A better way to manage land information

Abstract

Australia’s Federal Government has no constitutional authority over land administration. Each state and territory has its own system and, to date, this system has served the nation well.

Each system is reflected in the historic, independent pattern where each jurisdiction computerises its own processes and operates according to its own timetable, needs, reporting functions, customer service design and other imperatives.

However, the country’s capacity to meet increasingly national issues – such as management of the macro economy, a national property market, climate change response, disaster management, national business coordination and national security– is problematic.

Seamless information about landownership, and its use, value and development is essential to the strategic planning of capital cities. Processes such as levying capital gains tax, allocating drought relief, and managing crime and terrorism all require broad strategic planning, as do the development of early warning systems for emergencies and climate change initiatives.

As a consequence, national priorities that rely on information about land are faced with the technical, policy and institutional barriers that come with integrating data from multiple state-based sources.

The solution is a national land information infrastructure.