Management of a Public RegisterLand Titles

Presented by Barbara FlettRegistrar of Titles and Director of Land RegistryDepartment of Sustainability and Environment

Why am I here?Challenges in managing large public record systemHow we try to overcome these challenges

Short History of the Titles OfficeTORRENS SYSTEM INTRODUCED183518621877DEEDS SYSTEM194219832001RECORDS TRANSPORTED TO BEECHWORTH AS SAFEGUARD AGAINST AIR RAIDSFIRST COMPUTER SYSTEMMOVE TO 570 BOURKE STREETVICTORIAN ONLINE TITLES SYSTEMTITLES OFFICEBUILDIN COMPLETED

The Torrens SystemVendor Passes TitleDeedsPurchaser passesmoneyPurchaser lodges Instrumentoutlining transactionTitle passes at themoment of registrationby the State

William Henry Archer - Information ManagerArrived in Melbourne in1852 as a 27-year-old statistician Acting Registrar-General, Births, Deaths & Marriages Registrar-General 1858 Introduced the Land Transfer Act of 1862 Registrar of Titles 1868Head of Lands Dept 1872

Importance of William Henry Archer as an Information ManagerUnderstood that data could be collected and used for more than one purpose Used innovative data collection methods Aware of challenges of managing voluminous data and records Enlisted and effectively used the latest technology

Public RegistersUnited Nations 2000.All industrialised nations with a market economy maintain some sort of land register that fulfils the following requirements - security of tenure is essential for effective housing policy certainty of legal status of land is essential for efficient agricultural production investors in a market economy require a formal structure of land and property rights, and sustainable development is dependent upon the State having overall responsibility for managing information about ownership, value and use of land. LandA land titles register (and its supporting legislation and practices) are vital for wealth creation and social harmonyBirths, Deaths and MarriagesRecord of entitlements - to citizenship, aged related privileges (school entry, drivers licences, pension etc), inheritance, and Demographic data base - linked to Australian Bureau of Statistics

Public Registers

Aim - to provide public trust and confidence, through high integrity and high reliability information systems

Essential soft infrastructure Consist of combination of record keeping together with legislation and regulatory regimes

Public Registers - Process and Operational AttributesWell established data collection and data management infrastructure High standards of electronic data collection and data accuracy High standards of security and privacy Ability to link with other relevant processes and data systems Ability to provide real time information and real time transactions A range of data distribution avenues Audits to substantiate data integrity

Land RegistrySize and scope 320 staff $200m revenue, $52m expenditure

Key statistics 800,000 land dealings registered each year 1.6 million title searches (90% online) 2.9 million freehold titles 8,000 subdivisions registered pa

Value of privately owned property in Victoria in 2004 was $780 billion

Land Registry

Chart1

18620

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Year

Lodgings

Dealings Lodged 1862-2004

Sheet1

Year18621863186418651866186718681869187018711872187318741875187618771878187918801881188218831884188518861887188818891890189118921893189418951896189718981899190019011902190319041905190619071908190919101911191219131914191519161917191819191920192119221923192419251926192719281929193019311932193319341935193619371938193919401941194219431944194519461947194819491950195119521953195419551956195719581959196019611962196319641965196619671968196919701971197219731974197519761977197819791980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004

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

Calendar years

Sheet1

Year

Lodgings

Dealings Lodged 1862-2004

Sheet1 (2)

Year

81000

Dealings Lodged 1945-2004

Sheet2

Year18621863186418651866186718681869

Lodgings01000300025002500450050006000

187018711872187318741875187618771878

8000900011000130001400013500150001700020000

187918801881188218831884188518861887

210002050027000280002700033000400004400048000

188818891890189118921893189418951896

700006200056000500004600038000330003050031000

1897189818991900190119021903190419051906

31500330003550036000380004010039500390004200046000

190719081909191019111912191319141915

515005150054000580006400068000660006700058000

1916191719181919192019211922192319241925

5400053500640008200011500096000107000118000112000103000

19261927192819291930193119321933193419351936

11200011000010800010750078000545005350054750610007200076000

1937193819391940194119421943194419451946

850009400091000870009100068000665007200081000125000

1947194819491950195119521953195419551956

125250125500154000178000177500156000174000181000180000178000

1957195819591960196119621963196419651966

189000208000216000245000212000230000262000291000273000286000

1967196819691970197119721973197419751976

303700318442322000330403358904440947488885393835466340480113

1977197819791980198119821983198419851986

452176451148470785482694468486455169530933579398565391546058

19871988198919901991199219931994199519961997

605246698180566159538474526914555847566180603420524455533783581580

19981999200020012002

621921656363697159696832

Sheet3

William Henry Archer - Information Manager Used innovative data collection methodsUnderstood that data could be collected and used for more than one purpose 2005 - data reuse

Challenges in Managing VolumeDeeds registration - not closed until 1999

Records kept as individual folios

Records with all information in one document

Deeds Registration (General Law)Purchaser passesmoneyPurchaser lodges deedVendor passesTitle DeedsDeed is recorded /registered

Effective use of the latest technology

Technological Impacts on Public RegistersTitles Automation Project - $92 million to achieve a fully automated register which is updated in real time and with real time public access to titles search capacityElectronic conveyancing - using the web to allow solicitors, conveyancers and the banks to conduct property transactions and exchange funds SPEAR - web based planning applications and referrals

The Future - E Government

The four not so easy steps to e government (Economist March 2000) 1) Governments posting information about themselves2) two information exchange3) exchange of quantifiable value - or transaction (eg tax return)4) portal which integrates government functions based on citizens needs not on organisational boundaries

Questions?