This Act creates a framework to acquire, vest and allocate Crown or acquired land to eligible discharged members of the Forces for rural settlement. A statutory Board (now read as TDR) may reserve, acquire, vest, offer and grant holdings, set rents, impose residence and husbandry conditions, provide or charge for improvements, and enable a tenant to buy absolute freehold after qualifying periods. Tenants pay rent, purchase deposits and for improvements; the Crown pays acquisition compensation and meets certain costs. The Act also validates earlier resumptions and provides appeal and arbitration paths.
This Act creates a statutory scheme for acquiring, vesting, holding, allotting, and ultimately disposing of land for the purpose of settling persons who served in the war (as defined in s 3). Mechanically, it does the following.
Vesting and acquisition: it vests specific lands in the Closer Settlement Board (the Board) (s 9(1)), authorises the Board to acquire land (s 6(1)) and makes the Land Acquisition Act 1993 apply to those acquisitions (s 6(2)). The Governor may bring land subject to the Closer Settlement Act 1957 under this Act by proclamation (s 8). Proclamations that vest land in the Board must include plans (s 39A) and give rise to title registration mechanics (s 39C-39E).
Reservation and interim control: the Minister, on the Board’s recommendation, may reserve areas suitable for settlement and restrict sale/purchase/option transactions in the reserved area for up to 12 months, subject to a penalty of up to 20 penalty units for breaches (s 5(1)-(4)).
Allocation, tenancy and grant: the Board must register eligible persons (s 13A), offer holdings to suitable applicants (s 14), allot on acceptance (s 15) and then grant by memorandum registered under the Land Titles Act 1980 (s 17). Grants are for ever but subject to rents, conditions and special conditions (s 17(1)(a)-(c)).
Tenant obligations and tenure constraints: tenancies carry mandatory residence and husbandry conditions (ss 22-23). During the statutory residence period the holding is heavily constrained: limited mortgageability (only to TDR), restricted transfer except in prescribed circumstances (s 22(3)).
Improvements and economic entitlements: the statute sets out a system where tenants purchase structural improvements (s 26), obtain tenant-right on reversion (s 27), and may claim compensation for non-structural improvements within prescribed limits (s 27A). The Board determines capital values and registers charges (s 27(3)).
Current sections
Direct links to the current provisions in War Service Land Settlement Act 1950.
*[Section 3 Amended by No. 22 of 1960, s. 2 and s. 13 and Sched. 1 ][Section 3 Amended by No. 28 of 1976, s. 74 and Sched. 3 ][Section 3 Amended by No. 19 of 1980, s. 171 and Sched. 1 ][Section 3 Amended by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ][Section 3 Amended by No. 77 of 1995, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]*In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears –
(i) has been honourably discharged after not less; or
(ii) having in the opinion of the Board been materially prejudiced by reason of his war service, has been honourably discharged after less –
than six months' war service; or
(b) a person who is included in a class of persons (if any) that the Minister determines shall be eligible to participate in war service land settlement under this Act –
holding means the land allotted to an eligible person for the purposes of this Act;
member of the Forces means –
(a) a person who is or was, during the war, a member of the Permanent Forces of the Commonwealth, other than the Australian Imperial Force;
(b) a person who is or was, during the war, a member of the Australian Imperial Force;
(c) a member of the Citizen Forces of the Commonwealth who is or was enlisted, appointed, or called up for continuous service for the duration of, and directly in connection with, the war;
(d) a person who is or was, during the war, engaged on continuous full-time service as a member of any of the following services – The Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service; The Women's Royal Australian Naval Service; The Australian Army Nursing Service; The Australian Women's Army Service; The Australian Army Medical Women's Service; The Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service; The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force;
(e) a member of a Voluntary Aid Detachment who is or was, during the war, engaged on continuous full-time paid duty with any part of the Defence Forces of the Commonwealth;
(f) a member of the Naval, Military, or Air Forces of any part of the King's Dominions other than Australia who is or was, during the war, engaged on service in a prescribed area and was born in Australia or was, immediately prior to his becoming a member of any of those Forces, domiciled in Australia; and
(g) [Section 3 Amended by No. 17 of 1996, Applied:15 May 1998] a person who is or was, during the war, engaged on continuous full-time service with any Nursing Service or other Women's Service auxiliary to the Naval, Military, or Air Forces of any part of the King's Dominions other than Australia who was born in Australia or was, immediately prior to her becoming a member of that Service, domiciled in Australia –
but does not include any enemy alien who served during the war as a member of the Army Labour Corps but not otherwise;
register the verb, in all its parts, means register under the Land Titles Act 1980 , and registration shall be similarly construed;
tenancy means a tenancy of a holding created by the Board by allotment under section fifteen or by grant under section seventeen ;
tenant means the tenant of a holding, his heirs, executors, administrators, or assigns as the context requires;
the repealed Acts means the Acts repealed by section two ;
the war means the war which commenced on the third day of September 1939, and includes any other war in which His Majesty became engaged after that date and before the second day of September 1945;
(a) service as a member of the Permanent Forces of the Commonwealth, other than the Australian Imperial Force;
(b) service in the Australian Imperial Force;
(c) [Section 3 Amended by No. 17 of 1996, Applied:15 May 1998] the service of a member of the Citizen Forces of the Commonwealth when called out for war service in pursuance of the Defence Act 1903 of the Commonwealth, or during continuous training under that Act, the Naval Defence Act 1910 of the Commonwealth, or the Air Force Act 1923 of the Commonwealth;
(d) the continuous full-time service in the Defence Forces under any Act of the Commonwealth or under any regulations under an Act of the Commonwealth, of any person who volunteers and is accepted for that service during the war;
(f) the continuous full-time service of any person as a member of an organization or part thereof which is declared by proclamation under the Re-establishment and Employment Act 1945 of the Commonwealth to be an organization in relation to which the provisions of that Act apply–
during the war.
4.
4.
[Section 4 Repealed by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
Part II
Powers in Respect of Lands
Part II Powers in Respect of Lands
5
Power to reserve land for settlement
5 Power to reserve land for settlement
[Section 5 Subsection (3) amended by No. 43 of 1991, s. 5 and Sched. 1 ]
(1) The Minister may, on the recommendation of the Board, at any time within two months after the commencement of this Act, by notice in the Gazette, declare any area defined in the notice, comprising land suitable for settlement by discharged members of the Forces, to be a reserved area for the purposes of this Act.
(2) A notice under subsection (1) shall, unless sooner revoked, remain in force for a period of twelve months from the date thereof.
(3) *[Section 5 Subsection (3) amended by No. 55 of 1965, s. 5 ]*While any notice under subsection (1) remains in force in respect of any reserved area, no person shall –
(a) sell or purchase any rural land; or
(b) give or take any option for the sale or purchase of rural land –
in the reserved area except with the consent, in writing, of the Minister.
Penalty: Fine not exceeding 20 penalty units.
(4) Any agreement or option for the sale or purchase of rural land in contravention of subsection (3) , and any conveyance or transfer of any land to which any such agreement or option relates, shall be void and of no effect.
(5) In this section
rural land means land situated outside the limits of any city or town.
6
Acquiring land
6 Acquiring land
[Section 6 Substituted by No. 24 of 1993, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
(1) The Board may acquire land for the purposes of this Act.
(2) The Land Acquisition Act 1993 applies in relation to the acquisition of land, and the land acquired, by the Board.
7.
7.
[Section 7 Repealed by No. 28 of 1976, s. 74 and Sched. 3 ]
8
Closer settlement land may be brought under this Act
8 Closer settlement land may be brought under this Act
(1) *[Section 8 Subsection (1) amended by No. 22 of 1960, s. 13 and Sched. 1 ]*The Governor may, on the recommendation of the Board by proclamation, declare as from any date after the twentieth day of December 1945, any land subject to the Closer Settlement Act 1957 which is not leased or sold or contracted to be leased or sold shall be subject to this Act.
(2) *[Section 8 Subsection (2) amended by No. 22 of 1960, s. 13 and Sched. 1 ]*Upon the making of such a proclamation the land thereby affected shall cease to be subject to the Closer Settlement Act 1957 and shall be subject to this Act and shall be deemed to have done so from any earlier date set out in the proclamation for that purpose.
9
Vesting of land in the Board
9 Vesting of land in the Board
(1) The lands referred to in the third schedule are hereby vested in the Board.
(2) *[Section 9 Subsection (2) amended by No. 28 of 1976, s. 74 and Sched. 3 ]*The Governor may by proclamation vest in the Board any land reserved under section 12 of theCrown Lands Act 1976 or surrendered to the King purportedly for the purposes of the repealed Acts or any of them.
(3) All land becoming subject to this Act under section eight shall at the same instant vest in the Board.
(4) *[Section 9 Subsection (4) amended by No. 68 of 1994, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]*Upon land vesting in the Board under this section the Board shall hold the same in fee for the purposes of this Act, and the Recorder of Titles shall register the Board as proprietor thereof upon, in the case of land vesting under subsections (2) and (3) of this section, the Board's so requesting and referring to the place in the Gazette where the relevant proclamation appears, and this the Board shall do within sixty days after gazettal.
(5) Nothing in this section applies to the land comprised in purchase grant, volume 211, folium 72.
10
Disposition of lands by the Board
10 Disposition of lands by the Board
[Section 10 Subsection (8) amended by No. 24 of 1993, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
(1) The Board may grant land to eligible persons for the purposes of this Act as provided in Part III .
(2) *[Section 10 Subsection (2) substituted by No. 26 of 1968, s. 2 ]*For the purposes of this Act the Board may grant land –
(a) to eligible persons to be held for any interest less than freehold; and
(b) to other persons to be held at will.
(3) The Board may if it is of opinion that any land vested in it is required for any of the purposes specified in subsection (4) of this section with consent transfer, lease, or surrender such land for that purpose.
(4) [Section 10 Subsection (4) amended by No. 78 of 1952, s. 2 ]Subsection (3) of this section shall apply to any of the following purposes:
(a) The erection or carrying on of any church, chapel, or church hall, with or without a hall, schoolroom, parsonage, presbytery, or manse, or any public hall, community centre, or other building for public or recreational purposes;
(b) the laying out and construction or carrying on of any recreation ground, park, or public reserve;
(c) The provision or carrying on of saleyards, or of any premises for the accommodation or agistment of travelling livestock;
(d) The erection or carrying on of any building or premises for use for the storage of agricultural machinery or plant, or any factory, mill, dairy, or other building for use in, or in connection with, the treatment or processing of primary products;
(e) the erection of shops and other business premises and of dwellings for the proprietors and their employees;
(f) The establishment of experimental farms;
(g) The provision of areas for use as timber plantations, and for afforestation purposes generally; or
(h) The residence of an agricultural contractor.
(5) The Board may, with consent, before selling or leasing any land under subsection (3) of this section, erect any buildings or structures or do any other works required for the purpose for which the land is to be so disposed of, and make any transfer in pursuance of any such sale subject to a condition of defeasance to ensure that the land is used for the purpose for which it is sold.
(6) Land leased under subsection (3) of this section shall be leased for such term and at such rental and upon and subject to such terms and conditions as the Minister approves.
(7) Land required for the purpose set out in paragraph (h) of subsection (4) of this section may only be leased for life and with a condition of re-entry to ensure that neighbouring tenants have the benefit of the contractor's services.
(8) *[Section 10 Subsection (8) amended by No. 22 of 1960, s. 13 and Sched. 1 ]*Where any land is surrendered under subsection (3) of this section the Minister shall by notice in the Gazette declare the purpose for which that land is surrendered and the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act 1993 shall apply to and in respect of that land and in the same manner and to the same extent in all respects as if it had been lawfully acquired for that purpose under the provisions of that Act.
(9) *[Section 10 Subsection (9) added by No. 13 of 1956, s. 2 ]*The Board may, if it is of opinion that to alter the boundaries of any land vested in it would make that land more useful for any purpose of this Act, with consent sell and transfer pieces along the boundaries of the land to adjoining landowners in consideration of the transfer of pieces on the other side of the boundaries or for any other consideration.
10AA
Waterworks
10AA Waterworks
[Section 10AA Inserted by No. 28 of 1960, s. 2 ]
(1) Where the Board has established waterworks for the supply of water to a group of holdings, the Governor may, on the request of the Board –
(a) by proclamation –
(i) define the boundaries of the group of holdings and declare the lands within those boundaries to be a water district;
(ii) name that water district; and
(iii) declare the source of supply of that district for the purposes of this section; and
(b) by letters patent, create and incorporate a board of trustees for the waterworks and provide for their appointment or election.
(2) Upon the issue of the instruments mentioned in subsection (1) of this section –
(i) this Act were the special Act for the purposes of that Act; and
(ii) the board of trustees were the undertakers authorized to construct the waterworks and to take water from the declared source of supply for the supply of the water district;
(b) the Board may convey to the board of trustees all its rights in the waterworks; and
(c) the board of trustees shall, upon the conveyance of the Board's rights, pay to the Board the value of those rights as determined by the Minister by such instalments, at such times, and with such interest as he directs to be provided in the conveyance.
