LINZ News

In brief

February's figures for electronic lodgements:

• A total of 395 law firms lodged an e-dealing in February (an increase of 46 from January). Twenty-three law firms were first time e-dealing lodgers in February.
• The e-dealing share of the total e-dealing capable lodgements sat at 19.9% in February.
• A total of 117 survey firms lodged an e-survey in February (nine more than the previous month). Seven survey firms were first time e-survey lodgers in February.
• The e-survey share of the total survey lodgements was 41.5% for February (up 4.1 percentage points from January).

100% e-lodgement

100% e-lodgement update from Sharon Cottrell

Sharon Cottrell - General Manager Customer Services

Work on a range of projects either directly or indirectly enabling 100% e-lodgement is ramping up. These include the range of technology-related projects outlined in last month's Landwrap, high-level design for Landonline Phase 3, continuing work on the Core Paper Records project, recruiting staff for the 100% e-lodgement Programme Office, and refining planning for providing training to all remaining manual lodgement and survey customers nationally.

Meanwhile, current use of e-lodgement by conveyancers and surveyors continues to trend upwards. Notably in February, e-survey was the main form of lodging a survey in six of the 12 Land Districts. Our analysis for lodgements by Land District shows that e-survey lodgements as a percentage of all survey lodgements in February were:

Marlborough – 90.9%
Taranaki – 86.5%
Canterbury – 64.9%
Nelson – 60.5%
Westland – 57.1%
Dunedin – 52.2%

This month in Landwrap, you'll find more information on two key issues customers have enquired about in the context of 100% e-lodgement, specifically:

• Information about core paper records, once 100% electronic lodgement is in place, and
• Answers to questions about Internet connections.

If you have any further questions about 100% e-lodgement, please send them to info@linz.govt.nz – we will respond to you directly and also create new FAQs for the 100% e-lodgement InfoCentre.

Sharon Cottrell
General Manager Customer Services

All about Internet connections

Since the Government's announcement about 100% e-lodgement, a number of existing and potential Landonline customers have called and emailed with questions about Internet connections and broadband.

These questions cover a range of topics, such as choosing a new Internet connection, availability of broadband, alternative options for rural users, and interference with dialup connections in rural areas.

Telecom is obviously a major Internet Service Provider (ISP) in New Zealand, and also the ISP service provider for many Landonline customers. We asked Seager Mason, Telecom Business Solutions Rural Solutions Manager, the following questions on Internet connections to share with Landwrap readers.

In choosing a new Internet connection type, what factors do I need to take into account?

Telecom: Most people start with a dialup connection, but generally move to broadband if they want to:

• Download a lot of information (pictures and document images, large files such as spreadsheets, power point presentations etc), and/or
• Have multiple computers in the house connected to the Internet simultaneously, and/or
• Be online for a long time, or to access the Internet frequently during the day, and/or
• Be able to use their phone line for voice calls while they are online.

The broadband solution customers choose will depend on the services available in their area.

What's broadband and can I get it anywhere in New Zealand?

Telecom: Broadband is basically standard Internet access with the following features:

• Is between 5 and 50 times faster than dialup Internet, depending on the package chosen.
• Is always online, meaning you never have to dialup and wait for a connection.
• Is usually priced by the amount of data downloaded or uploaded – most plans have a data cap, and either charge more when you go over your cap, or reduce the broadband speed to dialup until the end of the month's billing cycle.
• Leaves the phone available for calling while you are online.

Broadband is available anywhere in New Zealand, but the technology used (and prices) vary depending on where you live.

Around 95% of New Zealanders can access Telecom broadband (which uses DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) technology over the phone line - customers purchase a DSL modem). Customers can also choose service from other providers who wholesale Telecom's DSL broadband.

The remaining customers can access:

• Xtra Wireless Broadband (mostly in the dairying areas of New Zealand: Telecom installs a small antenna on your roof cabled to a modem by your computer), or
• Farmside Satellite, see www.farmside.co.nz (Farmside installs a satellite dish on your roof cabled to a modem by your computer).
• Other local providers who have local coverage in the area, such as Woosh, Pacific.Net etc.

