What is a Cadastre?
The cadastre of a country is its register of property titles and is usually
managed by government agencies – these are often called Land Offices.
• The information recorded includes an accurate description of the location of
a parcel of land and who owns it.
• It may also record what the land can be used for (eg residential or not,
national park etc)
• and may also show the location and shape of buildings.
In some countries it also records the value of a property, in these
cases the cadastre may also be used for land taxation purposes.
What is a Cadastral Plan?
The foundation block of a cadastre is the cadastral plan (or survey plan). This is
produced by a registered/licensed surveyor who accurately measures and records the
boundaries of each property. This occurs whenever a new land parcel is created and each new
survey produces a new survey plan. Because of this each plan is static in time, ie it represents
the shape and status of the cadastre at the time of survey.
Cadastral plans from different parts of the world, will contain different information – this is
dependent on local legislation relating to the registering of cadastral plans into the local
cadastre. A properly registered cadastral plan is a legal document.