Infrastructure Engineering - Research Publications

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    A new vision on cadastral data model
    Kalantari, Mohsen ; RAJABIFARD, ABBAS ; WALLACE, JUDE ; WILLIAMSON, IAN ( 2006)
    Land administration systems are evolving towards an integrated land management paradigm designed to support sustainable development. In this paradigm, land administration delivers four functionalities: land mapping, land registration, land valuation and land development, each with specific data elements, with the cadastral data model at the core. Cadastral data modelling potentially plays a key role in both data and business management in modern land administration systems. However, some modifications to existing data models could potentially improve their capacity to deliver sustainability. Firstly, the existing role of land parcels and properties as core building blocks in land administration systems can be significantly extended to make the cadastral fabric available to assist management of a wider range of rights, restrictions and responsibilities by using the concept of legal property objects: an entity defined by a law or regulation which relates to a physical space on, below or above the earth. This can be interpreted as a new land related commodity, land parcel or a property. Secondly, although land parcel and property identifiers are key elements of interoperability within land administration subsystems, the paper argues that they have not yet given appropriate emphasis in cadastral data models. Among the identifiers, spatial identifiers can potentially simplify data exchange and work flows among land administration functionalities on a much wider basis. Finally, the paper discusses technical issues raised by changing the cadastral model: the advantages and disadvantages of spatial identifiers, possibilities for spatially presenting rights restrictions and responsibilities, and consistency between various legal property objects.
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    Integrated land administration in Australia : the need to align ICT strategies and operations
    Bennett, Rohan ; WALLACE, JUDE ; WILLIAMSON, IAN ( 2005)
    A modern Land Administration System consists of four key functions: land tenure, land valuation, land use and land development. The integration of these functions and associated land information are essential if we are to achieve sustainability objectives and a more efficient property development process. Historically many countries have divided up their key functions; the advent of information and communication technologies [ICT] offered the possibility of integration. Current research suggests that land administration functions have resisted integration, despite technological advancements. This paper analyses such findings by considering the land administration functions of Victoria, Western Australia and New South Wales. It considers each state’s spatial-mapping and registry functions at a strategic and operational level. Particular attention has been given to ICT policy and operations. The study suggests that many factor shave obstructed integration, including historical backgrounds, politics and disparate organizational cultures have all played a role. Another important factor has been the failure to align the ICT strategies and operations of the different functions: land registries have tended to view technology as supporting core operations rather than core strategy. Conversely, spatial-mapping units see ICT as fundamental to operations and strategy: not only has ICT enhanced traditional practice, but it has also allowed for the creation of new products and services. It is argued that in order to achieve further integration, Land Administration functions must align their perception and use of ICT. Shared leadership, integrated ICT infrastructures and government mandates will assist this alignment.
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    Transferring our knowledge and systems: tenure formalisation
    Dalrymple, K. ; Wallace, J. ; Williamson, I. P. ( 2005)
    Land administration systems are key infrastructure for national growth. They deliver macroeconomic growth, allow greater market integration, provide security of tenure and investments, and increase the capacity to deliver welfare. However, land administration systems supporting these activities are complicated and limited. While advanced tools and principles may be borrowed by countries building local land markets, every situation requires innovative solutions in response to the unique and dynamic land administration environment. Project designs must capture a wide range of people to land relationships and different socio-environmental circumstances. An investigation of different people to land and natural resource arrangements was conducted in a development scenario. Case study investigations took place in three rural villages in Cambodia undergoing different stages of land administration project implementation. These studies revealed a wide set of indispensable informal tenure arrangements outside the design scope for providing formal tenure security. From 1990 to now, land projects design emphasis has moved from technological to institutional criteria. Further design change is still required, especially to deliver sustainability and social development. In particular land administration systems used in development scenarios must approach formalization of land tenure with more innovative approaches. This may also require an expansion of tenure security options beyond those currently included in formal systems. Formalised Western skills may be advantageous for delivering some services, but they must be complimented by a holistic understanding of local culture and capacity.