(3) *[Section 10AA Subsection (3) inserted by No. 40 of 1969, s. 2 ]*The Treasurer may, on behalf of the Crown, guarantee repayment of moneys borrowed by boards of trustees for the purposes of this section.
(4) *[Section 10AA Subsection (4) inserted by No. 40 of 1969, s. 2 ]*The Board may out of moneys available for the purposes of this Act lend money to boards of trustees for the purposes of this Act.
(5) *[Section 10AA Subsection (5) substituted by No. 30 of 1995, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]*To secure payment of money given under a guarantee under subsection (3) or lent under subsection (4) , a board of trustees may give a charge over its revenue.
*[Section 10A Inserted by No. 78 of 1952, s. 3 ]*If by letters patent under the seal of the State a corporation is created to manage, carry on, and improve the waterworks that were formerly part of Lawrenny Estate in the parish of Lawrenny in the county of Cumberland, the Board may –
(a) transfer those waterworks to that corporation, together with such rights and privileges over or in other lands formerly part of that estate as it thinks proper to the purposes of that corporation; and
(b) include in any offer of a holding carved out of that estate a condition precedent to allotment thereof that the offeree will covenant with that corporation to grant or do or refrain from doing certain things, as the Board, in consultation with the corporation may think fit to specify in the offer, for the better carrying out of the purposes of the corporation.
10B
Water rights
10B Water rights
*[Section 10B Inserted by No. 78 of 1952, s. 3 ]*If a corporation is created as provided in section ten A there shall continue and vest in it all the right to take, divert, and use water into and by the waterworks therein mentioned which the owner of the estate therein mentioned had on the eighteenth day of January 1929.
11
Easements
11 Easements
(1) [Section 11 Subsection (1) omitted by No. 24 of 1993, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]. . . . . . . .
(2) The Board may subject to any existing tenancy grant easements over all land vested in it.
(3) [Section 11 Subsection (3) omitted by No. 28 of 1976, s. 74 and Sched. 3 ]. . . . . . . .
12
Land not required
12 Land not required
[Section 12 Subsection (1) amended by No. 22 of 1960, s. 13 and Sched. 1 ]**[Section 12 Subsection (1) amended by No. 24 of 1993, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
(1) *[Section 12 Subsection (1) amended by No. 78 of 1952, s. 4 ]*Where any land held by the Board under this Act and not at any time granted as provided in Part III is not in the opinion of the Board required for the purposes of this Act, the Board may, subject to section twelve A –
(b) if vested in the Board under section nine of this Act, surrender it to the King and upon registration of the instrument of surrender the land surrendered shall be held subject to the Closer Settlement Act 1957 .
(2) *[Section 12 Subsection (2) substituted by No. 22 of 1960, s. 3 ]*Where land granted as provided in Part III has reverted to the Board by surrender, forfeiture, or escheat, and the Board declares that it is impossible to dispose of it as provided in section thirty-two , the Board shall –
(a) sell the land as trustee for all persons interested therein, including the person entitled to tenant right under section twenty-seven and to compensation under section twenty-seven A , whose claims therefor are a charge on the proceeds of sale; or
(b) surrender it to the King, and upon registration of the instrument of surrender the land surrendered shall be held subject to the Closer Settlement Act 1957 .
12A
Land not to be disposed of until first offered to original owner
12A Land not to be disposed of until first offered to original owner
[Section 12A Inserted by No. 78 of 1952, s. 5 ]
(1) *[Section 12A Subsection (1) amended by No. 24 of 1993, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]*Before the Board sells any land pursuant to subsection (1) of section twelve it shall, if the land is land that was acquired by compulsory process under the provisions of the Public Authorities' Land Acquisition Act 1949 or the Land Acquisition Act 1993 , first offer to sell that land to the person from whom it was originally acquired by the Board.
(2) If a person to whom an offer is made under subsection (1) of this section refuses to purchase the land, or if he or his agent cannot, after diligent inquiry, be found, the Board may sell the land to such person as it thinks fit in accordance with the provisions of section twelve .
(3) If, on an offer under subsection (1) of this section being made to a person, that person declines the offer or for thirty days after the day on which the offer is made neglects to signify his desire to purchase the land, the right of pre-emption of that person shall cease.
(4) For the purposes of this section, a statutory declaration by the chairman of the Board stating that an offer was made under this section and was refused or not accepted within thirty days after the day on which the offer was made, or that the person to whom the offer was made or all the persons entitled to the right of pre-emption is or are out of the State or cannot, after diligent inquiry, be found, or is or are not capable of entering into a contract for the purchase of the land, shall be sufficient evidence of the facts stated in the declaration.
(5) *[Section 12A Subsection (5) amended by No. 24 of 1993, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]*If any person who is entitled to a right of pre-emption under this section is desirous of purchasing the land and that person and the Board do not agree as to the price thereof, the price shall be determined in the same manner as a disputed claim for compensation under the Land Acquisition Act 1993 as if the Board were the claimant.
(6) A person on whom a right of pre-emption is conferred by this section may at any time release that right so as to discharge in perpetuity the land or any part thereof to which the release relates from that right of pre-emption.
(7) On payment or tender to the Board of the purchase money agreed on or determined as provided by this section, the Board shall convey the land to the purchaser thereof.
13
Board's freedom from rates
13 Board's freedom from rates
*[Section 13 Amended by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]*The Board shall be liable to pay rates and taxes raised or levied by any local authority or any body of a public or semi-public nature constituted under statutory authority in respect of lands vested in it for the purposes of this Act, and to which no tenant has title if such lands are worked for profit by or on behalf of the Board, but save as aforesaid the Board shall not be liable to any such rate or tax other than a rate or tax for any service actually rendered or supplied by any such local authority or body.
Part III
Land Settlement
Part III Land Settlement
Division I
Settlement grants
Division I Settlement grants
13A
Registration
13A Registration
[Section 13A Inserted by No. 22 of 1960, s. 4 ]
(1) The Board shall register all persons who are otherwise eligible and who have applied to the Board to participate in war service land settlement under this Act before the last date determined by the Board, with consent, for that purpose.
(2) The Board may determine different dates for the purpose of this section in respect of different classes of persons.
14
Holdings to be offered to suitable applicants
14 Holdings to be offered to suitable applicants
(1) As holdings become available for occupation by tenants the Board shall offer each one to some eligible person considered by the Board to be suitable for settlement immediately.
(2) *[Section 14 Subsection (2) amended by No. 22 of 1960, s. 5 ]*In each such offer the Board shall specify –
(d) the special conditions, if any, the Board intends to impose;
(e) whether or not the Board reserves the right to obtain an increase of rent under section nineteen ;
(f) . . . . . . . .
(g) the time for which the offer is open.
(3) The Board shall not offer a holding to another person while such an offer is open.
15
Notice of allotment
15 Notice of allotment
(1) *[Section 15 Subsection (1) amended by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]*Upon acceptance of such an offer the Board shall, by notice, allot the holding to the acceptor, and shall specify in the notice the holding allotted, the rent, and any special conditions imposed, and state whether or not the Board reserves the right to obtain an increase of rent in accordance with the provisions of section nineteen , as the acceptor has accepted them.
(2) Upon such allotment the acceptor may enter as tenant at will upon the terms and conditions to be included in the grant of the holding under section seventeen , and shall be left in quiet possession so long as he observes those terms and conditions.
16
Transitory provisions
16 Transitory provisions
(1) *[Section 16 Subsection (1) amended by No. 28 of 1976, s. 74 and Sched. 3 ]*Where an eligible person considered by the Board to be suitable for settlement immediately has entered upon a holding in pursuance or purported pursuance of a temporary licence under section 42 of theCrown Lands Act 1976 he shall be deemed to have been offered and to have accepted the holding in accordance with section fourteen , and shall be entitled to a notice of allotment under section fifteen accordingly.
(2) Where at the time when any such person so entered, the Board had not specified to him all the matters mentioned in paragraphs (b) , (c) , (d) , (e) , and (f) of subsection (2) of section fourteen, it may, not later than one month before the expiry of his temporary licence, make him a supplementary offer in respect of the matters not specified, and if he does not within one month after the supplementary offer is made give possession of the holding to the Board he shall be deemed to have accepted the offer constituted by the terms on which he entered and the supplementary offer and be entitled to a notice of allotment under section fifteen accordingly.
(3) The Board shall not be bound to give a notice of allotment while it is entitled to make a supplementary offer under this section.
(4) If a person to whom a supplementary offer is made under subsection (2) of this section gives the Board possession as provided therein, he shall be entitled to compensation by the Board for disturbance.
17
Settlement grants
17 Settlement grants
(1) *[Section 17 Subsection (1) amended by No. 19 of 1980, s. 171 and Sched. 1 ]*As soon as practicable after the Board's allotment in accordance with section fifteen the Board shall by memorandum of grant in accordance with the form in Schedule 1 registered under the Land Titles Act 1980 grant the holding to the tenant his heirs and assigns to hold of the Board for ever –
(a) at the rent specified in the notice of allotment with such addition (if any) as is provided in section nineteen ;
(b) upon the conditions in this Act provided; and
(c) any special conditions specified in the notice of allotment.
(2) No tenant shall be entitled to such a grant while he is failing to perform any conditions of his tenancy or if he has been ejected for such a failure.
(3) If before the registration of such a grant the tenant has entered under section fifteen , the grant shall for the purpose of all times under it, including those for payment of rent and other moneys, relate back to the date of entry, a mention of which shall be made in the memorandum of grant.
The rent to be specified in the Board's offer under section fourteen shall be such that allowing for all payments to be made by the tenant under this Act and in the normal course of working the holding he will be assured of a reasonable standard of living even though he begins with no capital.
19
Additional rent
19 Additional rent
(1) Where at the time of the Board's allotment under section fifteen the holding lacks some of the improvements considered necessary by the Board for the working of the holding, the Board may –
(b) agree with the tenant that he will make such improvements at the Board's expense.
(2) *[Section 19 Subsection (2) substituted by No. 22 of 1960, s. 6 ]*The Board shall determine the cost of improvements done under subsection (1) of this section, either as they are done or when they have all been done, and the annual rent payable shall, if the Board has reserved its right thereto in notifying the tenant of its allotment of the holding, be increased by one-fortieth of –
(a) the cost so determined; or
(b) where anything is payable under section twenty-six in respect of an improvement so done, the amount remaining after subtracting from the cost so determined the amount payable under section twenty-six .
(3) If the grant under section seventeen is made before the completion of all such improvements, the Board may, if the grant so provides, cause to be registered a memorandum of increase of rent, and thereupon the rent payable under the grant shall be increased accordingly.
20
First year rent free
20 First year rent free
(1) The Board shall not demand or receive rent in respect of the period between the allotment of a holding to a tenant and the end of the first year after his entry thereon by virtue of the allotment.
(2) During this period the tenant shall pay to the Board the net income derived by him from the holding, without any deduction for his own exertions.
(3) The Board shall credit payments under the last preceding subsection against any future obligation of the tenant in respect of advances for working capital, stock, plant, and equipment, in respect of payments outstanding under subsection (2) of section twenty-six and in respect of rent in a proportion to be determined by the Board.
(4) The Board may, where it thinks it to the tenant's advantage, waive payment of all or part of the sum payable by him under this section.
(5) Where the tenant has entered as provided in section sixteen , the date of the temporary licence shall be deemed the date of allotment, and that entry the entry, for the purposes of subsection (2) of this section.
(6) *[Section 20 Subsection (6) substituted by No. 78 of 1952, s. 6 ]*This section shall apply only –
(a) to the first tenancy of a holding; and
(b) to any subsequent tenancy arising by allotment to an eligible person if the Board has, with consent, so stated in its offer before allotment.
21
Payment of rent
21 Payment of rent
(1) [Section 21 Subsection (1) omitted by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]. . . . . . . .
(2) The annual rent shall be paid in respect of a year ending on the last day of June and shall be payable in two equal payments on or before the first day of July, and the first day of January in every such year, but where a tenancy commences on a day other than the first day of July the rent payable in respect of the period between the end of the first year from the entry of the tenant under his tenancy and the thirtieth day of June next following shall be a proportionate part of the annual rent.
(3) The rent reserved on any tenancy shall be a debt due to the Board from the tenant.
Division III
Conditions
Division III Conditions
22
Residence
22 Residence
[Section 22 Subsection (3) amended by No. 77 of 1995, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
(1) *[Section 22 Subsection (1) amended by No. 26 of 1968, s. 3 ]*It shall be a condition of every tenancy that the tenant shall reside on his holding for a period of six years commencing within three months of its allotment to him by the Board.
(2) This condition shall be performed by the continuous and bona fide personal residence of the tenant on the holding.
