Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style The Alignment of Melbourne's Laneways ‘MCC Alignments’ DM #8637271 The Institution

Click to edit Master title style

Click to edit Master subtitle style

The Alignment of Melbourne's Laneways

‘MCC Alignments’

DM #8637271

The Institution of Surveyors Victoria2014 Surveying Expo – 25th July

Leon Wilson



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

http://maps.melbourne.vic.gov.au/

Public Highways



Council’s City Engineer was first called theCity Surveyorin 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



MCC Alignments



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.---"



Timeline1915 Building Branch began examining all Building Applications1918 Survey Branch requested to provide alignments of streets before building or fencing approval

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Method of setting alignmentCouncil 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



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





• thousands of worksheets and miscellaneous plans prepared by consulting surveyors that have not been registered at the Titles Office

MCC Alignments



MCC Alignments

Index plan for field note bags



• 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



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



Timeline1915 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 Grid2000 Quotation of alignments cease



Images of alignment quotes

MCC Alignments



MCC Alignments



RiskThe 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



Council has the power to fix the alignment of a road pursuant to clause 7 of Schedule 10 of the Local Government Act 1989. 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



MCC Alignments



Development Permit ConditionsThe 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



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



Splay corner issuesBluestone on title which forms part of the road

MCC Alignments



Another example

MCC Alignments



What happens in the future?

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Access has ceased altogether todaydue to more staff reductions

Options: -•Archive at PROV•Available through Land Victoria•Available through ISV or ACSV



MCC Alignments

Create Good Title for the Future

Questions?

Contact: - [email protected]

Aim: to define the extent of roads verse private land

Documents

Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style The Alignment of Melbourne's Laneways ‘MCC Alignments’ DM #8637271 The Institution