Legality of easements & access

I own an acreage block under Moreton Bay Regional Council, just north of Brisbane.

About 15 years ago, they (now UnityWater) plumbed a sewerage trunk main with 5 manholes across the middle of the block.
I have just done a title search and there are no easements listed on the property, so my question is, how do they have the right to access or even use my land as a thoroughfare for their sewerage?

Whether or not it was agreed to at the time, whats to stop me digging it up, or to refuse them access to it?

Quite interested on the legality of this as im sure civil works of this nature would require an easement of some description?

BTW I asked UnityWater, they wont comment on anything to do with easements.......:confused:
 
I don't know much about easements, but do know they don't need to be registered on title to be valid.

You might want to look up the property act or real property act in QLD
 
Thanks Terry, Ive only ever seen easements lodged against the title, otherwise how would anyone know about them? How would a potential buyer etc know they are there?

In an acreage setting where there is not body corp, strata or any records of that nature, nothing on council websites/overlays?
 
There may be implied easements where, for example, a farmer has been using a neighbouring property to access an otherwise inaccessable block of land.
 
Utility companies have the right to create easements for the provision of utilities. I would be getting some pretty heavy duty legal advice before interfering with their sewage line as you are liable to get smashed.
 
Sewerage lines often don't have easements, but will require a permit from MBRC to build over the sewer. Any structural elements will require a bridge to be created (a formed concrete reinforced structure with footings outside the area of the sewer line so that no force is placed on it.
You have to have a manhole every 40m for most sewer lines. It is possible to reroute the sewer if it is in your way, but will have to be done with permission and at your cost. A sewer line and manhole can be in one of the lots you subdivide, just want to design the subdivision so that the line and manhole is away from where the house would be built on the block. The line and manholes can also be under roads, footpaths, gardens etc as long as regs are maintained. So you can cover a manhole as long as new one or ones created so that they are within the max distance allowed. If you can send me a PDF of the map with the sewer location on it I could help more
 
Sewerage lines often don't have easements, but will require a permit from MBRC to build over the sewer. It is possible to reroute the sewer if it is in your way, but will have to be done with permission and at your cost. If you can send me a PDF of the map with the sewer location on it I could help more

Ok, I just couldn't understand the legality of having manholes etc on a property without a easement, I don't see how they could have access to any of them, without some sort of legal right.

At any rate it shouldn't make a difference for me, the sewerage lines are actually in a good spot from what I understand. We wouldn't have to move any of them!
Only thing we would have to do is cross a small watercourse.......
I will email you the plan as requested
 
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