Land registry futures: a vision for the role of tomorrow's land registries: or another view of the cathedral

Abstract

Australia and her states have significantly improved land information management since 1982: cadastres were digitized, land registries computerized, GIS was incorporated, and SDIs developed. However, the risk of a special 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 national eConveyancing system represents the first step. Many more initiatives will follow. Australia’s land registries 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 mere pocketknives for conveyancing. They are multi-purpose tools with the capacity to service society with the information needed to respond our most pressing challenges.