Page 4324 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 7 December 1993
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Despite those concerns, this must be seen as a very positive development in increasing access and the speed of access of individuals to our land titles system and making sure that we continually update and take advantage of the possibilities that computer technology presents in our society. This is only one of many ways in which our community can benefit from this kind of technology. It will have the benefit, I am sure, in the long term of reducing even further the costs of conveyancing - a matter already of some political sensitivity. I am sure that we would all like to see it become even less expensive than it is now.
I understand that a matter was raised by the Scrutiny of Bills Committee concerning the commencement of the consequential provisions Bill. The Minister might have responded on that matter to the Scrutiny of Bills Committee; but, if there is any outstanding matter, I look forward to the Minister's comments on that. I would also appreciate the Minister indicating to the Assembly how long he feels it will take for this new system to be fully up and running. That is not referred to in the presentation speech, and having some idea of what period of transition members of the community are facing in developing this new system will be convenient for those members of the public who need to know how to cope with a dual system for some period. Madam Speaker, these Bills are supported by the Opposition. We hope that they will provide an efficient, effective, convenient and speedy system of land title usage in the ACT.
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General, Minister for Housing and Community Services and Minister for Urban Services) (8.34), in reply: I note that Mr Humphries's main concern in this legislation is the possible risk of transferring the data onto computer and losing that data. I was reminded of the old saying: "To err is human, but to really stuff up requires an expensive computer". There is the possibility of those sorts of problems he adverted to occurring. At the moment, all the records are on hard copy. They are, in effect, a single set of documentation, and there is a risk that in a fire or other calamity in a building you could lose the records. The advantage of a computerised system is that it does allow you to back up, and the ACT Government Computing Service, with its principal database at the government offices at Callum Street, Woden, does maintain a back-up of sensitive data at a separate location. I am advised by the people who know about these things that that is as good a system as you can get. I would certainly be happy to offer Mr Humphries a briefing from the Government Computing Service people about this system and the various guarantees that are in place.
As Mr Humphries indicated, the principal advantage of this will be ease of access to conveyancing. As members would be aware, the Government has a discussion paper still in circulation dealing with expanding competition in the area of conveyancing and allowing non-lawyers to do conveyancing. It is interesting that Mr Humphries adverted to the fact that much of the work at the moment is done by non-lawyers, by paralegals or so-called gofers. The lawyer signs off the documentation, but a lot of the actual work is done by conveyancing clerks. The intention of the Government is to allow people to undertake appropriate training, obtain appropriate forms of insurance, and do the conveyancing themselves without the necessity of a five-year law degree and admission as a legal practitioner.
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