We don't have Internet broadband available in my town so how can I connect to Landonline?

Telecom: You will be able to connect to either Xtra Broadband or Farmside Satellite Broadband, or another local provider if one is available in your area.

I operate my business from a rural block. Why is it taking so long to get decent Internet access to my property?

Telecom: Broadband coverage is now available to all of New Zealand, with the lowest cost packages being available via DSL to around 95% of New Zealand, including most rural customers. Unfortunately it is simply not feasible for Telecom to bring DSL to every rural location, but those customers still have access to the more expensive (but equally reliable) Xtra Wireless or Farmside Satellite broadband services.

Who do I talk to at Telecom to organise a decent Internet connection that will cope with the data volumes of Landonline? I'm a surveyor and do my work using Landonline for hours at a time...

Telecom: On the Telecom website, you can Check whether Xtra Broadband is available in your area. If so, you can call Telecom on 123 to sign up.

If you are outside DSL coverage then you can visit the Telecom website to check Is Xtra Wireless an option, or call Xtra Wireless on 0800 555 077.

If you are outside Wireless coverage then call Farmside on 0800 FARMSIDE or visit their website to ask about their satellite Broadband service.

What assistance and support does Telecom offer for rural customers with Internet connections or problems?

Telecom: If you have problems and you are an Xtra customer, then call the Xtra Help Desk on 0800 CALL XTRA (0800 225598) as follows:

• Option 2 - 2 Dialup Internet problems.
• Option 2 - 1 - 1 Broadband problems.

I live in North Canterbury and my Jetstream connection is very unreliable - what can I do to improve it?

Telecom: Your broadband problems may be due to house wiring and interference issues, DSL filters, slow computer or a fault on your line. Call the Xtra Help Desk on 0800 CALL XTRA (0800 225598) for assistance.

What's T3G and will it help me stay connected to Landonline?

Telecom: T3G is Telecom's new mobile broadband service running over the 027 network. The service can be accessed via an external card for your laptop. T3G is available in all major towns and cities. You can check the Telecom website for 027 mobile and data coverage maps and data plans.

What's a wireless connection and how does it work? And can I use this for my Internet connection so I get better connectivity to Landonline?

Telecom: Xtra Wireless is a broadband service available in some locations (mainly dairying areas) where there is no Telecom Broadband DSL coverage. The service is provided from one of 28 high towers around NZ, and customers need line-of-sight to the tower to get the service. Telecom installs a small dish antenna on your roof and cables this to a book-sized unit by your computer. You can cable your computer (or computers) directly to the unit or use a WiFi wireless connection around your house.

Farmside Satellite broadband is provided by Telecom's rural partner Farmside, part of the BayCity group in Timaru. The connection and service is very similar to Xtra Wireless, except that a satellite dish is installed on your roof.

I live in an area where I can't get Jetstream - will I be able to access Landonline via a wireless network and how much will it cost me a month?

Telecom: Your broadband connection depends on what is available in your area. Xtra Wireless plans currently start at $475 installation plus $59.95 per month for 255 kbps down, 128 kbps up, 1 GB cap. Call Xtra Wireless on 0800 555 077 for more information.

Farmside Satellite Broadband starts at $499 + GST installation and $129 + GST per month for the same package as Xtra Wireless above. Call 0800 FARMSIDE for more information.

If I have on-going problems with my Internet connection, who should I contact at Telecom to help me sort it out?

Telecom: Xtra customers should contact Xtra Help on 0800 CALL XTRA (0800 225598) as follows:

• Option 2 – 2 Dialup internet problems.
• Option 2 – 1 – 1 Broadband problems.

I live in a rural/remote area and am experiencing problems staying connected to Landonline – I think it's due to my Internet connection, and I've heard that electric fencing can be a problem. If so, what can I do about it?

