prepared by or on behalf of any department or public authority shall use co-ordinates of the Australian Map Grid or co-ordinates that are capable of mathematical conversion to the Australian Map Grid and the co-ordinates shall be to the prescribed standards.
S. 21B inserted by No. 69/2009 s. 54(Sch. Pt 1 item 54).
21B Certified copies of certain maps and documents to be prima facie evidence
(1) All maps, plans, documents or papers certified in accordance with subsection (2) to be copies of original maps, plans, documents or papers in custody as provided in subsection (2)—
(a) are admissible in evidence in any court or before any person acting judicially; and
(b) are prima facie evidence for the same purposes and to the same extent as their originals if they had been produced; and
(c) if certified in accordance with subsection (2) to have been made from an actual survey, are presumed prima facie to have been made by a competent surveyor—
and all courts and persons acting judicially must take judicial notice of certification as provided in subsection (2).
(2) Maps, plans, documents and papers are certified for the purposes of this section if they—
(a) were certified before the commencement of the Public Lands and Works Act 1964 under the seal of the Board of Land and Works to be copies of original maps, plans, documents or papers in the custody of the Board of Land and Works; or
(b) were certified on or after the commencement of the Public Lands and Works Act 1964 and before 1 September 1983 under the hand of the Minister of Lands to be copies of original maps, plans, documents or papers in the custody of the Department of Crown Lands and Survey; or
(c) were certified on or after 1 September 1983 and before 2 November 1983 under the hand of the Minister for Conservation, Forests and Lands to be copies of original maps, plans, documents or papers in the custody of the Department of Crown Lands and Survey; or
(d) were certified on or after 2 November 1983 and before 21 March 1985 under the hand of the Minister for Conservation, Forests and Lands to be copies of original maps, plans, documents or papers in the custody of the Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands; or
(e) were certified on or after 21 March 1985 under the hand of the Minister for the time being administering this Act or by the Surveyor-General to be copies of original maps, plans, documents or papers in the custody of a Department administered by that Minister.
No. 4732 s. 22.
22 Regulations
(1) The Governor in Council may make regulations for or with respect to—
(a) prescribing the particulars of plans to be set down upon lists forwarded to the Surveyor-General under this Act;
(b) prescribing the form of and the particulars to be contained in notices of intention to commence surveys or of having commenced surveys;
(c) prescribing the form of the Central Plan Register and the classifications and particulars of registered plans to be recorded therein and the particulars of such classifications and registrations to be marked upon registered plans;
S. 22(1)(ca) inserted by No. 47/2004 s. 73.
(ca) prescribing fees for the maintenance of the survey control network to be paid on the lodgment of certified plans of subdivision at the Office of Titles under section 5(3) of the Subdivision Act 1988;
S. 22(1)(d) amended by No. 56/1987 s. 7(1).
(d) prescribing the kinds and the specifications of each kind of permanent marks and survey marks to be established under this Act;
S. 22(1)(e) amended by No. 56/1987 s. 7(1).
(e) regulating the establishment of permanent marks and survey marks under this Act;
(f) prescribing the conditions as to notice supervision re-establishment and report to the Surveyor-General under which permanent marks may be altered or removed for the purpose of any building reconstruction or other work;
S. 22(1)(g) amended by Nos 9180 s. 2(1), 47/2004 s. 71(Sch. item 5.4).
(g) prescribing standards of measurement and of accuracy to be adopted by surveyors for the purposes of any survey not required to be carried out in accordance with the Surveying Act 2004 or the regulations under that Act, and the connexion of any survey to any existing local or general survey or standard traverse or permanent mark pursuant to this Act;
(h) prescribing conventional signs to be used on plans required to be prepared and forwarded to the Surveyor-General under this Act;
(i) empowering the Surveyor-General to call for the production of the field notes of any survey a plan of which is registered or forwarded or set out on any list forwarded to the Surveyor-General under this Act; and
(j) generally, prescribing any matter or thing authorized or required to be prescribed by this Act or necessary or expedient to be prescribed for the purposes of this Act.
S. 22(2) repealed by No. 6886 s. 3, new s. 22(2) inserted by No. 56/1987 s. 7(2).
(2) The regulations may apply, adopt or incorporate, with or without modification, any matter contained in any document including any code, standard, rule, specification, method or system issued, prescribed or published at the time the regulations are made or at any earlier time.
S. 22(3) inserted by No. 56/1987 s. 7(2), repealed by No. 7/1998 s. 22.
Pt 2 (Heading and ss 23–33) inserted by No. 7360 s. 4, amended by Nos 8107 ss 2–7, 8353 s. 19, 9019 s. 2(1)(Sch. items 221, 222), 9425 s. 15, 9549 s. 2(1)(Sch. items 225, 227, 228), 9921 s. 255 (Sch. 12), 10087 s. 3(1) (Sch. 1 item 250), 41/1987 s. 103(Sch. 4 items 63.8, 63.9), 56/1987 ss 8(1), 9, 44/1988 s. 60(5), 12/1989 s. 4(1)(Sch. 2 items 117.5–117.8), 44/1989 s. 41(Sch. 2 item 41), 130/1993 s. 122(Sch. 4 item 13) (as amended by No. 53/1994 s. 23(3)(d)), 49/1994 s. 9(5), 53/1994 s. 34(Sch. 1 item 8), 110/1994 s. 41(Sch. 1 item 9), 56/1995 s. 68(Sch. 1 item 3), 104/1997 s. 55, 46/1998 s. 7(Sch. 1), repealed by No. 7/1998 s. 20[2].
