Illegal Squatting

The Sydney Monitor

10 October 1836

New law to prevent illegal 'Squatting'. In the last Official Gazette, the Executive Council has published the regulations to give force to the late Act to prevent persons of bad repute from occupying waste land.

There appears to us a deficiency in these regulations on one principal point, and that is, that informaton against Squatters is to be given ONLY by Commissioners of crown Lands, while it is not rendered imperative on the same Commissioners to lay informations, when they receive such from the farmers and graziers.

We imagine that in this deficency, we see a possibility of the Act becoming inoperative. It certainly depends on the diligence of the Commissioners.

They MAY be diligent. They MAY attend to informations as to Squatters being given them by those who are injured by their presence, but we see no provision either in the, Act or the regulations, to ENSURE this diligence for the ends of the law, and of the public peace and safety, and the safety of property.

Since writing the above, we perceive the Sydney Gazette takes the same view of the subject.