Local developer Harridan is seeking to turn its Woolloongabba apartment project into the first stage of a broader transformation of Burke Street, using a new 16-storey mixed-use building to establish a greener pedestrian connection toward the rapidly evolving Boggo Road transport and knowledge precinct.

The South East Queensland developer has filed plans for 154 apartments on the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/4-burke-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">southern side of Burke Street</a>, where its proposal has been designed alongside a wider vision by LatStudios for the street.

That vision positions the southern side of Burke Street for buildings of 15 storeys and above, while envisaging lower-rise development of up to five storeys on the northern side to transition into Woolloongabba's existing character housing. It also proposes wider pedestrian verges, deep planting, new street trees and upgrades to the pedestrian approach to Boggo Road Station.

The Harridan development itself has been designed by Brisbane-based Arqus Design and will comprise 154 apartments across 16 storeys. The mix is weighted heavily toward two-bedroom apartments, with 121 proposed alongside 10 one-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom residences. There will typically be around 14 units per floor.

A lower-ground car park and three podium levels will accommodate 156 resident parking spaces, along with visitor and commercial parking. There will also be 154 resident bicycle spaces and 40 visitor bicycle parks.

&nbsp;

Harridan is a family-owned developer and part of the Holmwood Highgate Group, with more than three decades of development activity across South East Queensland. Its portfolio spans residential, commercial and industrial property, with current residential projects including Riverbank on Byron in Bulimba, Esperance Residences in Carina and The Precinct at Kinross Road in Thornlands.

Wooloongabba has been popular for apartment developers, particularly since the announcement of the 2032 Summer Olympics games in Brisbane.

While there have been a lot of development applications, it has failed to materialize into real supply.&nbsp;

Sarazin has been the major player in the area. They are under construction at Murcia Residences, on the fringe of East Brisbane and Woolloongabba. They have just launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-stanley-residences-woolloongabba-8-trafalgar-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">The Stanley Residences</a>, in Woolloongabba on Trafalagar Street. They also have Nuage coming soon on the nearby <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nuage-woolloongabba-14-wellington-road-woolloongabba-qld-4102">Wellington Road</a>.

Joel Robinson

First look: Harridan plans Burke Street transformation beside Boggo Road transport hub

IN BRIEF

<ul>
	<li>
	Just three double-storey Sky Homes sit at the top of The Waterline, each with its own private marina berth and rooftop terrace.
	</li>
	<li>
	Construction on The Waterline is complete, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.
	</li>
	<li>
	Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and are priced from $3.65 million.
	</li>
</ul>

<hr />
Lewis Land has opened the first completed sky home for inspection at Harbour Shores, giving buyers their first opportunity to step inside one of just three double-storey residences crowning The Waterline.

Each sky home comes with its own private marina berth, rooftop terrace and Broadwater views, combining the scale of a larger home with direct access to the boating lifestyle that underpins the wider <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/harbour-shores-biggera-waters-564-oxley-drive-biggera-waters-qld-4216">Harbour Shores</a> masterplan.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366708]

Lewis Land Head of Development Michael Long said the inclusion of a berth with every Sky Home had become increasingly valuable as marina access across the Gold Coast tightened.

“Marina berths are becoming increasingly difficult to secure across the Gold Coast, so including one with every Sky Home makes this a genuinely rare offering,” Long said.

“The private 70-berth marina will accommodate boats up to 12 metres in length and is positioned just 2.5 kilometres from the Broadwater, placing the open ocean only 15 minutes away.

“Being able to step out of your home onto your boat is a rare luxury, and it’s something residents here can look forward to when it opens later this year.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366709]

The display opening comes as construction completes on The Waterline, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.

The three Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and each feature three bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive kitchens with butler's pantries and large balconies taking in the Broadwater outlook.

Each residence also has three secure basement car spaces and additional storage.

“This is the first opportunity the Gold Coast has had to step into Harbour Shores and see, touch and feel what we’re bringing to life here,” Long said.

