Page 4622 - Week 15 - Thursday, 21 November 1991
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SURVEYORS (AMENDMENT) BILL 1991
MR WOOD (Minister for Education and the Arts and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (10.46): Mr Speaker, I present the Surveyors (Amendment) Bill 1991. I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
The Government has now established an ACT Survey Office within the Department of the Environment, Land and Planning. Historically, the Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG) undertook the surveying and mapping of Canberra. However, under self-government, the functions are administered by the ACT Government. The transfer of the survey resources from the Commonwealth to the Territory was delayed pending a review, during 1990, of the resources required by the Territory to take over ACT survey matters. A memorandum of understanding was entered into to allow survey matters to be conducted during the period of the review.
That review is complete and agreement has been reached with the Commonwealth on the resources to be transferred to the Territory. The transfer will include 64 staff at no capital cost to the Territory, the Belconnen survey depot, valued at $1.5m, at no cost to the Territory, and necessary associated equipment and data for the carrying out of the survey functions.
The ACT cadastre is the land boundary description, as defined by the register of deposited plans held at the Land Titles Office. It is already in the Territory's possession and will be made available to the Commonwealth at no cost. The transfer process is almost complete, and it is now necessary and appropriate to amend the legislation relevant to the survey function to reflect the Territory's independence in this regard and to allow the function to be administered by an officer appointed by the Territory Minister.
Accordingly, the Surveyors (Amendment) Bill 1991 amends the Surveyors Act 1967 to provide, at section 5A, for the appointment of the Chief Surveyor. That section, set out in clause 4 of the Bill, also provides for an Acting Chief Surveyor to be appointed. Any person appointed must be a public servant who is entitled to be registered under the Act.
The Surveyors (Amendment) Bill 1991 also provides for all references to the Commonwealth Surveyor-General to be references to the Chief Surveyor. Similarly, the Districts (Amendment) Bill 1991 and the Real Property (Amendment) Bill 1991 amend such references in the Districts Act 1966 and section 64 of the Real Property Act 1925, respectively.
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