(3) *[Section 22 Subsection (3) amended by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]*The holding or any interest therein shall not during the currency of the condition be capable of –
(a) being mortgaged except to TDR; or
(b) transfer, whether by operation of law or otherwise, except in the case of the death or insanity or incapacity by reason of serious illness, accident, infirmity, or misfortune of the tenant or except by TDR pursuant to a power of sale under a mortgage given under this subsection.
(4) *[Section 22 Subsection (4) amended by No. 26 of 1968, s. 3 ]*The following provisions shall be applicable to tenancies during the currency of the condition:
(a) [Section 22 Subsection (4) amended by No. 45 of 2003, Sched. 1, Applied:01 Jan 2004] If the tenant dies during the currency of the condition it may be performed by the continuous and bona fide residence on the holding of some person beneficially interested in the holding under the will or as one of the next-of-kin or as the spouse or caring partner of the deceased tenant or of a bailiff approved by the Board;
(d) If the tenant becomes incapacitated, by reason of serious illness, accident, infirmity, or misfortune, from complying with the condition he may apply to the Board for such relief as is provided in this paragraph and the Board may –
(ii) suspend the operation of the condition for any period that the tenant is receiving such medical, surgical, or other treatment as requires his absence from his holding; or
(iii) with consent approve a transfer of his holding by the tenant to a specified person;
(e) In the case of a transfer being approved under paragraph (c) or paragraph (d) the transferee is not bound to perform the condition.
23
Conditions of good husbandry
23 Conditions of good husbandry
(1) It shall be a condition of every tenancy –
(a) that the tenant will keep in good repair the boundary fence of the holding and all improvements thereon in which the tenant cannot have tenant-right;
(c) that the tenant will farm, cultivate, manure, and manage the holding in a good and husband-like manner according to the most approved methods of husbandry in the district so as to keep the whole at all times in good heart and condition and will not allow any part to become impoverished or otherwise;
(d) that the tenant will use the holding primarily for animal husbandry with such types of livestock as are suitable to the holding and that he will maintain not less than three-fifths of the arable land as improved pasture suitable for the grazing of such livestock;
(e) that where there is an orchard or garden commercially productive the tenant will keep it properly cultivated, planted, stocked, and manured and in neat order and will preserve and keep well pruned and trained all fruit trees, bushes, vines, and shrubs therein and will plant fresh ones of the best description of the several kinds in the place of those dying or becoming decayed or unprofitable and will comply with the provisions of the Plant Diseases Act 1930 ;
(f) that the tenant will repair and keep in repair, or when necessary, replace, the farmhouse and all other improvements in which he can have tenant-right and which are necessary for the working of the holding except where the need for repair or replacement is the result of damage by an act of God or a fire which was not caused wilfuly or negligently by the tenant and for which no other person is liable to the tenant in damages;
(g) that the tenant will control all live fences upon his holding;
(h) that the tenant will at all times keep open, clean, and clear of weeds all rivulets, drains, ditches, and water-channels on his holding;
(j) that the tenant will maintain and protect all existing wind breaks and shelter belts and will plant, maintain, and protect any other wind breaks and shelter belts when required by the Board so to do;
(k) that the tenant will preserve from injury all timber and timber-like trees and saplings on the holding and will not without the consent of the Board and payment of such royalty as may be agreed upon between the Board and the tenant fell or destroy any such timber or timber-like trees or saplings;
(l) that the tenant will perform and observe any special conditions imposed by the Board and specified in the notice of allotment for maintaining or improving the fertility of the soil of the holding, which conditions may provide for –
(i) preserving or restoring the natural cover of the soil;
(ii) regulating the time, mode, and direction of ploughing;
(iii) restraining burning-off;
(iv) restoring the soil by manuring, and adding fertilizers and salts; and
(v) any other courses or operations that will, in the opinion of the Board, ensure to subsequent tenants the same enjoyment of the holding as is proper for the first tenant;
(m) that the tenant will comply with any regulation made for the purposes of this section;
(n) that the Board and any person authorized by it may, after notifying the tenant of the intention of so doing, at all reasonable times enter and inspect the holding;
(o) that if the tenant at any time fails to perform the conditions contained in paragraphs (a) and (f) of this section the Board may, without prejudice to its right of re-entry under section thirty , enter upon the holding and make any such repairs and replacements as the tenant ought by reason of these paragraphs to make and the cost thereof shall be paid by the tenant to the Board; and
(p) that if the tenant at any time fails to perform the conditions contained in this section for keeping the holding free from noxious weeds and plants, and keeping clean and open rivulets, drains, ditches, and water-channels, the Board may, without prejudice to its right of re-entry under section thirty , enter upon the holding and do any of those things as the tenant ought to do them and the cost thereof shall be paid by the tenant to the Board.
(2) Where in any offer, notice of allotment, or grant under sections fourteen , fifteen , and seventeen the words "as an orchard" or "as a garden" are used to qualify the tenancy thereby offered or created the condition contained in paragraph (d) of subsection (1) shall not apply to that tenancy.
24
Waste
24 Waste
(1) Every tenant shall be liable for waste in the same way as tenants for years.
structural improvements means any house, cottage, barn, stable, cowshed, hayshed, woolshed, garage, fowlhouse, or other kind of building, bridge, road, fence, yard, gate, wall, tank, dam, dip, weir, windpump, well, or other similar improvements annexed to a holding and includes any wind breaks and shelter belts planted by the tenant in accordance with paragraph (j) of subsection (1) of section twenty-three;
capital value of structural improvements means their capital value determined so as to be –
(a) their value at the date of termination of the title of the outgoing tenant;
(b) their value to any incoming tenant; and
(c) not in excess of the cost (assessed according to the current value of money) of making the improvements; and
outgoing tenant means a tenant who has transferred, surrendered, or forfeited his holding or the personal representative of a deceased tenant whose holding has escheated to the Board, as the case may require.
26
Tenant to acquire structural improvements
26 Tenant to acquire structural improvements
(1) *[Section 26 Subsection (1) substituted by No. 22 of 1960, s. 7 ]*A tenant to whom a holding is allotted under section fifteen or re-allotted under section thirty-one or section thirty-two shall pay to the Board the capital value of all structural improvements thereon –
(a) existing at the time of allotment or re-allotment; or
which capital value shall be determined by the Board as if it were an outgoing tenant.
(2) *[Section 26 Subsection (2) substituted by No. 22 of 1960, s. 7 ]*Notwithstanding anything contained in subsection (1) of this section, a tenant to whom a holding is allotted under section fifteen or re-allotted under section thirty-two is not liable to pay the Board, in respect of structural improvements done by it or at its expense, more than their capital value determined as on the first day of July 1946.
(3) The tenant may make payment on terms and conditions laid down by the Board with consent, and the Board may notwithstanding anything contained in section twenty-two take a mortgage over the holding to secure the payment.
27
Tenant-right: When it arises: Its nature
27 Tenant-right: When it arises: Its nature
(1) Upon the transfer, surrender, forfeiture, or escheat of any holding the outgoing tenant shall have tenant-right in structural improvements upon the holding transferred, surrendered, forfeited, or escheated.
(2) A person in whom tenant-right is vested shall be entitled to receive –
(a) in the case of a transfer, from the transferee; and
(b) in the case of a surrender, forfeiture, or escheat, from the Board –
the capital value of the improvements subject to that right.
(3) The capital value of the improvements subject to the tenant-right shall be determined by the Board and the amount so determined shall upon registration of a memorandum thereof be and remain a charge on the holding until payment thereof.
(4) *[Section 27 Subsection (4) inserted by No. 78 of 1952, s. 8 ]*Notwithstanding anything contained in subsection (2) of this section, where a holding is surrendered or forfeited or escheats to the Board within the period of ten years mentioned in subsection (1) of section twenty-two, and the capital value of improvements subject to the tenant-right as determined by the Board at the date of the surrender, forfeiture, or escheat exceeds the amount payable therefor under subsection (2) of section twenty-six, the Board shall not be liable to pay more than the amount payable under subsection (2) of section twenty-six plus, for every completed year of that period, one-tenth of the difference between the amount payable under subsection (2) of section twenty-six and the capital value as determined by the Board at the date of the surrender, forfeiture, or escheat.
(5) *[Section 27 Subsection (5) inserted by No. 78 of 1952, s. 8 ]*Where in a case to which subsection (4) of this section applies there is a difference in nature, condition, or number between the structural improvements as they existed on the allotment of the holding and as they existed at the date of the surrender, forfeiture, or escheat an adjustment shall be made therefor as determined by the Board.
(6) *[Section 27 Subsection (6) substituted by No. 22 of 1960, s. 8 ]*Where after the commencement of the War Service Land Settlement Act 1960 –
(a) a holding is allotted or re-allotted to an eligible person; and
(b) that person has the benefit of subsection (2) of section twenty-six in respect of structural improvements –
the capital value of those improvements shall be deemed, as between the Board and that person or his successor in title to be their capital value as on the first day of July 1946.
(7) [Section 27 Subsection (7) omitted by No. 22 of 1960, s. 8 ]. . . . . . . .
27A
Compensation for non-structural improvements
27A Compensation for non-structural improvements
*[Section 27A Inserted by No. 78 of 1952, s. 9 ]*Where the Board is liable to make payment under subsection (2) of section twenty-seven and the holding has, since the grant under which the outgoing tenant held, undergone substantial improvement in which there is no tenant-right, the Board shall compensate the person entitled to tenant-right therefor to an extent not in excess of the enhancement of the Board's reversion thereby.
Division V
Reversion of holdings to the Board
Division V Reversion of holdings to the Board
28
Surrender
28 Surrender
Any tenant may surrender his holding to the Board by registered transfer.
29
Emblements
29 Emblements
(1) In lieu of any right to emblements against the Board, the Board shall pay to the person entitled thereto compensation equal to the value of the crop the subject of the right at the time the right would otherwise have arisen.
(2) A similar right to compensation shall arise upon the surrender or forfeiture of a tenancy.
(3) The amount of all such compensation shall be determined by the Board.
(4) Upon the allotment by the Board of a holding under section fifteen the tenant shall be liable to pay the Board an amount equal to the value, as determined by the Board, of all then existing crops capable of becoming emblements, but he shall not be bound to make payment before receiving the profit from the crops or before the expiration of twelve months from the day of allotment, whichever is the sooner, if upon request for payment by the Board he secures the same by mortgage of the crops under section four of theStock, Wool, and Crop Mortgages Act 1930 .
30
Board's right of re-entry
30 Board's right of re-entry
The Board may re-enter and determine the tenancy of any holding –
(2) The Board, in such case, may, with consent, re-allot the holding to any person residing with or wholly or partially dependent on the deceased tenant at the time of his death.
32
Re-allotment
32 Re-allotment
Subject to section thirty-one , upon any holding reverting to the Board by surrender, forfeiture, or escheat the Board shall with consent and as prescribed re-allot the holding to an eligible person.
33
Saving of Board's rights
33 Saving of Board's rights
Surrender, forfeiture, or escheat of a holding shall not operate to extinguish any liability of the tenant to the Board.
Division VI
Transfers, mortgages, &c.
Division VI Transfers, mortgages, &c.
34
Disposition of holdings
34 Disposition of holdings
Except in cases to which sections twenty-two and twenty-eight apply any dealing with his holding by a tenant otherwise than by will shall unless done with consent be ineffective to pass any estate or interest whatsoever.
35
Restraint on alienation to companies, &c.
35 Restraint on alienation to companies, &c.
(1) No body corporate shall be capable of enjoying any state of freehold or term of years, at law or in equity, in any holding for its own use and benefit, and any disposition whatsoever which would otherwise have this effect shall result in a use or trust in favour of the Board for the purposes of this Act.
(2) *[Section 35 Subsection (2) added by No. 103 of 1976, s. 2 ]*The provisions of subsection (1) do not apply to a body corporate to which a disposition of an estate of freehold or term of years in a holding is made with the approval in writing of the Board if all moneys owing in respect of the holding to the Board and to such other persons as the Board may direct are paid on or before the completion of the disposition.
36
Duties of subsequent tenants
36 Duties of subsequent tenants
Every tenant of a holding shall be bound to pay the rent reserved on the tenancy thereof and to perform and observe all the conditions of the tenancy.
Division VII
Purchase of absolute freehold
Division VII Purchase of absolute freehold
37
Purchase price
37 Purchase price
*[Section 37 Amended by No. 22 of 1960, s. 9 ]*The purchase price of a holding for the purpose of this Division shall be a sum determined by the Board with consent but not more than the capital cost to the Board of the holding, excluding the amount payable for improvements under section twenty-six .
38
Purchase of absolute freehold
38 Purchase of absolute freehold
(1) A tenant who at any time after the grant of his holding under section seventeen and more than six years after its allotment under section fifteen tenders the purchase price of the holding and all other moneys payable by him to the Board under this Act, shall be entitled to receive from the Board a release in accordance with this section.