“There are only three Sky Homes within The Waterline, ranging in size from 282sqm to 367sqm, with each residence featuring three large bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive custom-built kitchens with butler’s pantry, and large balconies capturing Broadwater views.”

<img alt="Harbour Shores" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bab65e10-4fab-45e1-92d8-fc56e2ab98ff" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-25%20at%202.00.16%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=XT8q76LsPkw3cYTsvN3JfFDaPLud90PN" />

Residents of The Waterline will have access to a private pool, along with Harbour Shores' wider collection of amenity including a lagoon pool, social clubhouse, tennis court, gym, yoga facilities and sauna.

Lewis Land partnered with Studio Collective to furnish the completed display, with the interiors designed to demonstrate how the residences could function as permanent homes rather than simply as show apartments.

Studio Collective Director Melissa Park said the surrounding waterways informed the interiors, but in a more restrained way than a traditional coastal scheme.

“We drew inspiration from the canals and coastal surrounds, but our approach was to interpret that subtly through layered materials and a grounded palette of earthy tones, rather than literal coastal references,” Park said.

“We introduced hero moments of green and teal to reference the surrounding waterways, while mirrored elements help reflect natural light.

“The result is a residence that feels elevated yet comfortable, somewhere buyers can genuinely imagine themselves living, entertaining and unwinding.”

Sky Homes are priced from $3.65 million.

Lewis Land is also offering private marina berths with The Residences, its limited collection of three and four-bedroom villas positioned directly along the Harbour Shores waterfront boardwalk.

Three-bedroom villas are priced from $2.99 million, while four-bedroom residences start from $3.19 million.

Harbour Shores is being marketed by Colliers International.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=113271]

Lewis Land opens sky home display as The Waterline completes at Harbour Shores

St Vincent de Paul Society Housing Australia has filed plans for a major mixed-use housing precinct on the southern edge of the North Sydney CBD, adding another significant proposal to a pocket around North Sydn​ey Station that is quickly becoming one of the LGA's busiest development zones.

The State Significant Development Application covers a 5,990 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/1-19-mackenzie-street-lavender-bay-nsw-2060">1-19 MacKenzie Street and 211 Blues Point Road in Lavender Bay</a>, immediately south of Nor​th Sydney Station and between the commercial core and the lower-rise Lavender Bay Heritage Conservation Area.

Designed by Wardle, the proposal would deliver a new residential tower comprising 88 build-to-sell apartments and 19 affordable apartments, alongside a separate co-living building with 57 rooms and a building manager's studio.

It would also see the significant restoration and upgrade of St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, the adaptive reuse of the former school building, new parish facilities, retail, a new public square and around 1,000 sqm of publicly accessible open space.

<img alt="Vinnies North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d5dd7f87-a617-463e-b577-17541e01f0e9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.13%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4R8TsFN3P_LrrXO2HswTOIrx2blil8lh" />

The project is seeking a concurrent rezoning of the site to R4 High Density Residential and an increase in the maximum building height to allow a tower reaching RL120, or up to 20 storeys. The proposal was progressed through the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The build-to-sell component will be weighted toward larger apartments, with just six one-bedroom apartments compared with 31 two-beds, 43 three-beds and eight four-bedroom residences.

The 19 affordable apartments will comprise two studios, 15 one-bedroom apartments and two two-bedroom apartments, taking the total apartment component to 107 residences before the 58 co-living rooms are included.

<img alt="Vnnies" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7d568ca5-cb90-4e18-96c6-d9795dba0c56" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=GY2R5M9VtQh0EKy1vajaea19PSLOPuRD" />

Wardle's design for the Vinnies site has sought to negotiate that emerging high-rise context while retaining the lower-scale character of MacKenzie Street and the adjoining heritage conservation area.

