BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY MAPS (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

2.57 p.m.

The Minister for Law and National Development (Mr E. W. Barker): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Land holdings appearing in maps published under the Boundaries and Survey Maps Act are identified by reference to Lot numbers and appropriate Town Sub-division or Mukim numbers, The boundaries of Town Subdivisions or Mukims usually follow existing roads or other prominent boundary-marks.

With the accelerated real estate development in recent years, the existing boundary-marks of many Town Sub-divisions or Mukims have been obliterated. It has, therefore, become necessary, in some cases, to alter Town Sub-division or Mukim boundaries. Furthermore, some development projects are sited in two different Town Sub-divisions or Mukims, and in such cases before any new title can be issued the existing Town Sub-division or Mukim boundaries have had to be changed. The practice has been for the Chief Surveyor to alter the boundaries of Town Sub-divisions or Mukims by the publication of the alteration in the Government Gazette for public information. While such a practice is not prohibited by the provisions of the said Act, it is nevertheless not expressly provided for by the Act. It is desirable that such alterations should be covered by specific statutory authority. The Bill, therefore, seeks to amend the Act in order to confer upon the Chief Surveyor the express authority to make the alterations of the boundaries of a Mukim or a Town Sub-division when the alteration is required by reason of any change, or revision of any boundary-marks of the Mukim or Town Sub-division boundaries. In addition, the Chief Surveyor is also given the authority to alter the boundaries of a Mukim or Town Sub-division when the alteration is required by reason of any change in the boundaries of a land holding or of any reclamation of the foreshore or the seabed.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. -[Mr Barker].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.