Sofia Agricultural Plan

What is a cadastre?

A country's cadastre is a record of property rights and is usually managed by government agencies - in Australia these are often called land rights offices. Registered information includes an accurate description of the location of a parcel of land and who owns it. It may also record what the land may be used for (e.g. residential use or not, national park, etc.) and the location and shape of buildings.

In some countries it also takes into account the value of the property. In these cases, the cadastre can also be used for land taxation purposes.

What is a cadastral plan?

This is an excellent example of a cadastral plan. Note the detailed information relating to the points on the boundary of the two parcels and two of the adjacent roads.
Since 2 parcels are shown on one plan, it is likely that this cadastral plan was drawn when the parcel was divided into 2 parcels.
The basic element of the cadastre is the cadastral plan (or geodetic plan). It is prepared by a registered ⁄ licensed surveyor who accurately measures and records the boundaries of each property. This happens every time a new parcel of land is created, and a new cadastral plan is prepared each time a new survey is made. For this reason, each plan is static in time, i.e. it represents the shape and condition of the cadastre at the time of survey.

Cadastral plans from different parts of the world, or even different parts of Australia, will contain different information - this depends on local legislation relating to the recording of cadastral plans in the local cadastre. A properly registered cadastral plan is a legal document.

How does a cadastral map differ from a cadastral plan?
Cadastral maps are prepared by merging separate cadastral plans. The cadastral map is a general land administration tool that has no real legislative basis (like the cadastral plan). It is often custom-made and therefore not necessarily up-to-date. These maps are used by a wide range of people (public and professional) for a variety of things including property sales, valuation, cadastral management by the Land Registry, planning, etc.

Cadastral mapping is one of the most well-known forms of mapping, as it shows all land parcels in relation to each other and to adjacent roads. It is also one of the most ancient forms of mapping - for example, the ancient Egyptians are known to have developed cadastral registers so that land ownership could be restored after the annual flooding of the River Nile.