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    Innovations in Rural Land Policy and Tenure in Southeast Asia
    DALRYMPLE, KA ; WALLACE, J ; WILLIAMSON, IP (International Federation of Surveyors, 2004)
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    Spatially enabled society
    WILLIAMSON, IAN ; RAJABIFARD, ABBAS ; WALLACE, JUDE ; BENNETT, ROHAN (International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), 2011)
    The term 'spatially enabled society' describes the emerging cultural and governance revolution offered by pervasive spatial information technologies and spatially equipped citizens. Spatially enabled societies make possible, amongst many other things, sustainable cities, GFC early warning systems, smarter delivery of housing, improved risk management, and better macroeconomic decision making. The concept is not about managing spatial information, it is about governing society spatially. Spatially enabled societies represent the realization of the promises offered by building spatial data infrastructures (SDIs) and reforming land administration systems. These building blocks, established over decades, make possible spatially enabled societies. Without tools for managing metadata, building complete national cadastres, modelling and integrating the 3rd dimension, and much other foundational work, spatially enabled societies cannot emerge. This paper explores the notion of spatially enabled societies further. Example applications are used in the discussion. The paper also demonstrates how, despite the grand possibilities of revolutionary spatial technologies and spatially aware citizens, existing infrastructures including SDIs and land administration system will still require an ongoing governance structure for spatially enabled societies to be maintained.
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    Authoritative land information and Australian property markets
    Tambuwala, Nilofer ; RAJABIFARD, ABBAS ; BENNETT, ROHAN ; WALLACE, JUDE ; WILLIAMSON, IAN (International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), 2012)
    Land information has an important role to play in informing macroeconomic policy. In particular, timely and accurate market information relating to land tenure and value is essential for evidence-based fiscal and monetary decisions, such as interest rates on dept financing and assessing property base taxes. Currently in Australia, there appears to be a gap between the creators of land information at the state level and the users of the information at the federal level. The capacity of evidence-based policy is under-realised as a result. This paper explores the inter-governmental land information flows within three state-based land administration systems and the Reserve Bank and Australian Taxation Office. Results of the study show that integration of land market information is occurring within some state land agencies; however communication with federal government departments is limited, leading to information asymmetries. The paper concludes that new options for enabling more seamless land information flows need to be prioritised. Collaboration will be essential.
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    Nations Need National Land Administration Infrastructures
    Bennett, R ; Rajabifard, A ; Williamson, IP ; Wallace, J (FIG (International Federation of Surveyors), 2012)
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    Contemporary land administration: the importance of being infrastructure
    BENNETT, ROHAN ; Tambuwala, Nilofer ; RAJABIFARD, ABBAS ; WILLIAMSON, IAN ; WALLACE, JUDE (International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), 2012)
    Failure to recognize land administration systems as infrastructure potentially creates funding and maintenance problems. Wider economic, social, and environmental benefits of effective land administration are put at risk. Land administration must be recognized as critical, public good infrastructure. Arguments for land administration as infrastructure reside within the land administration discipline: mainstream views regularly fail to recognize the argument. An evaluation approach for testing land administration as an infrastructure is developed and applied. The method utilizes tools for defining and classifying infrastructure, public goods, and critical infrastructures. The analysis tends to support the position of land administration as a critical, public good infrastructure. As a consequence, infrastructure funding and maintenance regimes need to be depoliticized; land administrators must continue to promote land administration outwardly; and the evaluation approach must be extended and enhanced for use in other land administration projects and studies. This paper summarizes a more extended work currently under review with the Journal of Land Use Policy.
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    Lessons for federal countries that have state land registries: the Australian experience
    WILLIAMSON, IAN ; BENNETT, ROHAN ; RAJABIFARD, ABBAS ; WALLACE, JUDE ( 2011)
    The federation of Australia and her states have significantly improved land information management and integration since 1982: cadastres were digitized, land registries computerized, web based GIS was incorporated, and SDIs developed. However, the risk of a Land Information Babel as espoused by Justice Kirby in 1982 still remains, particularly in the realm of land registries. Australia is now entering the era of national approaches to land registration. The proposed national eConveyancing system represents the first step. Many more initiatives will follow. This paper presents a new multi-purpose vision for Australia’s land registries. The state based systems need to continue collaboration in order to build a coherent national vision based around key registries, spatial enablement, and shared services. The power inherent in all land registry information must be unleashed. Land registries are more than simply systems for conveyancing. They are multi-purpose tools with the capacity to service society with the information needed to respond to our most pressing challenges, increasingly with a national focus. Future work must focus on building agreement for this national vision, undertaking a major cost-benefit analysis, comparing existing technical platforms, and creating awareness at higher levels of Australia’s significant land information achievements.
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    Managing Rights, Restrictions and Responsibilities Affecting Land
    BENNETT, R ; WALLACE, J ; WILLIAMSON, I (ICMS Pty Ltd, 2006)