The main building adopts a three-storey podium and tower arrangement, with the podium aligned to the ridgeline and front setback of St Francis Xavier Church.&nbsp;Wardle has designed the podium with colonnades, seating, recessed entries and active ground-floor frontages, with sandstone-toned precast concrete and face brick referencing the materiality of the existing church.

The tower then steps back eight metres to the south and six metres to the north before rising in a sculpted form comprising four interlocking quadrants. Wardle has also introduced rounded forms and chamfered corners to reduce the tower's perceived bulk and improve view sharing with neighbouring development sites.

Resident facilities and outdoor areas are planned at the separation between the podium and tower at Level 3, oriented toward Sydney Harbour and the CBD skyline.

The tower itself will feature a glass reinforced concrete facade, with recessed balconies and deep reveals used both to provide shading and privacy and frame views toward the harbour and city. The lower levels take a different architectural approach, using brick and sandstone-toned finishes intended to establish a stronger relationship with St Francis Xavier Church. The Church itself will be conserved and upgraded for its continued use, while the former school building will be adaptively reused as part of the co-living component.

<img alt="Lavendar Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2d4418ad-90aa-4d49-af93-c80b140aea80" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.09.47%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Kv4gzbsACaGvZSRuaqcfGC54jEJRXIDJ" />

&nbsp;

The proposal adds to an increasingly concentrated pipeline of residential development around Blue Street, MacKenzie Street and Lavender Bay.

Just west of the site, Central Element lodged plans earlier this year for one of the most significant residential developments proposed in Lavender Bay in recent years.

Central Element's SJB-designed scheme at 64-66 Lavender Street and 3-7 Middlemiss Street would deliver 163 apartments across two towers rising 23 and 32 storeys, replacing five existing apartment buildings containing 32 homes. The project also forms part of the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-central-element-reveals-lavender-bay-apartment-plans?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">First look: Central Element reveals Lavender Bay apartment plans</a>

Immediately around North Sy​dney Station, another two significant proposals have emerged at 5 and 15 Blue Street.

Zurich Australian Insurance Properties is seeking to adaptively reuse its longstanding commercial building at 5 Blue Street, directly above North Sydney Station, rather than demolishing the structure.

Its SSDA proposes converting the building into a 14-storey mixed-use development with 62 apartments and 86 co-living rooms, together with ground-floor retail and a major refurbishment of Blue Street Plaza. The application is currently at the Response to Submissions stage.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-zurich-targets-north-sydney-office-conversion-with-148-unit-proposal-above-metro-station">First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station</a>

&nbsp;

First look: Vinnies files for 20-storey Lavender Bay apartment tower as North Sydney housing pocket heats up

When the opportunity arose for South Australian developer Palumbo to return to Kent Town, where it had previously delivered East Park Apartments and the East 
Rundle Apartments, it wasn't one the longstanding developer-builder was going to pass up.

The decision was quickly vindicated, with more than 30 apartments sold within the first month of launching <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/royal-apartments-kent-town-2-8-north-terrace-kent-town-sa-5067">Royal Apartments</a> to the market.

The 206-apartment development, which will bring significant new supply to Adelaide's tightly held eastern city fringe, also gives <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/palumbo">Palumbo</a> the opportunity to bring new life to one of Kent Town's most recognisable watering holes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376073]

Royal Apartments incorporates the historic Royal Hotel, a venue Palumbo Managing Director Daniel Palumbo said has a longstanding connection with the local community.

"Everyone in the area has history with the Royal Hotel," Palumbo told Apartments.com.au.

"It was quite an active pub and social gathering place for locals. We want to bring it back to its former glory."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376072]

The wider development will comprise two residential towers alongside the restored hotel, sitting on North Terrace opposite the Adelaide Park Lands.

For Palumbo, the project also marks a return to familiar territory.

The developer completed East Park Apartments next door more than a decade ago and jumped at the opportunity to develop in Kent Town again when the Royal Hotel site became available.

"The opportunity emerged, and we moved to secure the site," Palumbo said.