Telecom: Rural customers using dialup Internet often experience slow and unreliable Internet connections, due to a number of factors, typically:

• Electric fence interference – can slow down data throughput, and is a major cause of rural dialup problems.
• House wiring problems, e.g. house alarms, noisy extensions disrupting dialup.
• Old and/or slow PCs.
• The phone line (very occasionally). Call Telecom Faults on 120 if you suspect this is the case.

Many rural customers are choosing broadband as the solution, as broadband is immune to electric fences. Telecom Broadband Internet is very fast and reliable, and is largely unaffected by electric fence noise, but needs good house wiring and a fast PC in order to give optimum performance when it is installed. Xtra Wireless and Farmside Satellite Broadband are immune to phone line or house wiring issues.

Leaking electric fences are the most common cause of problems, due to the constant ticking or crackling on the phone line which causes dialup connections to run very slow or even to disconnect. Telecom's website provides more information about diagnosing and fixing electric fence interference, including a free dialup test line. See Telecom's Electric Fence Interference webpages.

These questions and answers will be posted on the Landonline website in the 100% e-lodgement InfoCentre.

More information about Internet connection issues:

Consumer online: Choosing an ISP
Broadband options

Note: LINZ has examined information on broadband and Internet connections provided by other ISP service providers and we believe the answers provided by Telecom to these questions are indicative of the industry in New Zealand at this time.

Choosing an Internet connection

For optimal performance and functionality within Landonline, we recommend use of a high speed Internet connection.

More information about choosing an Internet connection is on the Landonline website: see the Technical Requirements page.

Save your work as you go

From time to time, dialup Internet users may experience a phone line failure, ISPs can have service disruptions to specific areas and broadband access can 'go down'.

We recommend saving your work in Landonline as you go, in order to minimise the frustration of losing unsaved work due to a sudden Internet connection failure.

Core Paper Records project underway

Maintaining appropriate customer access to core paper records in the new 100% electronic lodgement environment is the focus of a key LINZ project.

The project has been reviewing and researching the use of core paper records. The records under review comprise:

• Survey plans.
• Deeds and land transaction documents.
• Journals.
• Field Books.
• Indexes.
• Cases.
• Abstracts.
• Crown Grants.
• Traverse Records.

These records can be:

• Live converted (scanned into Landonline),
• Live non-converted (not scanned into Landonline), or
• Dead (cancelled or withdrawn).

A dead record means there is no longer a business purpose related to the record.

Preservation and historical significance of records

"Even though some records no longer have a business purpose, LINZ is mindful of the important and rich historic information they contain," says John Maze, LINZ's Core Paper Records Project Manager.

There is no intention to destroy any paper records and LINZ will be working closely with Archives New Zealand throughout this project. The Public Records Act 2005 also requires that any record destruction must first be authorised by the Chief Archivist, Archives New Zealand.

Customer research findings

During two weeks between June and July 2005, LINZ conducted a Paper Records survey of external customers ¹ . The findings provide LINZ with 'snapshot in time' results relating to three key information areas:

• Describing the LINZ customers who request paper records.
• Understanding how customers request paper records.
• Understanding the reasons for requesting paper records and attitudes towards requesting electronic records.

LINZ Customers who request paper records

The majority of customers are conveyancers or surveyors who access paper records for business purposes.

Around one-third of processing centre customers access paper records for personal reasons (e.g. researching family history), rather than LINZ business (i.e. land transactions).

Understanding how customers request paper records

The majority of customers use Landonline to make paper records requests, and in fact prefer this method for making their requests. However, some customers still rely on LINZ staff members in processing centres.

The following were most frequently reported as the methods that customers have ever used to make requests:

• Via the Internet using Landonline (73%).
• Via a LINZ staff member at one of the LINZ processing centres (32%).
• By filling in a Record Request Form (14%).
• Via a search agent (13%).

The most preferred means of requesting paper records were identified as follows:

• Via the Internet using Landonline (64%).
• Via a LINZ staff member at one of the LINZ processing centres (17%).
• Via one of the terminals set up in the LINZ processing centres (5%).
• By filling in a Record Request Form (4%).

