For good reason, the prospect he might be buying on a motorway corridor did not occur to Andrew Murray when he purchased his new home in Miranda in June.

First, his solicitors had conducted searches to check for road reservations and found none.

Second, the home was over a kilometre from what had historically been understood to be the F6 road corridor through Sydney's Sutherland Shire.

So Mr Murray was surprised when, in late October, two public servants arrived at his door to apologise for the government having taken an interest in his land, without him knowing.