"We were approached by the previous landowner, who said they had extensive commitments in Sydney and weren't in a position to deliver the project.

"We took over the site and within six months recut the design scheme to be more in keeping with the type of development we want to bring to Adelaide.

"Now we're on the market and those changes have really resonated with local buyers."

That has translated into a strong start to sales, with 33 apartments transacting in the project's first 35 days.

Palumbo said the early purchaser profile had been consistent with the group's traditional focus on owner-occupiers rather than investor-led apartment stock.

"Local owner-occupiers have always been our market," he said.

"There are always some investors, but we've never developed what would be called traditional development stock. Owner-occupiers are very much our market."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376068]

The buyer mix has been diverse so far, with downsizers and younger professionals both accounting for a significant portion of early sales.

South Australia's current stamp duty settings, which allow&nbsp;eligible homeowners in South Australia aged 60 savings of up to $103,830 on stamp duty when they downsize to a new property valued at up to $2 million,&nbsp;have helped encourage downsizer activity, while younger buyers in their late 20s and early 30s have been attracted to the opportunity to live immediately outside the CBD while still being able to walk into the city.



Location has been a major part of the proposition for both buyer cohorts.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376075]

Royal Apartments sits on North Terrace directly opposite the Adelaide Park Lands, with residents able to walk through the parklands toward the East End, Rundle Street and Rundle Mall.

Apartments have been positioned to capture views across the parklands, Adelaide skyline, Botanic Gardens and Adelaide Hills.

Palumbo believes the scarcity of developable land along this section of the Park Lands makes the site particularly difficult to replicate.

"There's very few allotments on that side that can be developed," he said.

"If this location was in New York and you were sitting on Central Park, you'd be talking about a $60 million apartments."

Royal Apartments will offer a broad mix of residences, ranging from one-bedroom apartments through to four-bedroom sub-penthouses and penthouses.

Current listings include one-bedroom apartments from $680,000, while larger three and four-bedroom residences are priced around $2.5 million.

Residents will have access to a swimming pool, gym, barbecue and recreation areas, residents' lounge and dining space, and a communal deck.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376067]

The apartments will feature generous balconies, while secure parking, bicycle storage and storage cages will also be provided.

A porte-cochère-style arrival and drop-off area has also resonated with buyers, particularly those attracted to being able to walk into the CBD during the day while retaining secure vehicle access at home.

Palumbo is acting as developer, architect and builder on Royal Apartments, continuing the vertically integrated model it has used across its South Australian portfolio.

The group was also behind the $150 million Sofitel Adelaide, the 251-room five-star hotel and residential tower which opened in 2021.

Palumbo said Royal's launch had come at an interesting time for the broader Adelaide apartment market.

Buyer confidence had initially been impacted by uncertainty surrounding the Federal Budget and broader economic conditions, but Palumbo believes sentiment is beginning to improve against a backdrop of significant investment flowing into South Australia.

He pointed to increased activity across defence and resources, including Olympic Dam, as potential long-term drivers of the state's economy and housing market.

"Money is starting to flow into Adeliade, significant amounts as Adelaide bucks the trend of the rest of the country.," Palumbo said.

"There's a lot of activity in the economy over the next decade. I think more investment will come into this market."

Early works on Royal Apartments are expected to commence this year, with major construction activity and cranes anticipated on site from early next year.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6109]

Palumbo's return to Kent Town strikes early chord with buyers

Go-to builder-developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/graya">GRAYA</a> is continuing to bulk out its already impressive and diverse apartment portfolio across South East Queensland. Their latest milestone is securing development approval for Silk, its boutique riverfront apartment development in St Lucia.

The approval clears&nbsp;the way for the team to begin construction planning for the 22-residence project.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/silk-st-lucia-16-18-sandford-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">Silk</a> will rise 15 levels from an 810 sqm site at 16-18 Sandford Street, occupying a prominent bend of the Brisbane River with a prized northern aspect across Orleigh Park toward the Brisbane CBD.

