Stage 3: Compulsory acquisition

Land ownership transfer

If you do not reach an agreement to sell your land through negotiation, the acquiring authority may compulsorily acquire it.

To do this, the acquiring authority must publish an acquisition notice in the Government Gazette. This normally occurs after 90 days (and up to 120 days) from when it issues the proposed acquisition notice.

When this acquisition notice is published, it means:

  • the Governor of NSW has approved the land acquisition
  • land ownership transfers to the acquiring authority
  • the Valuer General must determine compensation.

The acquiring authority must then give you a compensation notice, including the Valuer General’s determination of compensation, within 45 days.

If the land was your main residence or business, you can generally stay there for three months unless the acquiring authority’s responsible minister approves a shorter timeframe.

To ask about occupying the land after the acquisition, contact the acquiring authority.

Our next contact

After your land has been compulsorily acquired, we will write to you:

  • about determining compensation
  • to explain how we will share information between you and the acquiring authority
  • to give you copies of any information we hold to check for factual accuracy.
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