(2) *[Section 38 Subsection (2) amended by No. 19 of 1980, s. 171 and Sched. 1 ]*Such a release shall be by memorandum of release in accordance with the form in Schedule 2 registered under the Land Titles Act 1980 and upon the registration thereof the Board's rights in the holding shall be extinguished and the tenant shall hold immediately of the King free and discharged from all and any mortgage charge rent re-entry reversion escheat lordship or other right of the Board touching the holding.
(2) *[Section 39 Subsection (2) amended by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]*All amounts which are deposited with the Board from time to time as aforesaid shall be credited with compound interest, calculated yearly at the thirtieth day of June at the rate fixed for that year by the Board by notice published in the Gazette more than one year before the date of calculation, or in default of any such notice at the rate last so fixed.
(3) [Section 39 Subsection (3) amended by No. 17 of 1996, Applied:15 May 1998] *[Section 39 Subsection (3) amended by No. 26 of 1968, s. 6 and Sched. 1 ]*The deposits and interest accumulated in a tenant's purchase deposit account shall be available in payment of any rent, interest or other moneys payable to the Board by the tenant and if the tenant makes default on payment thereof the Board may appropriate the deposits and interest or any portion thereof accordingly.
(4) When a tenant ceases to hold as such by death, transfer, or otherwise he or his personal representative shall be entitled, subject to any appropriation by the Board under subsection (3) of this section to payment of the amount standing to the credit of his purchase deposit account.
Division VIII
Conveyancing provisions
Division VIII Conveyancing provisions
[Part III, Div. VIII Inserted by No. 78 of 1952, s. 10 ]
39A
Vesting proclamations to contain plans
39A Vesting proclamations to contain plans
*[Section 39A Inserted by No. 78 of 1952, s. 10 ]**[Section 39A Amended by No. 28 of 1976, s. 74 and Sched. 3 ]*Every proclamation under section 8 or subsection (2) of section nine shall contain or set out in a schedule a plan of the land thereby reserved or vested in the Board.
39B
Surveyor-General to supply plans of resumed lands
39B Surveyor-General to supply plans of resumed lands
*[Section 39B Inserted by No. 78 of 1952, s. 10 ]*If so requested by the Recorder of Titles the Surveyor-General shall supply him with a plan verified by the Surveyor-General of any land vested in the Board by subsection (1) of section nine.
39C
Plans to be lodged with requests to register
39C Plans to be lodged with requests to register
[Section 39C Inserted by No. 78 of 1952, s. 10 ]
(1) Every request of the Board under subsection (4) of section nine shall be accompanied by a plan of the land to be registered, which plan shall be lodged with the Recorder of Titles.
(2) Every plan referred to in subsection (1) of this section shall be verified by a registered surveyor as in conformity with the plan contained or set out in the relevant proclamation.
39D
Issue of certificates of title
39D Issue of certificates of title
[Section 39D Inserted by No. 78 of 1952, s. 10 ]**[Section 39D Amended by No. 19 of 1980, s. 171 and Sched. 1 ][Section 39D Amended by No. 23 of 2021, s. 159, Applied:01 Jan 2022] Upon registration of the Board as proprietor under subsection (4) of section nine, the Recorder of Titles may issue to the Board a certificate of title accordingly.
39E
Registration of grants
39E Registration of grants
[Section 39E Substituted by No. 19 of 1980, s. 171 and Sched. 1 ][Section 39E Amended by No. 23 of 2021, s. 160, Applied:01 Jan 2022] In respect of every memorandum of grant presented for registration, the Board shall deliver up the grant, if any, or certificate of title, if any, of the land mentioned in the memorandum, and the Recorder shall, after registering the grant, create a folio of the Register kept under the Land Titles Act 1980 for the fee farm estate granted.
39F
Charge of tenant-right of land
39F Charge of tenant-right of land
*[Section 39F Inserted by No. 78 of 1952, s. 10 ]*A memorandum charging tenant-right on a holding under section twenty-seven given by a transferee shall, subject to section thirty-nine G , be in accordance with the form in Schedule 5 , and shall be presented for registration in duplicate.
39G.
39G.
[Section 39G Repealed by No. 26 of 1968, s. 6 and Sched. 1 ]
39H
Re-entry by the Board
39H Re-entry by the Board
*[Section 39H Inserted by No. 78 of 1952, s. 10 ][Section 39H Amended by No. 26 of 1968, s. 6 and Sched. 1 ][Section 39H Amended by No. 19 of 1980, s. 171 and Sched. 1 ]*The Recorder shall, upon proof to his satisfaction that the Board has –
(a) re-entered and recovered possession of any holding by any proceeding in law; or
record the re-entry on the relevant folios of the Register kept under the Land Titles Act 1980 .
39J
Release of seigniory
39J Release of seigniory
[Section 39J Inserted by No. 78 of 1952, s. 10 ]
(1) [Section 39J Subsection (1) omitted by No. 19 of 1980, s. 171 and Sched. 1 ]. . . . . . . .
(2) [Section 39J Subsection (2) amended by No. 23 of 2021, s. 161, Applied:01 Jan 2022] Upon presentation of a memorandum of release for registration, the Board shall deliver up its own grant, if any, or certificate of title, if any, of the land being released, and the tenant shall deliver up the tenant’s certificate of title, if any, thereof.
(3) *[Section 39J Subsection (3) amended by No. 19 of 1980, s. 171 and Sched. 1 ]*The Recorder shall, after registering the release, cancel the folios of the Register kept under that Act for the Board's estate in the land and the fee farm estate, to such extent as is necessary to give effect to the release, and create a folio of that Register for the land mentioned in the release.
(4) [Section 39J Subsection (4) omitted by No. 19 of 1980, s. 171 and Sched. 1 ]. . . . . . . .
(5) [Section 39J Subsection (5) omitted by No. 19 of 1980, s. 171 and Sched. 1 ]. . . . . . . .
39K
Fees
39K Fees
[Section 39K Inserted by No. 78 of 1952, s. 10 ]
(1) [Section 39K Subsection (1) omitted by No. 19 of 1980, s. 171 and Sched. 1 ]. . . . . . . .
(2) *[Section 39K Subsection (2) omitted by No. 19 of 1980, s. 171 and Sched. 1 ]*No contribution to the Assurance Fund and no fee to the Recorder of Titles shall be payable by the Board in respect of the registration of land under section nine .
(3) . . . . . . . .
Division IX
Acceleration of absolute freehold
Division IX Acceleration of absolute freehold
[Part III, Div. IX Inserted by No. 26 of 1968, s. 4 ]
39L
Acceleration of purchase, &c.
39L Acceleration of purchase, &c.
[Section 39L Inserted by No. 26 of 1968, s. 4 ]
(1) Where a tenant has before the allotment to him of his holding by the Board been in occupation under subsection (2) of section ten of the same land, the periods of six years mentioned in section twenty-two and section thirty-eight shall be deemed to have ended when the tenant has been in occupation of that land for eight years continuously, whether under subsection (2) of section ten, under subsection (2) of section fifteen, or under his tenancy.
(2) If, before the allotment to a tenant of his holding and before he went into occupation of the same land under subsection (2) of section ten, a tenant has been in occupation of other land under that subsection, such occupation of the other land shall for the purposes of subsection (1) of this section be reckoned as occupation of the same land and no period of less than twenty-one days elapsing between one occupation and the next shall be deemed to break the continuity of its occupation.
(3) If the period of eight years mentioned in subsection (1) of this section expires before the seventh day after the allotment to the tenant of his holding it shall be deemed to expire on that seventh day.
(4) If it appears to the Minister just so to do he may, after consulting the Board, by notice in the Gazette, shorten the period of eight years for a tenant and appoint a day on which it shall be deemed to have expired.
Part IV
Finance
Part IV Finance
40.
40.
[Section 40 Repealed by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
41.
41.
[Section 41 Repealed by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
42.
42.
[Section 42 Repealed by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
42A.
42A.
[Section 42A Repealed by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
43.
43.
[Section 43 Repealed by No. 28 of 1976, s. 74 and Sched. 3 ]
44.
44.
[Section 44 Repealed by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
45.
45.
[Section 45 Repealed by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
46.
46.
[Section 46 Repealed by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
47.
47.
[Section 47 Repealed by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
48.
48.
[Section 48 Repealed by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
49.
49.
[Section 49 Repealed by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
50.
50.
[Section 50 Repealed by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
51.
51.
[Section 51 Repealed by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
52.
52.
[Section 52 Repealed by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
53.
53.
[Section 53 Repealed by No. 13 of 1956, s. 5 ]
54.
54.
[Section 54 Repealed by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
54A.
54A.
[Section 54A Repealed by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
55
Public moneys
55 Public moneys
(1) No transaction recorded in the public accounts before the first day of July 1950, shall be re-opened merely because of some invalidity in the repealed Acts or any of them.
(2) In respect of the financial year current at the commencement of this Act all public moneys received or expended in purported pursuance of the Acts repealed by this Act or any of them shall be deemed to have been received or expended for the purposes of this Act.
56
Disposal of Commonwealth and State War Service Land Settlement Agreement Act Account
56 Disposal of Commonwealth and State War Service Land Settlement Agreement Act Account
The Treasurer shall transfer the balance at the commencement of this Act of the account in the Treasury called the "Commonwealth and State War Service Land Settlement Agreement Act Account" to the account called the "War Service Land Settlement Act Account".
Part V
Validation of Transactions
Part V Validation of Transactions
57
Validation of certain resumptions and provisions for compensation
57 Validation of certain resumptions and provisions for compensation
(1) The notifications published in the Gazette specified in the third schedule purporting to resume the lands respectively described in the schedules to such notifications under the Lands Resumption Act 1910 shall be deemed as from the respective dates of publication of such notifications in the Gazette to have been effective to vest such lands in His Majesty, freed and discharged from all estates and interests of any person therein.
(2) The owners of such lands shall be entitled to compensation under the Lands Resumption Act 1910 ; and any amount purporting to have been paid as compensation in respect of the resumption of any such lands, and which has been so paid prior to the commencement of this Act shall to the extent thereof operate as a satisfaction of any claim for compensation in respect of such lands arising out of the operation of this Act.
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (2) of this section –
(a) the value of the land for the purpose of determining compensation shall not exceed the value of the land without buildings, fences, or other structural improvements as on the tenth day of February 1942, together with the value at the time of making the determination of the buildings, fences, and other structural improvements; and
(b) no compensation shall be payable to any person who has before the commencement of this Act received money purporting to be the full compensation payable under the Lands Resumption Act 1910 in respect of the land of which he is divested by this section:
Provided that if this subsection is in itself invalid or this Act or any enactment herein is by reason of this subsection invalid, this Act shall be read and construed as if this subsection were omitted.
58
Validation of a certain grant and notification
58 Validation of a certain grant and notification
(1) The grant of land registered as folium 72 of volume 211 is hereby confirmed.
(2) The notification of acquisition of 2329 acres of land in the Parishes of Ulva and Staffa, County of Monmouth, published in the Gazette of 31st August 1949, at page 2521 shall be deemed to be of full force and effect to vest the land described therein in His Majesty, and may be annulled by a subsequent notification in the Gazette under section sixteen of theLands Resumption Act 1910 although the period of time therein limited for the purpose has expired.
59
Indemnity in criminal proceedings
59 Indemnity in criminal proceedings
It shall be a good defence to any person charged with any crime or offence committed before the commencement of this Act that the act charged would have been justifiable under the repealed Acts or any of them if they had been of full force and effect according to their tenor and that he believed it to be so, and that he so believed his unsworn statement shall be conclusive proof.
60
Preservation of supposed existing rights of property between Crown and subject
60 Preservation of supposed existing rights of property between Crown and subject
(1) [Section 60 Subsection (1) amended by No. 17 of 1996, Applied:15 May 1998] No action shall lie against the Crown or against any servant or agent of the Crown for any trespass vi et armis to person, land or goods, for any disseisin, for any detention or conversion of goods, or for the return of any money, where the trespass, disseisin, conversion or receipt of goods or money was in purported pursuance of the repealed Acts or any of them.
(2) [Section 60 Subsection (2) amended by No. 17 of 1996, Applied:15 May 1998] No such action by the Crown or any servant or agent of the Crown suing on behalf of the Crown shall be defended on the ground that the defendant is entitled to re-enter, recapture or retain the land, goods or money the subject of the action by reason of some invalidity in the repealed Acts or any of them.
61
Preservation of rights of strangers
61 Preservation of rights of strangers
In actions between private persons no plaintiff shall be barred of his claim and no defendant of his defence on the ground of any invalidity in the repealed Acts or any of them.