The approved scheme will comprise 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences, continuing GRAYA's move into larger-format apartment developments targeting Brisbane's prestige owner-occupier market.

The project has been designed around the site's broad river frontage and dual-direction views, with GRAYA prioritising larger residences, privacy and outlook over apartment yield.

<img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="aa5c2349-f96c-4914-a812-1f2cd6827af8" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.44%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=WY0vEU_7vYjeRJKQHiCwFdMxu8PvFh52" />

GRAYA Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Rob Gray said the project had been shaped around local homeowners wanting to remain in St Lucia without maintaining a traditional family home.

"St Lucia is one of those suburbs people do not want to leave," Gray said.

"They know the river, the trees, UQ, the golf course, Toowong and Indooroopilly, and that familiarity is hard to replace.

"True riverfront opportunities here are exceptionally scarce. What we have designed at Silk is a way to stay in the suburb people love, with the scale and privacy of a private home and far less to maintain.

"This is not typical apartment product. It is a proper home on the river, and that is exactly what this market has been missing."

The approval comes as new apartment development continues to increase across the St Lucia and neighbouring Toowong corridor, although direct riverfront sites remain considerably more tightly held.

GRAYA Co-founder and Managing Director Andrew Gray said securing the approval had removed a significant element of development risk from Silk.

"Genuine riverfront sites of this quality in St Lucia are not something that comes up regularly," Gray said.

"The approval removes a substantial layer of execution risk, and the location underwrites demand in a way very few inner-city sites can.

"The fundamentals here are as strong as anything we have assessed in Brisbane."

<img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d0f3d734-65e1-48e8-8ed3-2e0715ffcdd9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sOLSs_jdHkXLWbBKzRyayf5BfTb2vPsD" />

Silk will see GRAYA return to a stretch of the Brisbane River where it already has recent construction experience. The vertically integrated group recently completed ARC in neighbouring Toowong as builder for developer Spyre, delivering the riverfront project on a constrained site.

GRAYA will take a different role at Silk, controlling the project from design and development through construction and aftercare under its vertically integrated model.

The development will include a gym and resident leisure areas at ground level, integrated with the river's edge.

Silk joins a growing pipeline for GRAYA across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, which includes Enclave, The Gallery, Coral and Ripple.

The developer-builder has also recently lodged plans for its largest project to date, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-silo-19-chester-street-newstead-qld-4006">The Silo</a>, a proposed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/graya-buys-frasers-newstead-site-plans-the-silo-between-james-street-and-gasworks-precincts">$700 million mixed-use development</a> in Brisbane's James Street precinct.

Silk is expected to predominantly target local owner-occupiers and prestige buyers seeking a permanent riverfront home in Brisbane's inner west.

Registrations of interest are now open, with further details on the project and construction program to be released as it progresses.

<hr />
<h2>SILK PROJECT FACTS</h2>

Developer-builder: GRAYA

Project: Silk

Location: 16-18 Sandford Street, St Lucia

Apartments: 22

Built form: 15 levels

Site: 810 sqm riverfront holding

Mix: 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences

Status: Development approved

Next step: Construction planning underway

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152168]