Understanding the reasons for requesting paper records and attitudes towards requesting electronic records

Paper records are typically requested when scanned documents are unavailable or the quality of the electronic record does not meet the standard required. Requests for paper records at processing centres have declined over time and there is a strong preference amongst customers for electronic records.

Customers have noticed improvements in accessing paper records over time and overall customer satisfaction with LINZ's paper records service is high.

Accessing records electronically delivers benefits on both a practical and historical preservation level so the research results clearly support electronic delivery and the move to 100% e-lodgement.

Next steps for the project

Currently and through the next 6-8 months, the Core Paper Records Project will develop options for appropriate access, including preservation and storage options. The project team is investigating innovative ways to provide appropriate access to paper records in the new environment.

LINZ will consult with stakeholders on the recommended option and report to the Minister for Land Information by 1 July 2007.

More information on the Core Paper Records Project will be published in Landwrap as the project progresses.

¹ Customer sample randomly drawn from two sources based on data from June-July 2005 – those who visited a LINZ processing centre to request an unconverted paper record (n=87 people) and those who requested unconverted paper records via Landonline (n=776 businesses). These two groups of customers are not exclusive – research data shows a 15% cross over. Maximum agreed sample was 150, with priority placed on 87 process centre contacts.

Training info on the way early April

Landonline training information packs will be sent to all known conveyancing and surveying firms in early April. Pack contents are being prepared according to whether firms are:

• Currently using e-dealing or e-survey.
• Holding licences for e-dealing or e-survey but have not been trained and have not used the service yet.
• Holding one or more e-search licences, needing to upgrade to e-dealing or e-survey and receive training.
• Manually lodging titles and survey transactions, needing to sign up to Landonline e-dealing or e-survey and receive training.

The training LINZ provides is free of charge. It is available to users in new firms signing up to Landonline e-dealing or e-survey once those users are fully enabled (e.g. all users have downloaded the necessary software and have successfully imported their Digital Certificate).

"We know the training enables Landonline users to become more productive more quickly," says LINZ General Manager Customer Services, Sharon Cottrell. "There's a very good payback on the firm's investment of the time to attend the sessions."

Nationwide training programme for new e-dealing users

To help conveyancing firms prepare for 100% e-lodgement, LINZ is rolling out a nationwide training programme. All e-dealing users in firms signing up to join Landonline e-dealing or upgrading to e-dealing will have free training made available to them.

"Up until now," says Sharon, "e-dealing training has been booked on a firm-by-firm basis to suit firms' requested dates and times. We want to deliver training to all new e-dealing users before Christmas this year and have re-modelled the training delivery plan to ensure this is achieved."

The information packs will contain a training schedule showing when our teams of e-dealing trainers will be visiting specific locations around New Zealand. Conveyancing firms will be invited to book e-dealing users for training according to the schedule.

A proportion of the training for e-dealing will be delivered at the firm's premises while the remainder will be delivered to groups of up to 10 users at a range of central locations.

Training bookings required for new e-survey users

LINZ has contracted training providers to deliver e-survey training at firms' premises and demand has been high.

To ensure all new e-survey users have the opportunity to receive this training, information packs will contain training booking forms with the facility for firms to show preferred dates. Once received, training will be scheduled, fitting in with preferred dates where possible.

Register for training as soon as you get your pack

"I would ask firms to help us by registering as soon as possible after receiving the packs, which are due to be mailed in the first week of April," Sharon says. Firms needing to sign up to Landonline or upgrade to e-dealing or e-survey will need to complete those processes before training can be confirmed and delivered.

If your firm hasn't received an information pack by 12 April, please email linzinfo@linz.govt.nz and request a copy of the pack to be sent to you. Remember to include your name, title, mailing and physical address in the email.

Landonline

Landonline 2.7 Full Release

LINZ will go live with the Landonline 2.7 Full Release on 15 May 2006. This release is a mix of enhancements and improvements affecting Search, Survey and Titles functionalities.