62
Preservation of omitted rights until Parliament can deal with them
62 Preservation of omitted rights until Parliament can deal with them
(1) If the Governor receives a petition from any party to an action showing that he is unjustly harmed by the invalidity of the repealed Acts or any of them or by the operation of this Division, the Governor may by writ issued pursuant to an order-in-council prohibit the court in which the action is brought from proceeding further until His Majesty's pleasure is known, and that court shall stay the proceedings accordingly.
(2) If the Governor issues such a writ he shall forthwith transmit the petition to Parliament for the making of a remedy.
(3) If no remedy is given by Parliament within the next twelve sitting days of the two Houses the other party shall be entitled as of course to a writ to continue the proceedings.
If any person in possession of any land vested in the Board under subsection (1) of section nine refuses to give up possession of the land or hinders the Board or any person authorized by the Board from taking possession of the land a judge may on the application of the Attorney-General grant a warrant authorizing the sheriff to deliver possession of the land to the Board.
65
Protection of trustees
65 Protection of trustees
*[Section 65 Amended by No. 68 of 1994, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]*A trustee shall not be deemed to be or to have been guilty of any breach of trust or breach of duty by reason only of the fact that –
In this section trustee includes personal representative of a deceased person, committee of the estate of a lunatic or idiot, the quasi-committee under section one hundred and fifty-five of theSupreme Court Civil Procedure Act 1932 of the estate of any person, committee appointed under the Mental Health Act 1963 , administrator of a convict's property, judge and Registrar of the Supreme Court, tenant for life under the Settled Land Act 1884 , person with the powers of a tenant for life under that Act, attorney, mortgagee, director of a company, and any other person acting in any fiduciary capacity.
66
Interest
66 Interest
(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other Act no interest shall be payable in respect of any compensation money owing to the owner of any lands described in the third schedule except as provided in this section.
(2) The compensation money payable to the owner of any such lands shall bear interest at the rate of four per cent per annum from the date on which vacant possession was or is given to the Minister to the date of payment of the compensation money or to a date twelve months after the commencement of this Act whichever is the earlier.
67
Costs
67 Costs
(1) [Section 67 Subsection (1) amended by No. 17 of 1996, Applied:15 May 1998] All reasonable costs incurred by reason of any vesting of land by operation of this Act shall, subject to taxation by the Registrar of the Supreme Court, be paid by the Crown save in the case of an appeal: Provided that the total amount of such costs shall not in any case exceed $100.
(2) Any amount purporting to have been paid as costs in respect of the resumption of any such land and which has been so paid before the commencement of this Act shall operate as a satisfaction of any claim for costs arising under this Act.
(3) Upon the discontinuance of any action against the Crown or its officers relating to the resumption of land vested in the Board by subsection (1) of section nine the Court may if it considers that the action was properly brought and by reason of this Act alone properly discontinued award the plaintiff all or part of his costs.
67A
Validation of certain leases
67A Validation of certain leases
*[Section 67A Inserted by No. 26 of 1968, s. 5 ]*Where before the commencement of the War Service Land Settlement Act 1968 the Board has let proposed holdings to intending tenants for a period of one year and thereafter from year to year and not at will as provided in subsection (2) of section ten, the leases granted and accepted in those cases shall be deemed good under and for the purposes of that subsection and shall be effective according to their tenor.
Part VI
Miscellaneous
Part VI Miscellaneous
68
War Service Land Settlement Appeal Board
68 War Service Land Settlement Appeal Board
(1) There shall be a body called the War Service Land Settlement Appeal Board consisting of three persons appointed by the Governor of whom –
(a) one shall be a Police Magistrate and shall be the chairman of the board;
(b) one shall be nominated by His Majesty's Minister of State for the Commonwealth thereto authorized; and
(c) one shall be nominated by the State Branch of the Returned Soldiers', Sailors', and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia.
(2) The chairman shall hold office during the Governor's pleasure and the other members shall hold office for three years and shall be eligible for re-appointment.
(3) The chairman and members shall receive such salaries and allowances as are prescribed.
69
Jurisdiction of the Appeal Board
69 Jurisdiction of the Appeal Board
(1) Any person who is aggrieved by a determination of the Board under section twenty-seven or section twenty-nine may in the prescribed manner appeal to the War Service Land Settlement Appeal Board against that determination.
(a) all functions, powers, rights, obligations, and liabilities of the Closer Settlement Board under this Act as existing immediately before that day shall be transferred to the Tasmanian Development Authority; and
(b) references in this Act to the Closer Settlement Board shall be read as references to TDR.
70
Regulations
70 Regulations
*[Section 70 Amended by No. 78 of 1952, s. 14 ][Section 70 Amended by No. 55 of 1965, s. 5 ][Section 70 Amended by No. 26 of 1968, s. 6 and Sched. 1 ]**[Section 70 Amended by No. 43 of 1991, s. 5 and Sched. 1 ]*The Governor, on the recommendation of the Board, may make regulations in respect of the several matters required to be prescribed by this Act and also regulations –
(a) for the determination by the War Service Land Settlement Appeal Board of any difference between the Board and a tenant not otherwise provided for in this Act;
(b) prescribing any forms required for the purposes of this Act or for any dealings in land thereunder;
(c) . . . . . . . .
(d) for the ascertainment and recovery of moneys payable under section twenty with power to impose penalties not exceeding 20 penalty units for failure to keep the prescribed books, vouchers, and records, to bank moneys received, or to make the prescribed return of income;
(e) for relaxing with consent any requirement of section twenty-two ; and
(f) for the purposes of section twenty-three prescribing anything which might be made a special condition under paragraph (l) of subsection (1) of that section generally or in respect of any particular district or holding.
SCHEDULE 1 - MEMORANDUM OF GRA
SCHEDULE 1 - MEMORANDUM OF GRANT
SCHEDULE 1 - MEMORANDUM OF GRA SCHEDULE 1 - MEMORANDUM OF GRANT
[Schedule 1 Amended by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ][Schedule 1 Amended by No. 46 of 1991, s. 4 and Sched. 2 ][Schedule 1 Amended by No. 77 of 1995, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
SCHEDULE 2 - MEMORANDUM OF REL SCHEDULE 2 - MEMORANDUM OF RELEASE
[Schedule 2 Amended by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ][Schedule 2 Amended by No. 43 of 1991, s. 4 and Sched. 2 ][Schedule 2 Amended by No. 77 of 1995, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
[Schedule 6 Repealed by No. 19 of 1980, s. 171 and Sched. 1 ]
Source text: opening excerpt
Sourced from Tasmanian Legislation Online (legislation.tas.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
Part I Preliminary
Part I Preliminary
1 Short title
1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the War Service Land Settlement Act 1950 .
2 Repeal
2 Repeal
The Commonwealth and StateWar Service Land Settlement Agreement Act 1945 , the Commonwealth and StateWar Service Land Settlement Agreement Act 1947 , the Commonwealth and StateWar Service Land Settlement Agreement Act 1948 , and the Commonwealth and StateWar Service Land Settlement Agreement Act 1949 are repealed.
3 Interpretation
3 Interpretation
*[Section 3 Amended by No. 22 of 1960, s. 2 and s. 13 and Sched. 1 ][Section 3 Amended by No. 28 of 1976, s. 74 and Sched. 3 ][Section 3 Amended by No. 19 of 1980, s. 171 and Sched. 1 ][Section 3 Amended by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ][Section 3 Amended by No. 77 of 1995, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]*In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears –
Board means the Closer Settlement Board constituted under the Closer Settlement Act 1957 ;
[Section 3 Amended by No. 45 of 2003, Sched. 1, Applied:01 Jan 2004]caring partner, in relation to a person, means the person with whom the person is, or was at the time of his or her death, in a caring relationship, within the meaning of the Relationships Act 2003 ;
Crown land has the same meaning as in the Crown Lands Act 1976 ;
eligible person means –
(a) a discharged member of the Forces who –
(i) has been honourably discharged after not less; or
(ii) having in the opinion of the Board been materially prejudiced by reason of his war service, has been honourably discharged after less –
Rent, first-year terms and purchase: the Board must set rent so an incoming tenant is assured a reasonable standard of living (s 18). First-year rent is not charged, though net income from the holding is payable to the Board and credited against future obligations (s 20). Tenants may buy out Board rights after prescribed periods (s 37-38); the purchase price is capped as specified (s 37).
Water infrastructure and conveyancing: the Act contains provisions creating water districts (s 10AA), transferring waterworks to trustee companies and allowing borrowing with Crown guarantee (s 10AA(1)-(5)). Conveyancing provisions require plans, registration and ministerial/Board actions for title transfers (ss 39A-39J, 39K).
Validation and transitional measures: Part V validates certain prior resumptions, sets compensation rules and protects Crown servants from liability for acts done under earlier repealed Acts (ss 55-66). Section 2 expressly repeals predecessor Commonwealth and State War Service Land Settlement Agreement Acts.
Dispute resolution and oversight: an Appeal Board exists (s 68) and may arbitrate disputes under ss 27 and 29 in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Act 2011 (s 69(2)). The Governor may make regulations on a range of matters (s 70).
The Act therefore establishes an administrative, land‑settlement regime: the Board acquires/holds land in fee, offers and grants tenancies with detailed conditions, manages improvements and payments, and provides an on‑statute path to absolute freehold. The Act also contains validation of earlier transactions and limitations on compensation where particular resumptions are validated (s 57).
Main concepts
The Act’s architecture rests on a small set of recurring legal concepts and institutional roles. Set these out precisely because they are the levers that determine incentives and legal outcomes.
Eligible person and member of the Forces (s 3): eligibility is tightly defined in s 3. An eligible person must have registered under s 13A and fall within the statutory classes (discharged members of the Forces, or classes the Minister determines). The definition of “member of the Forces” (s 3) is lengthy and includes various nursing and auxiliary services and members of other Dominions’ forces who were born in or domiciled in Australia. The eligibility gate determines who receives priority for holdings under Part III (ss 13A, 14).
The Board and TDR (s 3): the Board is the Closer Settlement Board (s 3). The statute contemplates transfer of the Board’s functions to Tasmania Development and Resources (TDR) or the Tasmanian Development Authority by proclamation (s 69A), and several operational limits (for example, the residence mortgage restriction (s 22(3)) refer to TDR). The Board is both landowner (holds in fee, s 9(4)) and tenancy regulator (sets rents, imposes conditions, s 10, s 17).
Holdings, tenancy and grant mechanics (ss 14-17): a holding is the allotment to an eligible person (s 3). The sequence is registration (s 13A), offer (s 14), acceptance and allotment (s 15), occupation and then grant by memorandum registered under the Land Titles Act (s 17). Grants are “to hold of the Board for ever” but are subject to rent and conditions (s 17(1)). The Board retains a suite of continuing powers: to increase rent for improvements (s 19), to re-enter for breach (s 30), to re‑allot reverted holdings (s 32).
Residence and alienation constraints (s 22): a six‑year continuous, bona fide residence requirement must commence within three months of allotment (s 22(1)-(2)). During that period the holding generally cannot be mortgaged except to TDR and cannot be transferred except for death, insanity, incapacity or by TDR under a power of sale; the Board may relax these with consent or regulation (s 22(3), s 70(e)).
Improvements, capital value and tenant‑right (ss 25-27A): structural improvements are defined (s 25) and the tenant pays capital value for structural improvements existing at allotment or later works done under s 19 (s 26(1)). On reversion the outgoing tenant has a statutory tenant‑right to be paid the capital value of improvements (s 27(1)-(3)), with the Board determining value and registering a charge (s 27(3)). There are limits on liability for improvements within the first ten years (s 27(4)-(5)). Non‑structural improvements may attract compensation up to the enhancement of the Board’s reversion (s 27A).
Rent and first‑year rules (ss 18-21): rent must be set to allow the tenant a reasonable standard of living even with no capital (s 18). Where improvements are required, the Board may do them or the tenant may do them at Board expense; the Board may then add one‑fortieth of relevant costs to rent (s 19). The first year is rent‑free but the tenant must pay net income to the Board, credited against future obligations (s 20).
Conveyancing and registration (ss 39A-39J): proclamations must contain plans (s 39A), plans must be lodged with registration requests (s 39C), and the Recorder of Titles issues certificates of title on registration of the Board as proprietor (s 39D). The Board delivers up its grant or certificate for registration of grants/releases (s 39E, s 39J).
Waterworks and finance (ss 10, 10AA-10B): the Board may establish waterworks and the Governor may declare water districts; boards of trustees can be incorporated and guaranteed borrowing authorised (s 10AA). The Waterworks Clauses Act 1952 applies to such works (s 10AA(2)(a)).
Validation provisions (Part V): Part V validates certain prior resumptions and contains special rules limiting compensation (s 57) and protecting Crown servants from criminal/civil claims in relation to acts under repealed Acts (ss 59-60). These provisions affect the financial exposure of the Crown and the remedies available to affected owners.
