Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) is phasing out paper-basedlodgement of land transactions. By 1 July 2008 all survey and landtitle transactions are required to be lodged electronically on theLandonline system. Public counters in all processing centers willclose from the same date.
LINZ says the system is good news for New Zealanders buying,selling and subdividing property because the automated process willbe efficient and secure, issuing new titles faster.
Electronic lodgement means less paper handling and less manualprocessing work required. Over nine years LINZ will make changes toits processing operations, starting with cutting 112 positions overthe next three years.
LINZ will no longer need five regional processing centers andexpects centers in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin to be closed in2015. The centers in Hamilton and Christchurch will remain.
The Landonline system was launched in 2000, and is now processingaround 17,500 title and survey transactions a week.
Brendan Boyle, CEO of LINZ, says that moving to a fully electronicsystem is the only way to realize the benefits of Landonline.Running both a paper and an electronic system is uneconomic, hesays.
The electronic lodgement requirement will be phased in gradually,starting with discharges on May 1, 2007, transfers and mortgages onAugust 1, 2007, survey transactions on September 1, 2007 and allremaining title transactions on July 1, 2008.
LINZ will provide free training to help surveyors and conveyancersmake the move to the web.