GRAYA greenlit for riverfront St Lucia apartment development, Silk

Transfers

<html><body>
Dear Margaret,
I wonder if you can help I don't really know we're to start, we live in South Australia and my mother wants to transfer her home over to me.
 I have been living and caring for my mother for 16 years after my father died. What would be the cost to transfer the house to me? What do I need to do?
Ellen 
Dear Ellen 
When someone thinks of property and tax, they normally think about the relationship that those two have for investors, and the impact of taxation rules on property investors. 
However there are many aspects of tax law which become applicable to owner occupiers or owners of property which are not rented out which are often overlooked. This can create a real tax nightmare at a later date.
It may seem that transferring a home into the name of a child is a simple matter, however it can have far reaching consequences which must be thought through before it occurs.
The first consideration is stamp duty. Where a family transfer occurs, the only transfer which is exempt from stamp duty is between spouses.  Generally, a transfer from a parent to a child will attract stamp duty, levied on the market value of the home, even if no money changes hands on the transaction.
The second consideration is tax.  While there is no tax to pay on this transfer, since it was your mother’s principal place of residence, in some cases of family transfer, where the property was an investment property for the parents, capital gains tax responsibilities can pass to the child along with the property.
In your case, being in South Australia, the transfer of the property will attract stamp duty pursuant the Stamp Duties Act 1923 (SA). As you are receiving the property, this must be paid by you. The stamp duty payable on the transfer will be charged ad valorem, which means that it will be charged based on the market value of the interest transferred. So the amount of the stamp duty payable will depend on the value of the property.
You can get a lawyer to draw up a document which allows this transfer – a contract for sale should not be necessary, and that lawyer can also arrange for the transfer.  So, in addition to paying the stamp duty, you will pay for the legal costs of both drawing up the agreement to transfer the land plus any government and statutory charges applicable in your state for the title transfer.
Have a property question?  <a href="mailto:%20&lt;script%20type='text/javascript'&gt;%20/n%20&lt;/script&gt;&lt;script%20type='text/javascript'&gt;%20%20&lt;/script&gt;This%20email%20address%20is%20being%20protected%20from%20spambots.%20You%20need%20JavaScript%20enabled%20to%20view%20it.%20&lt;script%20type='text/javascript'&gt;%20%20&lt;/script&gt;" target="_blank">Ask Margaret!</a>
</body></html>