Each of these concepts allocates decision‑making authority to particular actors and prescribes financial flows: who pays for improvements (s 26), who receives rent (s 17), who pays compensation on reversion (s 27), who gets compensation for resumed land (s 57). Many key monetary values, capital valuations and increases are left to the Board’s determination (s 19(2); s 26(1); s 27(3)), which centralises discretion.
Who it affects
The Act creates specific legal positions and affects several identifiable groups. Below is a roster of principal stakeholders and the statutory consequences that attach to them.
Eligible persons / discharged members of the Forces: defined in s 3, these are the primary intended beneficiaries. They must register under s 13A to take part in land settlement. If allotted a holding they become tenants with statutory obligations (residence s 22, husbandry s 23) and statutory entitlements (occupancy, eventual grant s 17).
The Board (Closer Settlement Board) and successor (TDR): the Board is the central decision‑maker: it acquires and holds land (ss 6, 9), makes offers and allotments (ss 14-15), determines rent (s 18), decides on improvements (s 19), sets capital values (s 26, s 27) and may re‑enter (s 30). Section 69A contemplates transferring functions and references to TDR, and s 22(3) limits mortgageability to TDR during residence period.
Minister, Governor and Treasurer: the Minister acts on recommendations of the Board for reservations (s 5) and the Governor issues proclamations vesting or bringing land under the Act (s 8, s 9(2)). The Treasurer may guarantee repayment for waterworks borrowing (s 10AA(3)) and the Governor makes regulations on the Board’s recommendation (s 70).
Existing landowners listed in Schedule 3: s 9(1) vests lands listed in Schedule 3 in the Board. Part V validates earlier resumptions (s 57) and sets compensation rules for those owners (s 57). Owners affected by those resumptions may also find limits on interest (s 66) and recovery costs provisions (s 67).
Tenants and outgoing tenants: tenants must comply with tenancy conditions (ss 22-24), pay rent and purchase capital value of structural improvements (s 26). Outgoing tenants acquire tenant‑right on reversion (s 27) and may seek compensation per the statutory machinery. Executors, administrators and dependants have particular transitional rights where tenant dies or becomes incapacitated (s 22(4)).
Financial counterparties and mortgagees: mortgageability is constrained: during the residence period the holding is not capable of being mortgaged except to TDR (s 22(3)). For post‑residence dealings, the Act limits corporate ownership of holdings absent Board approval (s 35(1)-(2)), and the Board may register charges for tenant‑right (s 27(3); s 39F).
Local authorities and ratepayers: the Board is generally exempt from local rates and taxes except where land is worked for profit by the Board (s 13).
Waterworks trustees and boards of trustees: where the Board establishes waterworks, a water district may be proclaimed and a board of trustees incorporated; the trustees may receive conveyance of the Board’s rights and must meet payment obligations (s 10AA(1)-(2)).
Courts, Recorder of Titles and administrative officers: the Act prescribes conveyancing and registration duties for the Recorder (ss 39C-39E, 39H, 39J, 39K) and contemplates judicial assistance where possession is resisted (s 64) and appeals to the War Service Land Settlement Appeal Board (ss 68-69).
In sum, the statutory design places the Board at the nexus of acquisition, allocation, valuation and enforcement. Eligible persons and tenants are subject to residence, husbandry and conveyancing constraints that affect their property rights, borrowing capacity and capacity to monetise improvements. Owners of lands validated as vested have prescribed compensation entitlements and limits. The Minister, Governor and Treasurer retain supervisory roles in reservations, proclamations and guarantees respectively.
Key duties and rights
The Act divides duties and rights across the Board, eligible persons/tenants, Ministers, and third parties. The following is a precise inventory of the operative obligations and entitlements the text creates.
Board duties and powers
Register eligible persons who apply within prescribed dates (s 13A(1)-(2)).
Make offers specifying holding, rent, contribution under s 26, special conditions and whether rent increases may be sought (s 14(2)(a)-(f)).
Allot upon acceptance and issue notice of allotment specifying rent and special conditions; grant by memorandum registered under Land Titles Act (ss 15, 17(1)).
Determine rent so that a tenant starting with no capital will be assured of a reasonable standard of living (s 18).
Make or fund improvements where necessary and, if reserved in the offer, increase rent by one‑fortieth of the improvement cost (s 19(1)-(2)).
Determine capital values for structural improvements, register charges for tenant‑right and pay outgoing tenants when required (ss 26(1), 27(3), 27(2)).
Exercise re‑entry and determine tenancies for breaches or rent arrears (s 30).
Sell or surrender land not required, subject in some cases to offering back to original owner (ss 12, 12A).
Establish water districts and convey waterworks to boards of trustees, with the Treasurer authorised to guarantee borrowing in prescribed circumstances (s 10AA).
Tenant duties and rights
Register to be eligible (s 13A).
Accept an offer and enter as tenant at will until grant (s 15(2)).
Reside continuously and bona fide on the holding for six years starting within three months of allotment (s 22(1)-(2)); the Board may allow alternative performing persons where tenant dies, is incapacitated or under guardianship (s 22(4)).
Maintain good husbandry and undertake specified farm practices, repair boundary fences and certain improvements and comply with listed statutory acts (s 23(1)(a)-(m)).
During first year, not charged rent but must pay net income from the holding to the Board, credited against future obligations (s 20(1)-(3)).
Pay annual rent on a prescribed schedule and the rent reserved is a debt due to the Board (s 21(2)-(3)).
Pay to the Board the capital value of structural improvements, on terms set by the Board; the Board may take a mortgage to secure payment (s 26(1), (3)).
On reversion, outgoing tenant has tenant‑right to capital value of structural improvements, with the Board determining value and registering a charge (s 27).
Minister, Governor, Treasurer duties
Minister may, on Board recommendation, declare reserved areas and grant consent for transactions in reserved areas (s 5(1)-(3)).
Governor may proclaim land under the Act (s 8) and create water districts and trustees by letters patent (s 10AA(1)).
Treasurer may guarantee borrowers for waterworks where works are approved by Tasmanian Irrigation Pty Ltd and subject to s 10AA(6) qualification (s 10AA(3)-(6)).
Third‑party and procedural rights
Original owners have a statutory pre‑emption right when the Board sells land acquired by compulsory process; the Board must offer back first (s 12A(1)-(5)).
Outgoing tenants and persons with tenant‑right have a charge on the holding until payment (s 27(3)).
Appeal and arbitration rights: persons aggrieved by the Board’s determinations under ss 27 and 29 may appeal to the War Service Land Settlement Appeal Board, which arbitrates under the Commercial Arbitration Act 2011 (s 69(1)-(2)).
Conveyancing mechanics: Recorder of Titles shall issue certificates on registration of Board as proprietor and register grants/releases as prescribed (ss 39D-39E, 39J).
The statute centralises valuation, the imposition of special conditions, and many financial determinations in the Board. It also limits the alienability and mortgageability of holdings during the residence period (s 22(3)). Practically, rights to sell, mortgage or transfer are constrained: many dealings are ineffective without consent (s 34), corporate ownership is precluded except with Board approval (s 35), and the Board can register charges for tenant‑right (s 27(3)).
Penalties and enforcement
The Act combines administrative enforcement powers, civil remedies, and criminal penalties; these operate through statutory conditions, debt mechanisms and limited criminal sanctions.
Criminal penalties and fines
Reservation area offences: while a notice under s 5 remains in force, persons who sell or purchase rural land in the reserved area, or give/take options for sale/purchase, without written consent of the Minister commit an offence punishable by a fine not exceeding 20 penalty units (s 5(3)). The Act also declares such agreements void (s 5(4)).
Regulatory penalties: the Governor may make regulations under s 70(d) for ascertainment and recovery of moneys payable under s 20 and may impose penalties not exceeding 20 penalty units for failures to keep prescribed books, bank moneys received, or make prescribed returns. These are regulatory offences enforceable under the regulations.
Administrative enforcement and civil remedies
Re‑entry and forfeiture: the Board may re‑enter and determine a tenancy on breach of conditions (s 30(a)) and for rent six months in arrear, subject to Conveyancing and Law of Property Act 1884 s 15 and equitable jurisdiction (s 30(b)). Re‑entry can extinguish the tenant’s possessory rights and trigger Board re‑allotment (s 32).
Debt collection and charges: rent is a debt due to the Board (s 21(3)). The Board may register a memorandum of tenant‑right and that amount remains a charge on the holding until paid (s 27(3)). The Board may appropriate amounts in purchase deposit accounts to satisfy tenant debts (s 39(3)).
Board recovery of repair costs: where a tenant fails to repair or keep improvements, the Board may enter and make repairs and recover the cost as a debt (s 23(1)(o), (p)).
Conveyancing enforcement: the Recorder is required to record re‑entry on relevant folios when the Board re‑enters by legal proceedings or under s 30 (s 39H). Where persons refuse to give possession of land vested in the Board under s 9(1), a judge may, on the Attorney‑General’s application, issue a warrant authorising the sheriff to deliver possession to the Board (s 64).
Limitation and protection provisions
Validation and limitation of liabilities: Part V provides protection for Crown servants. It is a good defence for persons charged with crimes committed before commencement to say the act would have been justifiable under the repealed Acts and that the defendant believed them valid; the unsworn statement is conclusive (s 59). Section 60(1) bars actions against the Crown or its servants for certain trespasses or dispossessions done purportedly under the repealed Acts. These provisions limit exposure of Crown actors for specified acts done prior to the Act’s commencement.
Limits on compensation interest and costs: interest on compensation for lands in Schedule 3 is capped at 4% from date possession given until payment or to 12 months after commencement (s 66). Reasonable costs of vesting land are payable by the Crown but capped in total to $100 (s 67(1)).
Appeal and dispute resolution
The War Service Land Settlement Appeal Board is the prescribed review body for appeals against determinations under ss 27 and 29 (s 69(1)). The Appeal Board arbitrates under the Commercial Arbitration Act 2011 as if the parties had agreed to arbitration (s 69(2)). This channels disputes into arbitration procedure rather than ordinary court adjudication for those matters.
In sum, enforcement relies mainly on civil remedies, registration of charges, and administrative re‑entry powers, with a narrow set of criminal/regulatory penalties (largely 20 penalty units for specified breaches). The Act also curtails Crown exposure for certain pre‑commencement acts and caps interest/costs for specified resumptions (ss 59-67).
How it interacts with other laws
The Act cross‑references and imports operation from a number of other Tasmanian and Commonwealth statutes. Those interactions affect procedure, valuation, registration and dispute resolution.
Land Acquisition Act 1993: section 6 makes the Land Acquisition Act 1993 apply to acquisitions by the Board, and s 10(8) applies that Act to land surrendered for specified purposes. Section 12(1)(a) and 12A(5) also refer expressly to acquisition procedures and compensation determination by reference to the Land Acquisition Act 1993. Where land was acquired by compulsory process previously, the Board must offer it back to original owners under s 12A(1).
Land Titles Act 1980: grants are to be registered under the Land Titles Act 1980 (s 17(1)). The Recorder of Titles’ registration functions (ss 39C-39E, 39H, 39J, 39K) are framed in the language of that Act, including issue/cancellation of folios and certificates of title (s 39D, s 39J(3)).
Closer Settlement Act 1957: the Board is constituted under the Closer Settlement Act 1957 (definition of Board, s 3). The Governor may bring land subject to that Act under this Act by proclamation (s 8).
Waterworks Clauses Act 1952: where a water district is proclaimed and trustees incorporated, the Waterworks Clauses Act 1952 applies to the waterworks as if this Act were the special Act and the trustees the undertakers (s 10AA(2)(a)).
Commercial Arbitration Act 2011: appeals to the War Service Land Settlement Appeal Board under ss 27 and 29 are to be arbitrated in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Act 2011, as if the parties had agreed in writing to refer the matter (s 69(2)). That brings statutory arbitration procedure and standards into the Act’s dispute resolution.
Conveyancing and Law of Property Act 1884 and Landlord & Tenant Act 1935: the Board’s re‑entry is subject to s 15 of the Conveyancing and Law of Property Act 1884 (s 30(a)), and s 24 expressly states tenants are liable for waste as tenants for years, while excluding construction under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1935 (s 24(2)-(3)).
Re‑establishment and Employment Act 1945 and other definitional cross‑references: definitions of “war service” and “member of the Forces” reference other Commonwealth Acts, such as the Re‑establishment and Employment Act 1945 and Defence statutes (s 3). These definitions determine eligibility and therefore the operation of Part III.
Trustee Act 1898 and Lands Resumption Act 1910: s 12(1)(a) allows the Board, when selling land acquired under earlier land acquisition acts, to exercise trustee powers under s 16 of the Trustee Act 1898. Part V validates certain resumptions made under the Lands Resumption Act 1910 and prescribes compensation mechanics under that Act (s 57).
Regulations and other Acts: s 70 empowers the Governor to make regulations (on Board recommendation) for matters required by the Act and for detailed administration including enforcement and financial record‑keeping (s 70(d)).
