100% e-Lodgement Approaching Fast
The move to 100% electronic lodgement for titles transactions is nearly complete, a shift that has seen the time taken for registering the vast majority of land transactions reduced from days to seconds.
On 23 February 2009, conveyancing professionals will join surveyors in completing all their transactions electronically through Landonline. The date marks the end of a phased move to enable 100% electronic lodgement that began in May 2007.
Surveyors have been registering all survey transactions electronically since September 2007, and Sharon Cottrell, LINZ’s General Manager for Customer Services, anticipates a similarly smooth transition for titles.
“Conveyancing professionals receive the final release of functionality that will enable 100% electronic lodgement on 29 September this year,” Sharon says. “All the remaining e-dealing instruments will then be introduced and we know people have been eagerly waiting to use them.”
LINZ and the New Zealand Law Society’s Property Law Section are delivering training and support on the new functionality before e-lodgement becomes fully mandatory on 23 February 2009.
Changes in the regional centres
With the shift from paper lodgement, LINZ has needed fewer processing staff in its five regional centres. Following an announcement in 2006 that three centres will close, LINZ has recently advised the closure dates for the Wellington, Dunedin and Auckland offices – Wellington in mid 2010, Dunedin in late 2010 and Auckland in mid 2012.
From 2012, LINZ’s survey and title processing work will be conducted in the remaining Hamilton and Christchurch centres. Sharon says that although the move to two centres will bring business efficiencies, staff in the closing centres have a wealth of experience and knowledge that LINZ would like to retain.
“As our first preference for ensuring capability in Hamilton and Christchurch, we’ve asked staff in the closing centres to consider relocating to either centre with our support,” she says.
LINZ is planning to reach full capability in Hamilton and Christchurch between now and 2012 through a mix of relocating staff, internal promotions, and recruiting and training new staff.
Public counters close in February 2009
Public counters at the Dunedin, Wellington and Auckland offices will close in line with the February 2009 mandatory titles e-lodgement date, with the Hamilton and Christchurch centres continuing with residual services, such as manual and priority title lodgements.
Reading rooms will continue to operate in Dunedin, Wellington and Auckland until these offices close in 2010 and 2012, enabling the public to view records by appointment.
For the longer term, Sharon Cottrell says that LINZ is currently working on a plan with Archives New Zealand to ensure the public’s continued access to land records.
As currently, the public will continue to be able to order copies of land records online, or by fax or post.
This article has kindly been republished courtesy of Land Information New Zealand. To view this article and other news updates from
Posted: 7 Nov 2008
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