Many of these changes address issues customers have told us about and are part of our regular Landonline maintenance programme to improve usability, stability and performance.

Search functionality enhancements/improvements:

• The 'Search Results' data window has been made larger so more rows will be visible before users have to scroll.
• Users will be able to resize the 'Search Results' area.
• Users will be able to print out search results, copy to clipboard or save to file.
• Searching using wildcard functionality has been improved, enabling (for example) Names of Proprietors to be found more easily.
• A new 'Legal Description' field has been added to the Search Title screen.
• Users searching on a parcel will be able to expand the parcel leaf to see any titles that may be linked to that parcel.
• 'Territorial Authority' has been added as a search criteria when using search title on a street address – this will streamline searching functionality and give more refined search results.

Survey functionality enhancements/improvements:

• An application restriction has been applied to prevent mark and observation data being approved in a Record Purposes Only survey.
• Numerous issues relating to e-survey that surveyors and LINZ processing staff have been resolved in this release, including:
  • Captured traverse marks that are beyond the buffer perimeter of the system-generated primary diagram will now be included within the buffer.
  • User added text on layout sheets will remain when saved after closing down then re-opening the layout sheet.
  • Underlying surveys will retain mark related information. The mark related information will not be changed by a subsequent approved survey.
  • e-survey users will no longer be able to spatially adopt pending primary observations linked to current marks.

Titles functionality enhancements/improvements:

• The 'View Instrument' image screen will allow images of e-instruments to be viewed.
• Printed reports will show the Client Reference clearly in the printed notice, fixing the problem of overlapping text.
• Solicitors signing instruments and being prompted to change their Landonline password for logon, will no longer be locked out if they do not change their password before commencing the signing session.

The April Landwrap will have detailed information on the Landonline 2.7 Full Release.

Update on Landonline extended hours

Extended hours of access for Landonline are on-track for later in April, to make Landonline available to all users for extended hours during weekdays and on Saturdays.

Testing to support the extended hours of access is well underway. Approximately one week before they come into effect, LINZ will email all Landonline customers to advise the date the extended hours will commence.

Landonline Terms & Conditions to be updated to reflect extended hours

The 'Landonline Remote Access - General Terms and Conditions' customers agree to when they sign up to join Landonline, are to be updated to reflect the change to hours of access, to read as follows:

Availability of the Service

4. Landonline is normally available:

1. between the hours of 7:00 am to 9:00 pm Monday through Thursday, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm Friday, and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturday, for searching for the copy or image of any instrument, dealing, or document in Landonline or the lodgement of plans through Landonline; and
2. between the hours of 9:00 am – 4:00 pm on each day LINZ offices are open for business pursuant to regulation 40 of the Land Transfer Regulations 2002 for the lodgement of any other instrument, dealing, or document through Landonline.
3. The hours of operation in clause 4.1 are subject to change from time to time and can be set by the CEO of LINZ pursuant to Section 33(4)&(5) of the Land Transfer (Computer Registers and Electronic Lodgement) Amendment Act 2002.
4. LINZ reserves the right to alter or suspend the normal hours of Landonline availability for the purposes of system maintenance and updates. Users will be notified in advance.

In the email being sent to advise the extended hours commencement date, LINZ will also confirm that the change to 'Landonline Remote Access - General Terms and Conditions' will take effect thirty days after the date of that email.

For more information on the extended hours, including what customers will be able to do and what support will be available, please refer to Landwrap Issue 19.

Saturday 13 May

Landonline 2.7 Full Release is being released over the weekend including Saturday 13 May. This means Landonline will not be available on that day.

Know your Landonline password from your Digital Certificate passphrase

Knowing the differences between your Landonline password and your Digital Certificate passphrase could save you time and money. For example, your Landonline password can be reset with a quick call to our Technical Support if you've forgotten it… your Digital Certificate passphrase can't.

Think of Landonline password as the 'key to the door' – and your Digital Certificate passphrase as the 'key to the safe'.

Your Landonline password - the key to the door

Your Landonline password is what you enter after your user name, to log on to Landonline.

