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A National Vision for Australian Land Registries (4851)

Rohan Bennett, Abbas Rajabifard, Ian Williamson, Jude Wallace and Brian Marwick (Australia)
Dr. Rohan Bennett
Research Fellow
The University of Melbourne
Department of Geomatics, University of Melbourne
Parkville
3010
Australia
 
Corresponding author Dr. Rohan Bennett (email: rohanb[at]unimelb.edu.au, tel.: + 61 3 8344 9692)
 

[ abstract ] [ paper ] [ handouts ]

Published on the web 2011-03-16
Received 2010-11-22 / Accepted 2011-02-10
This paper is one of selection of papers published for the FIG Working Week 2011 in Marrakech, Morocco and has undergone the FIG Peer Review Process.

FIG Working Week 2011
ISBN 978-87-90907-92-1 ISSN 2307-4086
http://www.fig.net/resources/proceedings/fig_proceedings/fig2011/index.htm

Abstract

"We in Australia run the risk, for want of appropriate commitment, leadership and perception of the real economics involved, of creating for ourselves a special Land Information Babel" (Kirby, 1982). 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 Australia¹s 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 Australia¹s significant land information achievements.
 
Keywords: Digital cadastre; Cadastre; Land management; land registration; Australia; key registers; spatial enablement

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