19 March 2024
The Victorian Land Registry is taking the next step towards a fully digital land registry with notification of the ePlan mandate for digital submission of plans under the Subdivision Act 1988.
From 29 July 2024, plan data under the Subdivision Act 1988 will begin a 3-year phased transition to mandatory digital submission using ePlan.
The mandate is an important milestone that puts Victoria on track to transition from working with plans and surveys in PDF format to digital data. It will enable plan and survey data to be ‘digital by default’, setting the future foundations for a fully digital and automated cadastral data lifecycle, as well as digital examination.
Over time, the benefits of a full lifecycle for plan data will help deliver significantly improved services to the surveying profession and the Victorian community.
The ePlan mandate is the continuation of a long-term journey of digital transformation in the land registry that started over 20 years ago. Over this period, VOTS (the Victorian Online Titling System) and SPEAR (Surveyor and Planning through Electronic Applications and Referrals) have helped pave the way for more efficient processing of plans, with all plan-based dealings now submitted through SPEAR as PDFs.
ePlan has been developed over the last 10 years to improve the efficiency of registration of dealings supported by plan and survey information through SPEAR. Mandating digital submission using ePlan will boost the efficiency of land surveying activities, subdivision registration and support greater innovation in registry search services. ePlan is an important foundational milestone in the 10-year strategy for Victoria’s cadastral system.
Starting with eligible plans of consolidation on 29 July 2024, the mandate will progress to all plans that don’t require a cross-section under the Subdivision Act. Of the approximately 8,000 plans registered in Victoria each year, 8% are typically plans of consolidation.
ePlan eligibility criteria for plans of consolidation is contained in the factsheet to ensure clarity and transparency for all stakeholders. The Abstract of Field Records PDF must still be provided with the ePlan file.
Land Use Victoria will be guided by a new group called the Surveyors Advisory Group to ensure the mandate is a success for all parties in the land development process.
Read more:
Page last updated: 25/03/24