To prevent the inconvenience of being locked out of Landonline, we recommend that you change your log on password at the very first prompt.

The system does allow users 'two more grace log ons' after the prompt to change your password (required every 90 days).

Intuitively, you might think that each new Landonline session would count as one log on. However, because certifying and signing lawyers need to enter their password for each instrument that is being signed, the system actually counts each password entry as one log on.

So, unless you change your password when first prompted, you could find yourself locked out during a typical signing session after inadvertently exceeding the number of grace log ons.

Note: Each 'certify and sign' will no longer count as a grace log-on after the planned Landonline 2.7 Full Release in May. However, it's still a good habit to change your password on the first prompt to avoid the annoyance of being locked out.

Key points to remember:

• Landonline passwords must be changed every 90 days (a security requirement).
• Your screen will display a prompt.
• Do change your password when first prompted.
• During a Certify and Sign session, prompts are NOT displayed.
• If you exceed the grace log ons, you will be locked out.
• If you are locked out, contact LINZ Technical Support, and ask for your password to be reset. Phone 0800 665 463 select option 4.

Your Digital Certificate passphrase – the key to the safe

If you are authorised to sign documents in Landonline, you will have a Digital Certificate (DC) passphrase in addition to the password you use to log on to Landonline.

You create your DC passphrase when you download your Digital Certificate. It needs to be eight or more characters long, with at least one upper case letter, one lower case letter and one number included.

You use your DC passphrase for digital signing on the Landonline system, and whenever you import your Digital Certificate (for example, when you upgrade your computer).

Your DC passphrase should be known only to you, as you are responsible for any actions authorised by that Digital Certificate. (Refer to Rule 3.04 in the Rules of Professional Conduct for Barristers and Solicitors, which states, "A practitioner must not allow use of his or her Digital Certificate (DC) or the associate password by any other person.")

Remember that your DC passphrase cannot be reset by Technical Support.

Without the passphrase, the Digital Certificate cannot be installed on a computer.

If it is not currently installed, you cannot reset the passphrase by using the export process.

If your Digital Certificate is not currently installed and you've forgotten your passphrase, the only solution is to be issued a new Digital Certificate at a cost of $85.

Fees Reports feature in Landonline

A useful Fees Reports feature is available in Landonline enabling you to export fees data to your computer.

Representatives of the NZ Law Society, NZ Institute of Surveyors and LINZ asked LINZ to draw this feature to Landonline users' attention. At recent meetings to prioritise changes to Landonline, agreement was reached to close off a number of items relating to fees reports as the functionality already exists. However, as many users are probably not aware of the Fees Report feature, some information was requested.

Using the Fees Report feature, you can generate reports on the Landonline fees that your firm—or individual users within it—have incurred over the period you specify.

You can also save the data shown in the Fees Report to your own computer in virtually any format, where you can analyse it in a spreadsheet or import it into other programmes.

To access the Fees Report feature:

1. Log on to Landonline.
2. Go Landonline Searches.
3. On the menu bar, click 'Tools', then select 'Fees Report' from the drop-down menu.

More about the Landonline Fees Report feature.

e-dealing

Training spaces available in April and May

If your firm has not yet had e-dealing training, you can still book one-to-one training in April and May.

A LINZ e-dealing trainer will come to your firm and train legal executives and solicitors who will use e-dealing at their desks. Training for legal executives takes approximately two hours while solicitors' training takes approximately one hour.

Before training can be confirmed, firms must be signed up to Landonline, purchase the appropriate number of e-dealing licences and each user must be fully enabled (e.g. have downloaded software to use Landonline and have their Digital Certificate issued and downloaded).

To book for e-dealing training, email linzinfo@linz.govt.nz. Don't forget to include your full name, title, firm name, mailing and physical address and contact telephone number and we will respond directly.

Find out more general information about Landonline and e-dealing, and sign-up.

e-survey

Firms provide e-survey bureau service

Some e-survey licensed firms are acting as 'bureaus' for other surveyors – providing an arrangement that benefits all involved.

