The information on these Electronic Conveyancing webpages is provided by Land and Property Management Authority (LPMA).

Property conveyancing in Australia is a State and Territory-based activity regulated by legislation enacted by the parliament in each jurisdiction. While all jurisdictions have adopted the Torrens system of land title registration, first developed in South Australia in the mid-19th Century, the practices and procedures for registration of property interests vary among the jurisdictions.

In NSW, LPMA developed the first electronic Torrens Register, brought online in 1984. To move forward from the electronic register to electronic dealings against the register, LPMA initiated a nationwide collaborative program that will deliver the most significant development in conveyancing practices since the introduction of the Torrens Title system almost 150 years ago. Today, we are playing a key role in developing the National Electronic Conveyancing System (NECS), which will provide a single national system for the electronic lodgment and settlement of conveyancing transactions. The new system will ultimately replace the manual paper-based systems currently used in most states, including NSW.

The NECS is to be a single national facility to provide a convenient digital system for legal practitioners, conveyancers, banks and mortgage processors to:

• prepare instruments and related documents to register changes in interests in property
• settle financial transactions
• comply with the tax and duty requirements of the relevant State or Territory Revenue Office
• lodge their instruments and related documents with the relevant State or Territory Land Registry
• receive advice of the lodgment status and registration of instruments.

The system will be designed to service industry and government needs across Australia.

NECS users

Solicitors and conveyancers acting for property vendors, purchasers and owners, lenders such as banks, building societies and credit unions, service intermediaries including information brokers and legal software providers, and government agencies with Land administration interests, such as LPMA.

More information

Please visit the NECS website www.necs.gov.au for updates on development progress.

The NECS in NSW Newsletters and other materials are available to help industry and practitioners remain aware of developments toward electronic conveyancing in NSW.

To receive the NECS in NSW Newsletter please E: NECSinNSW@lpma.nsw.gov.au

Further information on the initial proposal for electronic conveyancing and 2004 industry consultation process.

For enquiries please E: NECSinNSW@lpma.nsw.gov.au