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Boundaries and Survey
Maps Act 1998

2020 REVISED EDITION

This revised edition incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 December 2021 and comes into operation on 31 December 2021

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

[16 October 1998]

PART 1

PRELIMINARY

Short title

1. This Act is the Boundaries and Survey Maps Act 1998.

Interpretation

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

“approved coordinates” means coordinates 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 Chief Surveyor’s satisfaction 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 1991;

“Authority” means the Singapore Land Authority established under the Singapore Land Authority Act 2001;

“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;

“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 or other person holding by, through or under the owner;
(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
(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 1991;

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

“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 the officer is a director or partner of the corporation or partnership; and
(b)	in relation to a limited liability partnership, has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2005;

“owner”, in relation to any parcel of land, means the person for the time being receiving the rent of the land, whether on the person’s 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 1991 authorising the holder of the certificate to engage in survey work in Singapore;

“registered surveyor” means a surveyor registered under the Land Surveyors Act 1991;

“repealed Act” means the Boundaries and Survey Maps Act (Cap. 25, 1985 Revised Edition) in force immediately before 16 October 1998;

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

“strata title plan” has the meaning given by the Land Titles (Strata) Act 1967;

“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;

“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 meaning given by the Land Surveyors Act 1991.

[2/2007; 30/2008; 11/2015]

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

Appointment of Chief Surveyor

3.—(1) The Minister may appoint a Chief Surveyor who must administer this Act and act in accordance with any directions that may be given by the Minister.

(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 or her 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 the Chief Surveyor’s behalf.