These interactions mean implementation depends on concurrent application of conveyancing, acquisition and arbitration regimes. For example, valuation disputes concerning compensation and tenant‑right may draw on Land Acquisition Act 1993 mechanisms (s 12A(5)) and arbitration via the Appeal Board (s 69). Waterworks projects invoke Waterworks Clauses Act processes (s 10AA(2)). The Board’s freedom to acquire and dispose of land is bounded by acquisition law and by the Board’s duty to offer acquired land back to original owners in compulsion cases (s 12A).
Careful attention to the cross‑references is required for practice: conveyancers must follow plan and registration requirements (ss 39A-39C), tribunals must note arbitration is the prescribed route for certain valuation disputes (s 69(2)), and acquisition practitioners must use Land Acquisition Act processes when the Board acquires land (s 6(2)).
Amendment history
The Act text includes a number of amendment notations and repeals. Below is a structured summary limited to the amendments and instruments expressly mentioned in the source text and the provisions they affected.
Repeals of predecessor Acts: section 2 expressly repeals the Commonwealth and State War Service Land Settlement Agreement Act 1945, and the Commonwealth and State War Service Land Settlement Agreement Acts of 1947, 1948 and 1949.
1950s-1960s amendments and insertions:
No. 78 of 1952: multiple insertions and amendments , see s 10(4) amendment reference, the insertion of s 10A and s 10B, s 12A insertion (s 5), s 27A insertion (s 9), and insertion of Part III Division VIII headings such as ss 39A-39K and Schedules 1-5. Schedule entries also amended.
No. 13 of 1956: addition of s 10(8) and amendments to the third schedule (s 57 references).
No. 22 of 1960: amendments to s 3 (definitions), s 5(3) substitution references, s 8, s 9(4) registration procedures, s 14(2), s 16(1), s 17(1), s 19(2), s 26 substitution, s 27(6) substitution and other technical amendments (multiple sections annotated).
No. 26 of 1968: substitution of s 10(2), insertion of Division IX and s 39L (acceleration of purchase), and amendments to s 70. Also s 67A insertion validating certain leases.
No. 40 of 1969: s 10AA subsections inserted authorising Treasurer guarantee and Board loans, and s 10AA(6) qualification added later.
Later amendments (1980s-1990s):
No. 19 of 1980: multiple amendments, including to s 17(1) and significant changes to conveyancing provisions and schedules; s 39D and s 39E later bear this amendment notation.
No. 88 of 1983: multiple repeals of financial Divisions and substantive amendments (noted in s 3 amendments and elsewhere). Also inserted s 69A to transfer functions to TDR (s 69A inserted by No. 88 of 1983).
No. 24 of 1993: substituted s 6, omitted earlier 11(1) and amended other technical sections.
No. 68 of 1994 and No. 77 of 1995: amendments affecting, for example, s 9(4) and s 22(3) respectively.
No. 17 of 1996 and No. 33 of 1996: amendments to definitions and to the performance of the residence condition, including the inclusion of “caring partner” definitions (s 3) and adjustments to s 22(4).
2000s-2020s updates:
No. 45 of 2003: amendments to s 3 for the terms ‘caring partner’ and ‘spouse’ to align with the Relationships Act 2003 and to s 22(4) reference.
No. 30 of 1995 and No. 8 of 2011: qualifications to s 10AA regarding Tasmanian Irrigation Pty Ltd and application of guarantees (s 10AA(6) added by No. 8 of 2011).
No. 23 of 2021: amendments to conveyancing registration provisions (s 39D and s 39E annotations refer to No. 23 of 2021, s 159-160, Applied: 01 Jan 2022).
No. 9 of 2011 and No. 68 of 1994: s 69(2) amended with reference to Commercial Arbitration Act 2011 (No. 9 of 2011) and earlier amendments to arbitration mechanics (No. 68 of 1994).
Miscellaneous earlier notations: No. 43 of 1991 (amendments to s 5 and s 70), No. 55 of 1965 (s 5), No. 103 of 1976 (s 35 insertion), No. 46 of 1991 and No. 5 of 1962 are cited in relation to schedules and forms.
The Act’s footnotes in the provided text show repeated targeted amendments: definitions and functions updated (notably to add modern statutory relationships, to reflect transfer of Board functions to TDR, and to modernise conveyancing and arbitration links). Several financial and administrative Divisions were repealed (notably multiple sections repealed by No. 88 of 1983). The schedules and conveyancing forms have been modernised across time (schedules amended in 1983, 1991, 1995 and 2021). The aggregated picture is iterative statutory maintenance: definitional updates (s 3), modernising cross‑references to contemporary statutes (Land Titles Act 1980; Commercial Arbitration Act 2011), and reallocation of functions to Tasmanian development authorities (s 69A). All amendment citations above are taken from the marginal notations within the Act text.
Litigation history
The source text contains no citations to judicial decisions or reported litigation under this Act. There are, however, statutory dispute resolution and protective mechanisms that define how contested matters are to be resolved and indicate likely procedural channels for litigation or arbitration.
Statutory appeal/arbitration route: s 69 provides that any person aggrieved by the Board’s determination under s 27 (tenant‑right valuation) or s 29 (compensation for emblements) may in the prescribed manner appeal to the War Service Land Settlement Appeal Board. Section 69(2) requires the Appeal Board to arbitrate under the Commercial Arbitration Act 2011 as if the parties agreed in writing to refer the matter. This channels valuation disputes away from ordinary court proceedings into the arbitration framework for those matters.
Courts and writs: s 62 provides an extraordinary mechanism where the Governor, on petition, may prohibit a court from proceeding in a private action by writ issued pursuant to an order‑in‑council and to transmit the petition to Parliament for remedy. If Parliament does not act within twelve sitting days, the stay is lifted and the other party may continue. This is a non‑judicial stay mechanism that could interrupt litigation and transfer the issue into a political/remedial process.
Crown protection and defences: Part V contains provisions limiting legal exposure for Crown servants and agents for acts purportedly done under the repealed Acts (ss 59-60). Those sections create statutory defences and preclude certain actions against the Crown, which would shape litigation strategy and the availability of remedies for plaintiffs.
Administrative enforcement and judicial assistance: s 64 allows a judge, on application by the Attorney‑General, to grant a warrant authorising the sheriff to deliver possession to the Board where a person refuses or hinders Board possession. That creates an access to judicial enforcement for the Board’s property rights.
No judicial precedent provided in the text: absent reported cases in the source, there is no judicial interpretation recorded here of key provisions (for example, the content of “reasonable standard of living” in s 18, the Board’s valuation discretion in s 27, or the interaction between s 22 residence constraints and mortgageability). Practitioners must therefore rely on statutory language and any external case law not included in the text.
Implication for practitioners: because the Act prescribes arbitration for specific valuation disputes and creates protections for Crown actors, litigated disputes under the Act are likely to be constrained by these channels. However, for matters beyond the scope of the Appeal Board mandate (for example, constitutional challenges, industrial matters, or other civil causes of action not captured by s 69), normal court paths may remain open subject to the preservation or limitation clauses in Part V. The absence of reported cases in the Act’s text means one cannot cite judicial authority directly from this source; any case law research must look beyond the Act text.
Gotchas
The Act contains many provisions that can trip up counsel, accountants, conveyancers and administrators if treated as ordinary freehold land rules. The list below highlights practical hazards and administrative friction points grounded in the statutory text.
Reservation restrictions and timing: s 5(1) permits the Minister to declare reserved areas for up to 12 months, and s 5(3) criminalises sale/purchase/option transactions in reserved areas without written Ministerial consent, with a penalty up to 20 penalty units and voiding of offending agreements (s 5(4)). Practitioners must check whether land sits within a current reservation before advising on transactions.
Centralised valuation discretion: the Board determines capital values and rents (s 19(2), s 26(1), s 27(3)). The Act leaves valuation mechanics to the Board, with appeal to an Appeal Board only in respect of ss 27 and 29 (s 69), not for all Board valuations or decisions. That concentrates bargaining power and creates uncertainty over valuation methodology and timing.
Residence period constraints on alienation and finance: during the six‑year residence period the holding is generally not mortgageable except to TDR and generally not transferable except in narrow circumstances (s 22(1), (3)). This affects the tenant’s ability to obtain outside credit or monetise the asset during the statutory residency period.
Tenant‑right payout limits within first ten years: where a holding reverts within the ten‑year period, the Board’s liability to pay for tenant‑right is restricted by s 27(4): the Board’s liability is capped at the amount payable under s 26(2) plus one‑tenth of the difference for each completed year. This can substantially reduce recoverable value to an outgoing tenant within that decade.
Board appropriation of purchase deposit accounts: funds deposited as purchase deposits earn interest at a Board‑fixed rate (s 39(2)) and may be appropriated by the Board to satisfy tenant debts (s 39(3)). That reduces predictability for tenants using those accounts to accumulate purchase funds.
Conveyancing formalities and delivery of title documents: registration mechanics require the Board to deliver up its grants or certificates to register grants/releases, and folio creation/cancellation steps are prescribed (ss 39E, 39J). Failure to deliver documentation or to lodge plans (s 39C) can stall or invalidate transfers.
Statutory defences and limits on Crown liability: ss 59-60 create substantive defences and preclude some actions against the Crown for acts purportedly taken under repealed Acts. For claimants against Crown actions pre‑commencement, remedies may be constrained or require petitions to the Governor under s 62, which introduces political timing risk.
Limited scope of appeal/arbitration: s 69 confines Appeal Board jurisdiction to determinations under s 27 and s 29. Other Board determinations (for example, special conditions, rent setting under s 18, decisions to re‑allot under s 32) may not be subject to the same arbitration route, so procedural rights vary by subject matter.
Interplay with other statutes can complicate outcomes: acquisitions are subject to the Land Acquisition Act 1993 (s 6(2)) and some compensation considerations draw on the Lands Resumption Act 1910 (s 57). Failure to follow those external statutes’ processes can affect validity and compensation rights.
Waterworks finance conditions: s 10AA(6) conditions Treasurer/Board guarantees and loans on approval by Tasmanian Irrigation Pty Ltd for works. This external approval trigger can block finance for waterworks unless that approval is obtained.
Regulatory penalties for bookkeeping and returns: regulations may impose penalties up to 20 penalty units for failures to maintain prescribed bookkeeping and returns (s 70(d)). This is a compliance risk often overlooked by small tenant operations.
For advisers the recurring theme is statutory centralisation of valuation, conditional alienability and tight administrative procedures. When advising tenants, lenders or purchasers, verifying the Board’s recorded allotment and any conditions, checking for current reservations, and confirming plan/registration compliance are immediate practical steps.
How to comply
Compliance under this Act requires attention to registration, conditional obligations, conveyancing formalities, and administrative timetables. Below are concrete steps and checklists for the principal actors derived from the statutory text.
For prospective eligible persons (veterans, discharged service members)
Register in time: apply to the Board to be registered under s 13A before the last date determined by the Board. The Board may set different dates for different classes (s 13A(1)-(2)).
If offered a holding, review the offer carefully: the Board must specify the holding, rent, amount payable under s 26, special conditions, whether a rent increase may be sought under s 19 and the time for which the offer is open (s 14(2)(a)-(g)).
Prepare for the residence condition: be ready to commence bona fide continuous personal residence within three months of allotment and remain for six years (s 22(1)-(2)). If incapacity, death or guardianship issues arise, follow s 22(4) procedures,apply to the Board for relief or transfer consent.
Budget for improvements and first‑year net income: during the first year the Board will not demand rent but will demand net income from the holding (s 20(1)-(3)). Ensure bookkeeping is sufficient to determine net income for payment and understand the Board’s rights to credit and appropriation.
If planning to purchase improvements, expect Board determinations of capital value and the requirement to pay capital value to the Board, with possible mortgage security (s 26(1), (3)).
For tenants wishing to purchase absolute freehold: check the timing (must be more than six years after allotment, s 38(1)) and the purchase price cap (s 37). Consider depositing amounts in a purchase deposit account (s 39), noting the Board’s rights to appropriate deposits for debts (s 39(3)).
For the Board and administrators
Ensure registration and recordkeeping: keep registers of eligible persons (s 13A) and issue offers with required content (s 14(2)). Maintain and publish any prescribed rates or interest decisions (s 39(2) requires the Board to publish interest rate by Gazette).
Follow acquisition and vesting formalities: when acquiring land, follow Land Acquisition Act 1993 processes (s 6(2)) and when requesting registration of vested land, lodge plans verified by a registered surveyor (s 39C). Ensure proclamations under s 8 and s 9 contain plans (s 39A).
Handle improvements and rent increases in line with s 19: record costs, determine the one‑fortieth annual increase if reserved in offer, and register memorandum of increase of rent where required.
When selling land acquired by compulsory process, comply with s 12A: first offer the land back to the original owner, allow 30 days for acceptance, and be prepared to resolve price disputes under the Land Acquisition Act 1993 procedures where necessary (s 12A(5)).
