Compensation for compulsory acquisition of land

The NSW government has power under various statutes to acquire land compulsorily. The public authority which acquires the land is obliged to pay just compensation to the person whose land has been acquired.

The amount of compensation may be agreed by the person and the authority. However, if there is no agreement, the Valuer-General determines the amount of compensation. The authority must give the person a notice of compensation entitlement and offer the amount of compensation determined by the Valuer-General.

If the person is dissatisfied with the amount of compensation offered by the authority, the person may lodge an objection with the Land and Environment Court. The objection is allocated to Class 3 of the Court’s jurisdiction. The Court decides the amount of compensation that will justly compensate the person for the acquisition of the land.

More information

Information is available on the following links:

Process for making claims for compensation for compulsory acquisition of land.
Overview of compensation for compulsory acquisition of land. This concerns proceedings in the Land and Environment Court, the amount of compensation, and methods of valuation
Compensation for compulsory acquisition cases
Compensation for compulsory acquisition statutes.

Need legal advice or information?

In NSW, there are a number of places where you can get specialised legal advice on the sorts of legal problems heard by the Land and Environment Court. Find out where to get legal advice and information.