Find out if land is Crown land, road, or waterway

Land owned and managed by the NSW Government for the public interest. Crown land includes many types of land, such as parks, reserves, and cemeteries.

Crown roads are public roads. They are land corridors set aside for access. People often call them ‘paper roads’, as most Crown roads exist only on maps and are not built. We administer these roads under the Roads Act 1993.

Many non-tidal waterways and most tidal waterway land are part of Crown land. If you require the status of a waterway, order a search on the status of Crown land and find out how Crown land waterways, estuaries, and beaches are managed to support community and environmental wellbeing.

To find out if land is Crown land or Crown road, use the NSW Planning Portal Spatial Viewer. You can search by street address, lot number, or DP (deposited plan) number. For Crown roads, use an adjacent lot or DP number. It can be used to find out:

• if land is Crown land or Crown road
• if the land is reserved, who manages the reserve and the reserve purpose
• if a lease, licence or permit is in place and any account numbers.

This is a preliminary search only. If your enquiry is in relation to an application for a road, licence or lease, the results may need to be confirmed by ordering a search on the status of Crown land.

Learn how to search for Crown land using the NSW Planning Portal Spatial Viewer with the help of the dedicated guide.

You will need the:

• street address, or
• lot number, or
• DP (deposited plan) number to search for land details.

Note: Crown roads do not have a street address or Lot/DP, you may need to use an adjacent Lot/DP to locate the area of interest.

If you need to confirm the search results, order a search on the status of Crown land. This will provide a detailed property report.