GIS@development December 2002: "Hong Kong Cadastral Survey System

The present deeds registration in Hong Kong has been operating under Land Registration Ordinance (LRO, Cap. 128). Deeds and other relevant documents are registered in a form of land register in Land Registry (LR). However, according to the Ordinance, approximate location of the said land parcel or property is only briefly described in the deed or depicted onto the lot identification plan. Recently, the LR proposes the Land Titles Bill (LTB) by the replacement of current deeds registration system. The Proposed bill has no intention to deal with the long neglected land rights: boundary extent.

As such, two typical examples of cadastral survey systems applied in South Africa and Singapore are illustrated and compared with those in Hong Kong, in terms of survey services, registration services and legislative measures. These three regions are selected as comparisons due to their akin past commonwealth backgrounds. They came under British administration at the outset of 1800s with an adoption of deeds registration system.

Survey Services

Geodetic Control Networks
Survey services indicate a long-term investment. Three regions have well-developed and comprehensive geodetic control networks as a basis for their system developments. They have initiated to modernize their former survey frameworks with advanced GPS technology quickly at a minimal cost compared with the traditional techniques, so as to enjoy tremendous benefits - eliminate inconsistency in survey data and improve their survey accuracy.

Whilst South Africa has a negative land registration system, the quality of cadastral surveying is sufficiently well organized and accurate for a positive system of registration. Coordinates uniquely identified on the geodetic grid are mandatory for the beacons of any boundary surveys. Today, all modern surveys have had to be based on the South Africa geodetic control network - Cape Datum with reference to the WGS84, which contributes to uniform standards of accuracy throughout the territory. Singapore cadastral surveys prior to 1925 were carried out by very crude instrumentation considered of lesser accuracy compared to the present system. Singapore is a good example that her system matches the progress of society, by introducing a new survey reference system and making legislative changes to accommodate a complete and secure cadastre. With the research on providing better control and boundary definition, the former Survey Department collaborated with the Nanyang Technological University and the University of New South Wales undertook an Integrated Survey Network (ISN) to revamp a local SVY95 geodetic network in WGS84 datum in 1997. Goh [2000] concludes that this network provides the advantages of implementing all survey records to legal coordinated cadastre, as to describe the land titles by coordinates in accordance with the Boundaries and Survey Maps Act (BSMA, Cap. 25), the Land Surveyors Act (Cap. 156) and its rules.

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