An analysis and implementation of cadastral survey system in Hong Kong

Over the last decades, land development in Hong Kong has highlighted the capacity of the existing deeds registration system originally developed in 1844. Recently, the Land Registry proposes the Land Titles Bill by the replacement of current deeds registration system. Unwillingly, such proposal has no intention to deal with the long neglected land right: boundary extent. In other words, the Bill lacks a proper definition of the land registered in the Land Registry. In the support of sustainable development and land management nowadays, there is an urgent need to identify and implement an appropriate land registration system with a specified boundary definition, so as to improve our land boundary security and to maintain a high level of land boundary system in Hong Kong. This paper first defines the meaning of a cadastral survey system, which includes adjudication, boundary definition and demarcation, registration, and so on. Then, two typical examples of cadastral survey systems applied in South Africa and Singapore are analytically illustrated and compared with those in Hong Kong. These three systems are selected as comparisons due to their similar past commonwealth background. Finally, the considerations for the implementation of land registration system are described and concluded.