Wednesday, 27 June 2018
The Law Society of Western Australia welcomes today’s announcement by the State Government that it has rejected the sale of Landgate, opting instead to commercialise a restricted part of Landgate’s automated functions.
The State Government has confirmed it will “retain ownership and oversight of the land titles register, and Landgate itself will continue to function as a statutory authority”.
Landgate has advised that its registry data will continue to be secured through statutory responsibilities and contractual compliance, delivered by the independent Statutory Officers. All existing privacy protections will be maintained and indefeasibility of title will continue to be guaranteed by the State under the current Torrens system.
Law Society President Hayley Cormann said, “The Law Society welcomes the State Government’s decision to keep Landgate in public hands. The Law Society opposes the privatisation of Landgate in the absence of adequate protections for consumers, and we welcome the commitment of the State Government to guaranteeing the continued integrity of the land registry, and maintenance of the existing system of indefeasibility of title.”
“The Law Society looks forward to seeing further details of the proposed commercialisation of Landgate’s automated functions, and reserves its position in this regard until obtaining more information. It is vitally important that Landgate maintains its existing high standards of customer satisfaction, and that the proposed changes have no adverse effect upon the provision of high-quality services to the Western Australian community,” Ms Cormann said.
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For comment please contact:
Andrew MacNiven
Media and Communications Officer
(08) 9324 8634
amacniven@lawsocietywa.asn.au
About us: The Law Society of Western Australia is the peak professional association for lawyers in the State. The Society is a not-for-profit association dedicated to the representation of its more than 3800 members. The Society enhances the legal profession through its position as a respected leader and contributor on law reform, access to justice and the rule of law. The Society is widely acknowledged by the legal profession, government and the community as the voice of the legal profession in Western Australia.
