Boundaries and Survey Maps Act

(CHAPTER 25)

(Original Enactment: Act 35 of 1998)

REVISED EDITION 2006

(1st April 2006)

An Act to provide for the demarcation of land, the establishment and maintenance of boundary marks and the publication of certain survey maps.

[16th October 1998]

PART I

PRELIMINARY

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Boundaries and Survey Maps Act.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“approved co-ordinates” means co-ordinates approved by the Chief Surveyor or approved under section 7(c) which are capable of describing and ascertaining the boundaries of any land in relation to survey control marks;

“assurance plan” means any plan showing approximate boundaries or dimensions and areas for the purpose of identifying land which has not been surveyed to the satisfaction of the Chief Surveyor but is required to be surveyed under the provisions of any written law;

“authorised surveyor” means a surveyor who is employed by the Authority, whether or not registered under section 12 of the Land Surveyors Act (Cap. 156);

“Authority” means the Singapore Land Authority established under the Singapore Land Authority Act (Cap. 301);

“bench mark” means any survey control mark in Singapore that is used as vertical control to determine the vertical distance between the Singapore Height Datum and a survey point above or below;

[Act 11 of 2015 wef 08/05/2015]

“boundary mark” includes any survey stone, iron pipe, spike, or other survey mark authorised by law for the purpose of marking boundaries;

“cadastral survey” means any survey relating to the recording of land boundaries, subdivision lines, buildings and related details;

“certified plan” means a survey plan which has been approved by, and filed in the office of, the Chief Surveyor under section 4(1)(e);

“Chief Surveyor” means the Chief Surveyor appointed under section 3(1) and includes an acting Chief Surveyor appointed under section 3(2);

“land” includes —

(a)	a parcel of land which is in the actual possession of the owner by himself or other person holding by, through or under him;
(b)	land covered by water;
(c)	a building or a structure erected on land;
(d)	any parcel of airspace or any subterranean space whether or not held apart from the surface of the earth; and [30/2008 wef 17/12/2008]
(e)	any estate or interest in land;

“licence” means a licence to supply survey services in Singapore granted under section 17 of the Land Surveyors Act;

“limited liability partnership” has the same meaning given to it by section 4(1) of the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2005 (Act 5 of 2005);

[2/2007 wef 02/05/2007]

“manager” —

(a)	in relation to a corporation or partnership, means the principal executive officer of the corporation or partnership for the time being by whatever name called and whether or not he is a director or partner thereof; and
(b)	in relation to a limited liability partnership, has the same meaning as in section 2(1) of the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2005; [2/2007 wef 02/05/2007]

“owner”, in relation to any parcel of land, means the person for the time being receiving the rent of the land, whether on his own account or as agent or trustee or who would receive the rent if the land were let to a tenant;

“practising certificate” means an annual practising certificate issued under section 15 of the Land Surveyors Act (Cap. 156) authorising the holder thereof to engage in survey work in Singapore;

“registered surveyor” means a surveyor registered under the Land Surveyors Act;

“repealed Act” means the Boundaries and Survey Maps Act (Cap. 25, 1985 Ed.) in force immediately before 16th October 1998;

“Singapore Height Datum” means the fixed datum surface set at 0.000 metres of Singapore’s historical mean sea level;

[Act 11 of 2015 wef 08/05/2015]

“strata title plan” has the same meaning as in the Land Titles (Strata) Act (Cap. 158);

“survey control mark” means any survey mark placed under the supervision of the Chief Surveyor the horizontal position or vertical distance from the Singapore Height Datum which is determined, and includes a bench mark;

[Act 11 of 2015 wef 08/05/2015]

“survey officer” means any person authorised by the Chief Surveyor to carry out a cadastral survey for any parcel of land;

“survey plan” includes a strata title plan;

“survey work” has the same meaning as in the Land Surveyors Act.

[37/2004]

(2) In this Act, any reference to a plan shall, unless the context otherwise requires, include a reference to a plan in electronic form.

[Malaysia NLC 1965, s. 5; HK Land Survey, s. 2; BSMA 1985 Ed., s. 2]

Appointment of Chief Surveyor

3.—(1) The Minister may appoint a Chief Surveyor who shall administer this Act and act in accordance with such directions as may be given by the Minister from time to time.

(2) If the Chief Surveyor is temporarily absent from Singapore or temporarily incapacitated by reason of illness or for any reason temporarily unable to perform his duties, the Minister may appoint a person to act in the place of the Chief Surveyor during any such period of absence from duty.

(3) The functions, duties and powers of the Chief Surveyor under this Act may be carried out, discharged, performed or exercised by any person who is duly authorised by the Chief Surveyor to act on his behalf.

[BSMA 1985 Ed., s. 3]

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