Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style The Alignment of Melbourne's Laneways ‘MCC Alignments’ DM # The Institution of Surveyors Victoria 2014 Surveying Expo – 25 th July Leon Wilson

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style Melbourne City Council’s adopted alignments define Council’s consideration of the extents of the lanes and streets that are under Council’s care and management MCC Alignments Public Highways

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style Council’s City Engineer was first called the City Surveyor in Melbourne’s early development, they had powers under old NSW based legislation, to set the alignments of streets the same as the Surveyor General MCC Alignments

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style MCC Alignments

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style Council’s intention in determining and maintaining the alignments was to document the extents of the public highways and to reduce the likelihood of building encroachments occurring onto the public highways. The Titles Office practice, based on decades of involvement, is to accept Council’s alignments providing significant discrepancies do not occur against title. MCC Alignments “Melbourne City Council Alignment Vide Application No.---"

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style Timeline 1915 Building Branch began examining all Building Applications 1918 Survey Branch requested to provide alignments of streets before building or fencing approval MCC Alignments

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style Method of setting alignment Council considered the effects on: application and title re-establishments, with an emphasis and priority on title frontages title depths and road widths street block excess or deficiency occupation constructed road boundaries MCC Alignments

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style Information used in the order of 200 survey field books of alignment surveys for virtually all building approvals issued in the municipality until the early 1990’s MCC Alignments

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Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style thousands of worksheets and miscellaneous plans prepared by consulting surveyors that have not been registered at the Titles Office MCC Alignments

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style MCC Alignments Index plan for field note bags

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style lane and road construction records showing the relocation of many kerbs building plans and records, including construction dates, that can assist application and alignment re- establishment MCC Alignments

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style Tips for re-establishment of alignments MCC Alignments Do not assume that a title connection is to a Council alignment Old kerb widths may have moved Use old building corners for reference marks Describe tiles on walls Describe and measure to all parts of a building corner

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style Timeline 1915 Building Branch began examining all Building Applications MCC Alignments 1918 Survey Branch requested to provide alignments of streets before building or fencing approval 1986 Land Survey reduced field work and only provide alignment quote 1993 Quotes only provided for Hoddle Grid 2000 Quotation of alignments cease

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style Images of alignment quotes MCC Alignments

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style MCC Alignments

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style Risk The erection of a building onto a public highway could lead to: litigation against all parties, including the private land surveyor demolition of all or parts of the works considerable time delays to projects excessive costs to many persons loss of professional standing for consulting surveyors MCC Alignments

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style Council has the power to fix the alignment of a road pursuant to clause 7 of Schedule 10 of the Local Government Act This must be by notice published in the Government Gazette and must follow the approval of the Surveyor-General and/or the Surveyor and Chief Draftsman in the Titles Office, as applicable. MCC Alignments

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style MCC Alignments

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style Development Permit Conditions The title boundaries for the property may not exactly agree with the road alignments of the abutting Council public lanes. The approved works must not result in structures that encroach onto any Council lane. MCC Alignments Any intrusion of title over any abutting Council road will require that the subject land to be shown on a plan of subdivision as a road to vest in Council on registration of the plan

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style Subdivision Permit Condition The certified plan must when based on recent survey dimensions be accompanied by a copy of the Abstract of Field Records and Surveyors report. Any substantial intrusion of title over any abutting Council road will require that the subject land be shown on the certified plan as a road to vest in Council on registration of the plan. MCC Alignments

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style Splay corner issues Bluestone on title which forms part of the road MCC Alignments

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style Another example MCC Alignments

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style What happens in the future? MCC Alignments Access has ceased altogether today due to more staff reductions Options: - Archive at PROV Available through Land Victoria Available through ISV or ACSV

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style MCC Alignments Create Good Title for the Future Questions? Contact: - Aim: to define the extent of roads verse private land