S. 2.
Schedule
Number of Act
Title of Act
Extent of Repeal
4732
Survey Co-ordination Act 1940
The Whole
Endnotes
1 General information
See www.legislation.vic.gov.au for Victorian Bills, Acts and current Versions of legislation and up-to-date legislative information.
The Survey Co-ordination Act 1958 was assented to on 30 September 1958 and came into operation on 1 April 1959: Government Gazette 18 March 1959 page 893.
INTERPRETATION OF LEGISLATION ACT 1984 (ILA)
Style changes
Section 54A of the ILA authorises the making of the style changes set out in Schedule 1 to that Act.
References to ILA s. 39B
Sidenotes which cite ILA s. 39B refer to section 39B of the ILA which provides that where an undivided section or clause of a Schedule is amended by the insertion of one or more subsections or subclauses, the original section or clause becomes subsection or subclause (1) and is amended by the insertion of the expression "(1)" at the beginning of the original section or clause.
Interpretation
As from 1 January 2001, amendments to section 36 of the ILA have the following effects:
• Headings
All headings included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Act. Any heading inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Act. This includes headings to Parts, Divisions or Subdivisions in a Schedule; sections; clauses; items; tables; columns; examples; diagrams; notes or forms. See section 36(1A)(2A).
• Examples, diagrams or notes
All examples, diagrams or notes included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Act. Any examples, diagrams or notes inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, form part of that Act. See section 36(3A).
• Punctuation
All punctuation included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 forms part of that Act. Any punctuation inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Act. See section 36(3B).
• Provision numbers
All provision numbers included in an Act form part of that Act, whether inserted in the Act before, on or after 1 January 2001. Provision numbers include section numbers, subsection numbers, paragraphs and subparagraphs. See section 36(3C).
• Location of "legislative items"
A "legislative item" is a penalty, an example or a note. As from 13 October 2004, a legislative item relating to a provision of an Act is taken to be at the foot of that provision even if it is preceded or followed by another legislative item that relates to that provision. For example, if a penalty at the foot of a provision is followed by a note, both of these legislative items will be regarded as being at the foot of that provision. See section 36B.
• Other material
Any explanatory memorandum, table of provisions, endnotes, index and other material printed after the Endnotes does not form part of an Act.
See section 36(3)(3D)(3E).
2 Table of Amendments
This publication incorporates amendments made to the Survey Co‑ordination Act 1958 by Acts and subordinate instruments.
Town and Country Planning (Amalgamation) Act 1980, No. 9425/1980
Assent Date:
20.5.80
Commencement Date:
Pts 1, 2 on 30.6.80: Government Gazette 25.6.80 p. 2123; Pts 3–5 on 2.2.81: Government Gazette 30.1.81 p. 311
Current State:
All of Act in operation
Statute Law Revision Act 1981, No. 9549/1981
Assent Date:
19.5.81
Commencement Date:
19.5.81: s. 2(2)
Current State:
All of Act in operation
Transport Act 1983, No. 9921/1983
Assent Date:
23.6.83
Commencement Date:
S. 255(Sch. 12) on 1.7.83: s. 1(2)(c)
Current State:
This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Survey Co-ordination Act 1958
Statute Law Revision Act 1984, No. 10087/1984
Assent Date:
22.5.84
Commencement Date:
22.5.84: s. 3(2)
Current State:
All of Act in operation
Conservation, Forests and Lands Act 1987, No. 41/1987
Assent Date:
19.5.87
Commencement Date:
S. 103(Sch. 4 items 63.1–63.9) on 1.7.87: Government Gazette 24.6.87 p. 1694
Current State:
This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Survey Co-ordination Act 1958
Rural Finance Act 1988, No. 44/1988
Assent Date:
24.5.88
Commencement Date:
1.7.88: Government Gazette 29.6.88 p. 1896
Current State:
All of Act in operation
Local Government (Consequential Provisions) Act 1989, No. 12/1989 (as amended by Act Nos 13/1990 and 43/1993)
Assent Date:
9.5.89
Commencement Date:
S. 4(1)(Sch. 2 items 117.1–117.3, 117.5–117.8) on 1.11.89: Government Gazette 1.11.89 p. 2798; item 117.4 was never proclaimed and was later repealed by No. 43/1993 s. 22
Current State:
This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Survey Co-ordination Act 1958
Transport (Amendment) Act 1989, No. 44/1989
Assent Date:
6.6.89
Commencement Date:
S. 41(Sch. 2 item 41) on 1.7.89: s. 2(1)
Current State:
This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Survey Co-ordination Act 1958
Electricity Industry Act 1993, No. 130/1993 (as amended by Act No. 53/1994)
Assent Date:
14.12.93
Commencement Date:
S. 122(Sch. 4 item 13) on 3.1.94: Special Gazette (No. 97) 23.12.93 p. 1
Current State:
This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Survey Co-ordination Act 1958
S. 15(3)(c): Section 4(1)(Schedule 2 item 117.4) of the Local Government (Consequential Provisions) Act 1989, No. 12/1989 purported to amend section 15(3)(c) but was never proclaimed and was repealed by section 22 of No. 43/1993. ↑
Pt 2 (repealed): Section 21 of the Geographic Place Names Act 1998, No. 7/1998 reads as follows:
21 Applications before the old Committee
(1) If, immediately before the commencement of Part 3 of this Act, the Place Names Committee established under section 24 of the Survey Co‑ordination Act 1958 has commenced but not yet completed an enquiry, examination or investigation into the naming of a place, that Committee may complete that enquiry, examination or investigation as if this Act had not been enacted and may make a recommendation to the Registrar.
(2) A recommendation made to the Registrar under subsection (1) is deemed to be the recommendation of a Committee under
this Act. ↑