Landwrap January 2009

Landonline News

Shaping the future of the cadastre

LINZ and the NZ Institute of Surveyors have established a joint working group to take a critical look at the cadastral survey industry.

With the move to 100% e-lodgement and pending changes to the Rules for Cadastral Survey, the review of the industry is timely says Surveyor-General Don Grant.

"The aim of LINZ and the survey profession is to form a shared view of the future state of the cadastral survey industry, how key players contribute and what needs to be done to get there. Once this view is formed, we will be able to identify future opportunities and incurred efficiencies."

Through a series of workshops from February to June 2009, the working group will:

• agree on the land development and cadastral information industries of the future, including participants, roles, accountabilities, expectations and systems of tomorrow's industry (February)
• evaluate how we measure up now compared with where we want to be in the future (April), and
• determine who needs to do what to achieve the survey industry of the future (June).

Don says the working group is keen to hear any views from those who create, regulate, maintain or use the cadastre, particularly regarding future industry participants and roles, which can be considered at the February 2009 workshop.

Please forward your views by 5 February 2009 to jointworkinggroup@linz.govt.nz.

More information on the Survey Strategic Context is available on the LINZ website, including the terms of reference, process and background. Discussion papers produced from the workshops will be published here.

Members of the joint working group are:

Reminder that public counters close on 23 February

As LINZ has previously announced, we will be closing our public counters in February in conjunction with the introduction of 100% e-lodgement of survey and title transactions.

The expected increase in electronic lodgement of these transactions has seen a corresponding decrease in visits to LINZ’s public counters and we are now preparing to close counters in our Dunedin, Wellington and Auckland offices from 23 February 2009.

Counters in Hamilton and Christchurch will provide residual services only, such as manual and priority title lodgements.

LINZ aims to keep changes around the closures to a minimum, says Sharon Cottrell, General Manager Customer Services. As they can now, members of the public can order copies of land records online via the LINZ website, or by fax or post.

"The reading rooms will continue to operate in all centres, although we're asking people to book visits in advance from 23 February," Sharon says. "Through a booking system, we can continue to ensure that the records customers want to view are available on site."

A fact sheet on the counter closures has been provided to all LINZ offices, with information on how to order copies of land records and make reading room appointments.