Summer services update
In this edition:
- Survey and title processing times for May within performance expectations
- Protecting survey marks
- Smooth sailing for aqua applications
- Guidance for surveys of boundaries created by diagram on transfer
- Automated Notice of Change for Auckland Council and Watercare
- Survey pilot – are you keen to get involved?
- Legal webinar
Survey and title processing times for May within performance expectations
In February, LINZ saw high demand both for survey and title transactions. Average processing times rose to just under 15 working days for title transactions and 23.1 days for survey plans.
Karen Farrell, LINZ Head of Property Rights, has advised stakeholders that survey and title processing times are now back within our performance expectations. End-of-month figures for May 2022 show the average title transaction was processed in 9.7 working days, and for survey plans, it was 7.8 working days.
Thank you for your support as we have resolved these issues. Despite the property downturn, volumes remain high. We still expect some delays with complex transactions until new staff become more skilled and experienced with handling them.
Please check Landonline for current processing times; these are updated weekly.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our team at customersupport@linz.govt.nz
Protecting survey marks
The NZ Protected Survey Marks dataset has been updated.
The LINZ Data Service contains a dataset called NZ Protected Survey Marks, which includes critical survey marks we want to ensure are not destroyed. Publication of the dataset allows services such as BeforeUdig to provide information about survey marks to contractors and members of the public undertaking excavation work.
The dataset has been updated to include approximately 74,500 additional survey marks, resulting in a total of 300,000 survey marks in the dataset.
The dataset previously contained geodetic control marks as well as permanent reference marks (PRM), which were placed or observed in cadastral survey datasets (CSDs) lodged after 2010. The marks which have been added include PRMs and control marks from selected pre-2010 CSDs. We have added several marks located near intersections or at the ends of roads and some key marks such as standard survey marks which predate 1960.
The dataset will continue to be updated to ensure new geodetic marks and PRMS are included and missing or disturbed marks are removed.
Surveyors can assist in maintaining this dataset by ensuring information about disturbed marks, destroyed marks, or marks searched for and not found are recorded in their CSDs, as required by rules 72(h), 80(5) and 80(7) of the Cadastral Survey Rules 2021.
In other instances, missing or disturbed marks can be reported to LINZ by filling out a form on our website.
Report damage or disturbances to survey marks
This update is part of an ongoing project to raise awareness and improve the protection of survey marks which are important to the cadastre.
Smooth sailing for aqua applications
It’s important to take special note of fresh or seawater areas when applying for consent to purchase land for an overseas investor.
As part of the purchase, the Crown has the right to acquire any land that is a marine or coastal area or the bed of a lake or river – ensuring waterways stay in New Zealand ownership.
A few tips to help with smooth sailing:
- When applying for overseas investment consent, include specific details of any fresh or seawater area within the land’s boundaries.
- If consent is granted, the overseas investor’s representative must register a Water Areas Acquisition Notice when the land is transferred.
Guidance for surveys of boundaries created by diagram on transfer
We’ve published a new cadastral survey guideline for surveys dealing with boundaries created by diagram on transfer. This guideline will support surveyors undertaking cadastral surveys and preparing CSDs under the Cadastral Survey Rules 2021 (CSR 2021).
The Cadastral Survey Guidelines integrate new guidance on the CSR 2021 with existing material from various sources to create a one-stop-shop of information.
The new survey guideline and an index to all the published guidelines can be found on our website on these two links.
News bites
Customer relationship manager Mike Webster (left) and engagement lead James Mowat in front of a map of Auckland at Toitū Te Whenua’s Wellington offices. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Automated Notice of Change now available for Auckland Council and Watercare
Conveyancers can now prepare Notices of Change of Ownership (NoC) for Auckland Council and Watercare using our automated NoC service, as part of your Landonline e-dealing workflow.
Since going live at the end of May 2022, NoC is Auckland Council’s and Watercare’s preferred method for advising changes to their rating database. When you use the Landonline NoC service, both Council and Watercare are told automatically.
Improved data accuracy
Using NoC will result in improved data accuracy (you only enter the data once), time savings (fewer clicks and less typing) and improved timeliness of notifications.
Water meter read
The final water meter read process remains unchanged for Watercare. Please continue to book any meter reads, as usual.
For more information about NoC, watch a short video demonstration or check out the Landonline help page.
- Modernising Landonline: A new way to notify us about ownership changes
- Landonline Notice of Change of Ownership (NoC) help page
Survey pilot – are you keen to get involved?
We’ve piloted the new survey application with encouraging results, and excellent progress continues in the survey space with the modernising Landonline programme. After demonstrating the new survey application at last year’s Survey and Spatial New Zealand conference, we piloted it with a small group of users.
Lead consulting surveyor Nick Stillwell said feedback from the group indicates they learnt how to use the new capture tools by watching a five-minute help video. The release of new Landonline features will be completely interoperable with Legacy Landonline.
As work progresses, we’ll continue to add missing functionality, make improvements, and resolve issues to ensure new Landonline is robust and fit for purpose for survey capture.
When all the capture functionality has been migrated to new Landonline, capture will be decommissioned in Legacy Landonline.
Get involved in our next pilot
A limited number of places are available on our next pilot. If you’re keen to be involved, we’d like to hear from you.
Please email us at engagement@linz.govt.nz and tell us why you’d like to pilot the new features of Landonline.
Webinars
Legal webinar on 7 July
Toitū Te Whenua LINZ is presenting a livestream webinar in association with the New Zealand Law Society | Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa’s Property Law Section (PLS) and Legal Executives New Zealand (LENZ).
Siobhan Simpson, Principal Solicitor responsible for Property Rights at LINZ, will talk about the registration of caveats and the processes to have them removed from a title. The session is aimed at those who are new to drafting caveats or want to learn more about how to deal with a caveat that is noted on a title.
The aim of the session is to provide information on:
- what LINZ considers when assessing caveats
- common issues and how to avoid requisitions when preparing caveats, and
- the process for lapsing or removing a caveat and the timeframes to be aware of.
This webinar will allow interactive questions and answers and will support up to 0.75 hours of CPD for lawyers and registered legal executives.
Event details
Date: Thursday 7 July 2022
Time: 12 to 12.30pm (plus 15 mins Q&A)
Registration fees
- PLS or LENZ members/associate members: $30
- Non-PLS or non-LENZ members: $40
- Group rate (five to 12 pax): $120
When booking a group rate, register all participants at the time of booking to ensure they receive their personalised webinar link and CPD certificate of attendance.
- Register here for the webinar by Tuesday, 5 July.
- Report Damage or Disturbances to Survey Marks
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Media contact
Email: media@linz.govt.nz