1 Annual Report 2002/2003 The Department of Lands The Department of Lands Land Administration & Management Property & Spatial Information DIRECTOR GENERAL 1 Prince Albert Road Queens Square SYDNEY NSW 2000 Information Division AUSTRALIA Land and Property GPO Box 15 SYDNEY NSW 2001 AUSTRALIA T (612) 9236 7600 F (612) 9236 7631 Financial Statements LPI Division www.lands.nsw.gov.au The Hon Tony Kelly MLC Minister for Rural Affairs, Minister for Local Government, Minister for Emergency Services and Lands Crown Minister Assisting the Minister for Natural Resources (Lands) Division Level 34 Governor Macquarie Tower 1 Farrer Place Sydney NSW 2000 Soil Services Division Dear Minister I am pleased to submit the Department of Lands (Lands) Annual Report for the period 2 April to 30 June, 2003 for The Department of Lands your information and presentation to Parliament. Financial Statements This report has been prepared in accordance with the Annual Reports (Departments) Act 1985, the Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Act 1984 and the Public Finance and Audit Act 1983. This publication has been prepared to include the reports from all administrative areas of the Department and the annual report of the Board of Surveying and Spatial Information of NSW. Approval has been granted for an extension of time for the lodgement of the 2002-2003 reports of the Department BOSSI of Lands and the Board of Surveying and Spatial Information respectively to 12 December 2003. Financial Statements I commend this report to you. BOSSI Yours sincerely Appendices Warwick Watkins Director General [email protected] Glossary Index The Department of Lands Annual Report 2002/2003 2 Contents The Department 4 Corporate Governance 7 Report from the Surveyor General 7 Report from the Registrar General 16 Report from the Valuer General 18 Land and Property Information Division 20 Land and Property Information Division Financial Statements 32 Crown Lands Division 51 Soil Services Division 60 Department of Lands Financial Statements 62 The Board of Surveying and Spatial Information of New South Wales Annual Report 2002/2003 92 The Board of Surveying and Spatial Information Financial Statements 99 Appendices, Glossary and Index sections contain information from the Department of Lands, the Geographical Names Board and the Board of Surveying and Spatial Information of New South Wales. Appendices 111 Glossary 139 Index 143 The Department of Lands Annual Report 2002/2003 4 The Department of Lands was established by the Public The Department has articulated its vision, defined its mission Sector Employment and Management (General) Order 2003 and expressed the core values that will lead us into the on 2 April 2003. It is responsible to the Minister for Natural future. Resources and the Minister Assisting the Minister for Natural Resources (Lands). The Land vision for NSW is that the State will be recognised for quality and reliable spatial information and land The new department comprises staff or units transferred administration and management products to meet the needs from the former Department of Land and Water of the community. Conversation in the Crown lands and roads areas, the minor ports unit and the Soil Services unit as well as staff or units The Department’s programs over the year were shaped by from the former Department of Information Technology and our values of customer service, accountability, innovation, Management, primarily from Land and Property Information respect, integrity, teamwork and leadership. These (LPI). values signal that NSW is moving into a new era of land information and management, strengthening the The Department of Lands (Lands) is comprised of three partnerships with business and community. divisions: The year saw very significant development in e commerce The Department of Lands • Land and Property Information Division initiatives in LPI and Crown Land NSW with key milestones • Crown Lands Division being achieved in online service delivery targets and business • Soil Services Division transformation. The Department also provides administrative support to: Lands continued to focus on its core responsibilities in information and knowledge management. • Board of Surveying and Spatial Information of New South Wales Land Property Information (LPI) I is undertaking a number of significant long-term projects to enhance online service Land and Property Information Division is responsible delivery to clients. for geospatial data and the integration, capture and management of land, property and valuation information Work continued on the Integrated Property Warehouse and services. (IPW) that will result in across-agency integration of the management of land information in the State. Crown Lands Division manages and administers Crown lands held under lease, licence or permit; community and Council The ePlan project made significant progress during the year. managed reserves; lands retained in public ownership for The Conveyancing Legislation Amendment (e-plan) Act 2002 environmental purposes; lands within the Crown public and the various supporting regulations commenced on 19th roads network; vacant Crown land and administration of August 2002. minor ports in New South Wales. The Act provides the legal basis for the electronic lodging Soil Services Division is a specialist conservation earthmoving for registration or recording of plans and accompanying and soil consultancy business, specialising in: documents. All necessary signatures, seals and certificates are required to be endorsed on an approved form for * The planning, design and construction of soil and water signatures to be lodged electronically with the plan. conservation earthworks; and * he planning and implementing of practical and realistic Another significant step for LPI was the continued solutions to common land degradation problems. development of the Central Register of Restrictions and the Property Information Inquiry Service as a component of the The Year in Review Integrated Titling System. The creation of the Department of Lands on 2nd April 2003 The Land Valuation program was completed successfully, offers a significant opportunity to build an organisation with 49 local council areas across the State revalued by using the best from the past and trying to position it for the valuation contractors, resulting in the issue of 825,000 future. The Department has a wealth of skill and experience general notices of valuation to property owners in these and the marriage of the spatial components of land and local government areas. property information with the historic and contemporary nature of the Crown Lands portfolio brings increased synergy. During the reporting year Lands further consolidated the integration of its constituent agencies and improved its quality service delivery. 5 Annual Report 2002/2003 The Department of Lands Crown Lands Division, responding to customer feedback Department of Lands The Department of Lands and government service delivery objectives, has embarked Level 3, 1 Prince Albert Road on an ambitious plan to deliver an e-business service Queens Square option for 250,000 regional and rural customers. Known Sydney NSW 2000 as Landirect the option will allow customers to undertake the majority of Crown land business transactions and GPO Box 15 receive related information through the Internet. NSW Sydney NSW 2001 Treasury has funded the initiative as a State Capital IT T: 61 2 9228 6666 Information Division Project through to 2004. F: 61 2 9236 7632 Land and Property Landirect will offer substantial cost savings to the E: [email protected] Department with the re-engineering and streamlining Website: www.lands.nsw.gov.au of business processes and supporting services and the move towards customer self service via the use of on line technologies. These costs will be achieved through Financial Statements reduced travel to government offices, reduced waiting times and less communication costs. LPI Division The initial release of Landirect is programmed for 2003/ 04 and will concentrate on providing on-line access for account searches and waterfront licence applications. Building on the introduction of B-pay in the 2002/2003 Lands Crown year there has been an excellent customer response to the Division new technology. B-pay receipts totalled $3.2 million of land account payments. Soil Services Division achieved external Soilworks sales at $9.8 million (up 10% on 2001-02) was an excellent Soil Services Division result given the wide spread drought conditions across the state. Approximately 27,000 hectares of land was treated with conservation earthworks including broadacre banks/waterways dams and sediment detention structures. The Department of Lands This is a 38 per cent increase, compared with 19,500 Financial Statements hectares in the previous year. High work standards were maintained with repairs representing a low 0.22 per cent of external sales. The Office of Rural Affairs also joined the Department of Lands. The Office of Rural Affairs will continue to work with the community and with other government agencies BOSSI to assist in the identification of issues and provide advice and assistance on matters impacting on rural communities. Financial Statements The year has been one of consolidation and significant achievement for Lands and we will continue to respond to BOSSI innovation, share our knowledge and lead by example in the years ahead. Appendices Glossary Warwick Watkins Director General Registrar General Index The Department of Lands