Stage 1: Proposed acquisition

Proposed acquisition notice

The first formal step in the compulsory acquisition process is for the acquiring authority to send you a proposed acquisition notice.

This includes:

  • a description of the land
  • the acquiring authority
  • the timeframe for the compulsory acquisition.

The acquiring authority will send this to all parties with an interest in the land, including those lawfully occupying the land or registered on the land title. It must also tell the Valuer General.

An acquiring authority cannot compulsorily acquire your land without first giving you a proposed acquisition notice.

Negotiation

You can continue to negotiate with the acquiring authority after you have received the proposed acquisition notice.

If you reach an agreement, you can finalise the acquisition by a contract and transfer or formal agreement.

Section 55 of the Land Acquisition Act sets out the things you can claim, called heads of compensation. These are the same for agreement and compulsory acquisition but do not apply in cases of hardship. Page 10 of Your guide to the valuer generals role in compulsory acquisition (PDF 575.4 KB) has more information on heads of compensation. Page 11 has more information on hardship.

If you and the acquiring authority agree, the Land Acquisition Act also allows compensation in the form of land or carrying out works.

Our first contact

At this stage, we will write to you to:

  • explain the Valuer General’s role
  • remind you to complete your claim for compensation and provide it to us
  • introduce your coordinator, who will help you and answer questions
  • advise you on how to access professional help.

In some cases, we will start work on the determination of compensation as soon as we receive a proposed acquisition notice, before your land is compulsorily acquired.

We may reach out to discuss this with you. But we will not share any valuation information at this time, as you still might reach an agreement with the acquiring authority.
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