South Australia's Crown land
Approximately one fifth of South Australia is classified as Crown land and incorporates some of the state's most iconic sites and treasured natural resources.
Public land comprises approximately 26 million hectares, and is managed by the department on behalf of the South Australian people for the benefit of the community.
Crown land is land that is owned and managed by the State Government, which is generally not freehold title.
Crown land may be:
- sold if surplus to government requirements
- reserved for national parks to protect our natural environment
- licensed for a particular activity or use such as conservation, grazing, agriculture, jetties and pontoons, boat ramps, coastal protection works, houseboat mooring, retaining walls and bee-keeping
- leased for a range of purposes that includes agriculture, conservation and irrigation and other activities
- dedicated to a custodian for a specific purpose such as community parks, state heritage sites, town squares, community halls, coastal lands, waterway corridors, sporting grounds, war memorials, cemeteries, racetracks, showgrounds, caravan parks, camping areas, traveling stock routes, channel reserves, rest areas, walking tracks and community and government infrastructure and facilities
- unalienated or all other public land.
Identifying Crown land
All land in South Australia is identified by a land title reference. Private land is held under a Certificate of Title (CT) which certifies the person named o the title document is the legal owner. Private land is administered under the Real Property Act 1886.
Crown land has a different land title reference to private land and may be listed as a Crown Record (CR) or a Crown Lease (CL) and is administered under the Crown Land Management Act 2009.
| Title reference | Private or Crown |
| CT - Certificate of Title | Private land - freehold / fee simple |
| CT - Certificate of Title | Crown land - freehold land held under a Crown Condition Agreement (formerly Trust Grants) identified as a CT prefix on title with a CCA or Trust endorsement |
| CR - Crown Record | Crown land - may include parks, government agency land and land registered on council community land registers |
| CL - Crown Lease | Crown land - leased in accordance with terms and conditions |
Online mapping tools
These online tools can be used to identify a land's title reference.
- Nature Maps: online mapping system to research a property. Visit Enviro Data SA
- South Australian Property and Planning Atlas (SAPPA): online mapping system to research a property, formally called Property Location Browser. Visit SAPPA.
- South Australian Integrated Land Information System (SAILIS): provides land title details and other associated information. Visit SAILIS - fees may apply
For more information about researching land or a property visit SA.GOV.AU.