According to LINZ's e-survey Product Manager Jan Lawrence, there are about 162 survey firms lodging fewer than 25 surveys a year. "These firms are often small, or sole practitioners, or have land surveying as only a small part of their overall business," Jan says.

"Some may not wish to purchase an e-survey licence on their own account – but may then feel concerned for their future in the 100% electronic lodgement environment."

To meet this need, some organisations are setting up e-survey bureau operations, taking e-surveys right up to checking and signing, for associated surveyors.

The 'associated surveyor' is often a sole practitioner who has purchased his or her own Digital Certificate, and associated it with the bureau's e-survey licence.

This allows the practitioner to use as much (or as little) of e-survey as he or she wants, with the bureau picking up the rest, but crucially still enabling the associated surveyor to check and digitally sign their own surveys.

Such an arrangement can have various permutations.

"The provision of Landonline licences and Digital Certificates does have some inherent flexibility, which the surveyor community can use to adjust arrangements to suit their situations," Jan says.

EXAMPLE: e-survey BUREAU SERVICE

Mark O'Gorman, of Otago/Southland survey firm Paterson Pitts Partners Ltd, saw the opportunity to incorporate e-survey bureau services within a consultancy for smaller survey firms nearly a year ago.

"The service is attractive to surveyors, as the cost on some jobs is equivalent to the savings in plan fees," Mark says.

"Six survey firms have used our service, four on a regular basis. The initial users mainly came to us for data capture and plan generation, from their survey data and calculations.

"Sometimes speed has been the issue. We've been commissioned to get urgent plans processed more quickly, as the e-survey process is faster. In some other cases, we've had surveyors who've recognised a job is taking them out of their depth, and have asked us to help out."

Some bureau users send in their survey information in its most raw form, for Paterson Pitts Partners Ltd bureau to complete all the stages through to checking and signing. Another user enters his own calculations, but then uses the bureau to save time thereafter.

"We also see good opportunities to do plan capture and generation from an xml document in the future," Mark says.

The bureau deals with the issue of professional liability by requiring surveyors to check and sign their own work. "We'd be very reluctant to have Paterson Pitts Partners Ltd surveyors certify other surveyors' plans. However, checking and signing surveys is a simple operation in Landonline and really not an obstacle for anyone."

Cadastre Limited provides full e-survey bureau services, in addition to being an accredited e-survey training service provider to LINZ. Bureau services are often provided to ease surveyors into the e-survey processes. However, for those not wishing to introduce e-survey procedures into their own practice, Cadastre Limited will provide full capture, completion and quality assurance services through to the dataset lodgement (submit) stage.

Wellington's Winmill e-survey Services also provides e-survey bureau services. Principal Ralph Winmill will undertake all the e-survey stages, and points out an additional benefit for sole operators is having another surveyor to QA their work.

e-survey BUREAU SERVICE PROVIDERS

The firms providing e-survey bureau services that we are aware of currently are:

Paterson Pitts Partners Ltd (PPPL). Contact Mark O'Gorman on 03 477 3245.

Winmill e-survey Services Ltd. Contact Ralph Winmill on 027 4494 863.

Cadastre Limited. Contact Allan Wilson on 03 573 6997.

Landlink Agency Limited. Contact Liz Bewley or Sharon Patterson on 03 546 9952.

Training spaces available in April and May

If your firm has not yet had e-survey training, you can still book one-to-one training in April and May.

A LINZ e-survey trainer will come to your firm's premises and train surveyors and survey technicians. Training takes approximately 1 full day or 2 half days and is free of charge.

Before training can be confirmed, firms must be signed up to Landonline, have purchased the appropriate number of e-survey licences and each user must be fully enabled (e.g. have downloaded software to use Landonline and have their Digital Certificate issued and downloaded).

To book for e-survey training, email e-survey@linz.govt.nz. Don't forget to include your full name, title, firm name, mailing and physical address and contact telephone number and we will respond directly.

Landwrap

Landwrap is the authoritative news and information source for survey and title customers.

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