Conveyancing steps: when granting or releasing fee farm estates, deliver up grants or certificates to the Recorder as required (ss 39E, 39J). Ensure the Recorder has plans and verified surveyor documentation (s 39B, 39C).
Accountability for waterworks: when creating water districts, follow s 10AA(1)-(2), provide for trustee conveyances and payment instalments, and obtain necessary approvals if loans/guarantees are sought (s 10AA(3)-(6)).
For conveyancers and lenders
Check the residence constraint and mortgage limits: before accepting a security interest, confirm whether a holding is in the residence period and therefore only mortgageable to TDR (s 22(3)). For corporate purchasers, ensure Board approval if a body corporate is proposed to own freehold or a term of years (s 35(1)-(2)).
Observe registration formalities: comply with plan lodging requirements (s 39C), present memoranda in the prescribed forms (s 39F, Schedules), and understand the Board’s obligation to deliver up its grant/certificate on registration (s 39E).
Validate purchase deposit accounts: for clients using s 39 accounts, confirm interest rate published in the Gazette and the Board’s appropriation rights for outstanding debts (s 39(2)-(3)).
For original owners of compulsorily acquired land
Identify whether the land appears in Schedule 3 and whether the resumption was validated by s 57: if so, compensation mechanics are specified including valuation caps and interest limits (s 57(1)-(3); s 66).
If offered back under s 12A, act promptly: the statute gives 30 days for the person to signify desire to purchase; after that right of pre‑emption may cease (s 12A(3)). If price disputes arise, invoke the Land Acquisition Act 1993 process for disputed compensation as if the Board were a claimant (s 12A(5)).
Regulatory compliance and recordkeeping
Maintain prescribed books, vouchers and returns for income and net income accounting under s 20. Regulations may impose penalties up to 20 penalty units for failures (s 70(d)). Keep records to support calculations of net income, improvements costs, and rent computations.
If the Board or trustees lend or borrow for waterworks, ensure charges over revenue and the formalities for Crown guarantee (s 10AA(3)-(5)) are observed.
Dispute avoidance and resolution
For valuation disputes under ss 27 and 29, the prescribed appeal route is arbitration before the War Service Land Settlement Appeal Board under the Commercial Arbitration Act 2011 (s 69). Parties should preserve evidence and agree to the prescribed arbitration steps.
Where possession is resisted, the Attorney‑General may seek a warrant under s 64 to have sheriff deliver possession; coordinate with Crown law officers when seeking judicial assistance.
These compliance points flow directly from the Act’s text. Practitioners should map client actions against the specific sections indicated above and validate any dates (offer acceptance periods, Gazetted interest rates) against the Board’s actual notices and the Gazette. Where the Act cross‑refers to other statutes (Land Acquisition Act 1993, Land Titles Act 1980, Waterworks Clauses Act 1952, Commercial Arbitration Act 2011), comply with those statutes’ procedural steps as they apply.
(b) a person who is included in a class of persons (if any) that the Minister determines shall be eligible to participate in war service land settlement under this Act –
and has been registered under section thirteen A ;
holding means the land allotted to an eligible person for the purposes of this Act;
member of the Forces means –
(a) a person who is or was, during the war, a member of the Permanent Forces of the Commonwealth, other than the Australian Imperial Force;
(b) a person who is or was, during the war, a member of the Australian Imperial Force;
(c) a member of the Citizen Forces of the Commonwealth who is or was enlisted, appointed, or called up for continuous service for the duration of, and directly in connection with, the war;
(d) a person who is or was, during the war, engaged on continuous full-time service as a member of any of the following services – The Royal Australian Naval Nursing Service; The Women's Royal Australian Naval Service; The Australian Army Nursing Service; The Australian Women's Army Service; The Australian Army Medical Women's Service; The Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service; The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force;
(e) a member of a Voluntary Aid Detachment who is or was, during the war, engaged on continuous full-time paid duty with any part of the Defence Forces of the Commonwealth;
(f) a member of the Naval, Military, or Air Forces of any part of the King's Dominions other than Australia who is or was, during the war, engaged on service in a prescribed area and was born in Australia or was, immediately prior to his becoming a member of any of those Forces, domiciled in Australia; and
(g) [Section 3 Amended by No. 17 of 1996, Applied:15 May 1998] a person who is or was, during the war, engaged on continuous full-time service with any Nursing Service or other Women's Service auxiliary to the Naval, Military, or Air Forces of any part of the King's Dominions other than Australia who was born in Australia or was, immediately prior to her becoming a member of that Service, domiciled in Australia –
but does not include any enemy alien who served during the war as a member of the Army Labour Corps but not otherwise;
register the verb, in all its parts, means register under the Land Titles Act 1980 , and registration shall be similarly construed;
[Section 3 Amended by No. 45 of 2003, Sched. 1, Applied:01 Jan 2004]spouse includes the person with whom a person is, or was at the time of his or her death, in a significant relationship, within the meaning of the Relationships Act 2003 ;
[Section 3 Amended by No. 17 of 1996, Applied:15 May 1998]TDR means Tasmania Development and Resources;
tenancy means a tenancy of a holding created by the Board by allotment under section fifteen or by grant under section seventeen ;
tenant means the tenant of a holding, his heirs, executors, administrators, or assigns as the context requires;
the repealed Acts means the Acts repealed by section two ;
the war means the war which commenced on the third day of September 1939, and includes any other war in which His Majesty became engaged after that date and before the second day of September 1945;
[Section 3 Amended by No. 17 of 1996, Applied:15 May 1998]war service means–
(a) service as a member of the Permanent Forces of the Commonwealth, other than the Australian Imperial Force;
(b) service in the Australian Imperial Force;
(c) [Section 3 Amended by No. 17 of 1996, Applied:15 May 1998] the service of a member of the Citizen Forces of the Commonwealth when called out for war service in pursuance of the Defence Act 1903 of the Commonwealth, or during continuous training under that Act, the Naval Defence Act 1910 of the Commonwealth, or the Air Force Act 1923 of the Commonwealth;
(d) the continuous full-time service in the Defence Forces under any Act of the Commonwealth or under any regulations under an Act of the Commonwealth, of any person who volunteers and is accepted for that service during the war;
(e) in the case of a person specified in paragraphs (d) , (e) , (f) , or (g) of the definition of member of the Forces , service in any of the bodies specified in those paragraphs; or
(f) the continuous full-time service of any person as a member of an organization or part thereof which is declared by proclamation under the Re-establishment and Employment Act 1945 of the Commonwealth to be an organization in relation to which the provisions of that Act apply–
during the war.
4.
[Section 4 Repealed by No. 88 of 1983, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
Part II Powers in Respect of Lands
Part II Powers in Respect of Lands
5 Power to reserve land for settlement
5 Power to reserve land for settlement
[Section 5 Subsection (3) amended by No. 43 of 1991, s. 5 and Sched. 1 ]
(1) The Minister may, on the recommendation of the Board, at any time within two months after the commencement of this Act, by notice in the Gazette, declare any area defined in the notice, comprising land suitable for settlement by discharged members of the Forces, to be a reserved area for the purposes of this Act.
(2) A notice under subsection (1) shall, unless sooner revoked, remain in force for a period of twelve months from the date thereof.
(3) *[Section 5 Subsection (3) amended by No. 55 of 1965, s. 5 ]*While any notice under subsection (1) remains in force in respect of any reserved area, no person shall –
(a) sell or purchase any rural land; or
(b) give or take any option for the sale or purchase of rural land –
in the reserved area except with the consent, in writing, of the Minister.
Penalty: Fine not exceeding 20 penalty units.
(4) Any agreement or option for the sale or purchase of rural land in contravention of subsection (3) , and any conveyance or transfer of any land to which any such agreement or option relates, shall be void and of no effect.
(5) In this section
rural land means land situated outside the limits of any city or town.
6 Acquiring land
6 Acquiring land
[Section 6 Substituted by No. 24 of 1993, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
(1) The Board may acquire land for the purposes of this Act.
(2) The Land Acquisition Act 1993 applies in relation to the acquisition of land, and the land acquired, by the Board.
7.
[Section 7 Repealed by No. 28 of 1976, s. 74 and Sched. 3 ]
8 Closer settlement land may be brought under this Act
8 Closer settlement land may be brought under this Act
(1) *[Section 8 Subsection (1) amended by No. 22 of 1960, s. 13 and Sched. 1 ]*The Governor may, on the recommendation of the Board by proclamation, declare as from any date after the twentieth day of December 1945, any land subject to the Closer Settlement Act 1957 which is not leased or sold or contracted to be leased or sold shall be subject to this Act.
(2) *[Section 8 Subsection (2) amended by No. 22 of 1960, s. 13 and Sched. 1 ]*Upon the making of such a proclamation the land thereby affected shall cease to be subject to the Closer Settlement Act 1957 and shall be subject to this Act and shall be deemed to have done so from any earlier date set out in the proclamation for that purpose.
9 Vesting of land in the Board
9 Vesting of land in the Board
(1) The lands referred to in the third schedule are hereby vested in the Board.
(2) *[Section 9 Subsection (2) amended by No. 28 of 1976, s. 74 and Sched. 3 ]*The Governor may by proclamation vest in the Board any land reserved under section 12 of theCrown Lands Act 1976 or surrendered to the King purportedly for the purposes of the repealed Acts or any of them.
(3) All land becoming subject to this Act under section eight shall at the same instant vest in the Board.
(4) *[Section 9 Subsection (4) amended by No. 68 of 1994, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]*Upon land vesting in the Board under this section the Board shall hold the same in fee for the purposes of this Act, and the Recorder of Titles shall register the Board as proprietor thereof upon, in the case of land vesting under subsections (2) and (3) of this section, the Board's so requesting and referring to the place in the Gazette where the relevant proclamation appears, and this the Board shall do within sixty days after gazettal.
(5) Nothing in this section applies to the land comprised in purchase grant, volume 211, folium 72.
10 Disposition of lands by the Board
10 Disposition of lands by the Board
[Section 10 Subsection (8) amended by No. 24 of 1993, s. 3 and Sched. 1 ]
(1) The Board may grant land to eligible persons for the purposes of this Act as provided in Part III .
(2) *[Section 10 Subsection (2) substituted by No. 26 of 1968, s. 2 ]*For the purposes of this Act the Board may grant land –
(a) to eligible persons to be held for any interest less than freehold; and
(b) to other persons to be held at will.
(3) The Board may if it is of opinion that any land vested in it is required for any of the purposes specified in subsection (4) of this section with consent transfer, lease, or surrender such land for that purpose.
(4) [Section 10 Subsection (4) amended by No. 78 of 1952, s. 2 ]Subsection (3) of this section shall apply to any of the following purposes:
(a) The erection or carrying on of any church, chapel, or church hall, with or without a hall, schoolroom, parsonage, presbytery, or manse, or any public hall, community centre, or other building for public or recreational purposes;
(b) the laying out and construction or carrying on of any recreation ground, park, or public reserve;
(c) The provision or carrying on of saleyards, or of any premises for the accommodation or agistment of travelling livestock;
(d) The erection or carrying on of any building or premises for use for the storage of agricultural machinery or plant, or any factory, mill, dairy, or other building for use in, or in connection with, the treatment or processing of primary products;
(e) the erection of shops and other business premises and of dwellings for the proprietors and their employees;
(f) The establishment of experimental farms;
(g) The provision of areas for use as timber plantations, and for afforestation purposes generally; or
(h) The residence of an agricultural contractor.
(5) The Board may, with consent, before selling or leasing any land under subsection (3) of this section, erect any buildings or structures or do any other works required for the purpose for which the land is to be so disposed of, and make any transfer in pursuance of any such sale subject to a condition of defeasance to ensure that the land is used for the purpose for which it is sold.
(6) Land leased under subsection (3) of this section shall be leased for such term and at such rental and upon and subject to such terms and conditions as the Minister approves.
(7) Land required for the purpose set out in paragraph (h) of subsection (4) of this section may only be leased for life and with a condition of re-entry to ensure that neighbouring tenants have the benefit of the contractor's services.
(8) *[Section 10 Subsection (8) amended by No. 22 of 1960, s. 13 and Sched. 1 ]*Where any land is surrendered under subsection (3) of this section the Minister shall by notice in the Gazette declare the purpose for which that land is surrendered and the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act 1993 shall apply to and in respect of that land and in the same manner and to the same extent in all respects as if it had been lawfully acquired for that purpose under the provisions of that Act.
(9) *[Section 10 Subsection (9) added by No. 13 of 1956, s. 2 ]*The Board may, if it is of opinion that to alter the boundaries of any land vested in it would make that land more useful for any purpose of this Act, with consent sell and transfer pieces along the boundaries of the land to adjoining landowners in consideration of the transfer of pieces on the other side of the boundaries or for any other con
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