mlomas-KC9MUPZ6Ca

Transferring a property to a sibling: Ask Margaret

<html><body>
GUEST OBSERVER
What is LPI and what is being privatised?
A1 Prior to 1st July 2016, LPI, which stands for Land and Property Information, was made up of the former Land Titles Office and a number of non-profitable government agencies including the Valuer General’s and the Land Information Centre. The Baird Government is only privatising the unit formerly the Land Titles Office, the creator of the “Torrens Title” because this is the only part of LPI which is profitable. The other agencies have gone back to being supported by the public purse which makes no sense at all!
Q2 What sort of a profit are we talking about?
A2 Last financial year, (2014-15) the titling and associated services produced a $47 million profit sufficient to fund 400 teachers or nurses in the State’s schools or hospitals so by selling the title service, the Government is after a one off sugar hit with consequent loss of long-term revenue.
Q3 Why should the ownership of the Torrens title system remain in government hands?
A3 What is at risk here is the simple Torrens title Government Guarantee of ownership provided by an independent government agency which is at the heart of sound economic development in New South Wales
It is every home owner’s dream to hold the Torrens Certificate of Title issued by the Titles Office to prove ownership of their own property.  
This single document shows what land is owned by reference to a survey plan, who owns the land and what affects it and provides the security required by purchasers, lessors and lending authorities for the purchase or lease of land, homes and businesses.
There is a very real potential for conflict of interest if a commercial organisation such as a major bank, insurance company or land title data provider, owns the title.  The privatised model would eliminate independent Government operation of the title system, reduce community trust and open up opportunity for corruption in land transactions.
Q4 Surely a privately run title system would provide cheaper conveyancing for the average citizen, wouldn’t it?
A4 Certainly not! If the system is privatised, the Government Guarantee currently protecting ownership will slowly disappear.  There is no doubt the public and banks will lose confidence in the Guarantee once the current checks and balances are reduced and there will be an inevitable shift to private insurance.
The impact on costs of conveyancing cannot be overstated.
Quotations have been obtained from 1st Title, a subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation. 1st Title calls this their “Property Risk” or “Title Insurance” which, according to their web site, “protects you against legal risks that can threaten the ownership of your property, or affect your right to occupy and use your land”.  They say:
“These risks include:
<ul>
<li>boundary issues</li>
<li>fraud and forgery against your certificate of title</li>
<li>unregistered rights of way and easements</li>
<li>“adverse possession of another person against your property.”</li>
</ul>
These “risks” are already bundled in the existing State guarantee of title!
For a property valued at $1.4 mil, the premium is $989.18.  On lodgement figures for last year, if we look at transfers alone, 212,982 this would place an additional impost on home buyers in excess of $210 million annually.  If we add mortgages into the mix - 281,056 - $278mil, this figure rises to a staggering $488.6million.  Add to the mix, leases and mortgages of leases and other transactions which will attract insurance and the sky is the limit for the profits to be made by potential overseas investors.
Q5 The Treasurer has promised a more efficient title system under private ownership.  Surely a private owner would be more efficiency oriented wouldn’t it?
A5 Where does this evidence come from?  The New South Wales land title system is the envy of the world and has been adopted by many other countries 
The agency is recognised for its leading role in the provision of cheap efficient land registration services and has proudly developed:
<ul>
<li>The first ever automated title and land dealing registration system;</li>
<li>Electronic access to plans of land subdivision and dealings such as transfers and mortgages of land;</li>
<li>An electronic plan lodgement service; and</li>
<li>The Registrar General’s Directions for Plans, a bible for land developers and surveyors.</li>
</ul>
Over many years, the staffing structure of the Office has been streamlined and numbers reduced to the bare minimum required to deliver an excellent level of service.
The Government’s plan to privatise the Titles Office of the LPI will yield a short term monetary “fix” and no long term benefit to the public.  It makes no sense at all when you consider that the service is self-financing, with an excellent record of reducing costs and keeping fees to a minimum.
Q6 Surely privatisation of title agencies has been successful elsewhere around the globe?
A6 No!  This is the point.  The Government must be unaware of how truly revolutionary their proposal is because despite protestations to the contrary, we can find no evidence of successful privatisation/concession of this type anywhere in the world.
The Government quotes the Canadian experience as a successful example however, research discloses that in Ontario, Teranet (the concession holder) has a concession to manage the electronic lodgement system and sale of title searches, but the government still maintains registry offices with public servants checking dealings that don’t go through to registration automatically. The only other place it has happened so far is in Manitoba, another Canadian province that seems to have done it because it was in dire financial straits. Since that happened in 2013, a couple of other Canadian provinces, Alberta and Nova Scotia have decided NOT to privatise land titles as has the UK where there was a huge public backlash against the proposal.
Q7 Why are you opposed to the privatisation of the Torrens Land title system?
A7 Buying a home, whether it be a single dwelling, duplex or unit, is the single biggest purchase anyone is likely to make in their lifetime! Under our world class “Torrens” title system the land title is guaranteed by the independent scrutiny of the State Government. However once this system is privatised – sold to a bank or an insurance company for example – the government guarantee will be degraded - slowly replaced by title insurance – which will cost home owners many thousands of dollars extra for a less reliable service.
Q8 What will be affected in the privatised model?
A8 The trained personnel in LPI. It is this expertise that is being sold that will eventually be lost as the New Model doesn't allow for their continuation under Privatisation!
In preparing titles the LPI Plan Examiner is a skilled analyst who has the final say on whether the plan is in order for registration and title creation looking at the history involved before asking particularly, “What is the effect of the definition on adjoining properties?”  Titles created are for a “lot in a plan” and they form the base segment of the State’s legal cadastre.
This Plan Examiner and LPI Titles Officers requires sound knowledge of the survey process, legal matters related to plan and title examination, Survey Practice Regulations, road redefinition, Council requirements, Strata title legislation, Community title legislation, Railways Act on boundary determination, Pipelines Act and many other Acts &amp; Regulations.
Q9 The Government says the government guarantee of title will continue?
A9 This is difficult to understand as they will have limited or no control over the quality or accuracy of the documents and plans being registered. Legislation doesn’t ensure control, it only assists in prosecution. If the checks and balances are reduced or removed, slowly errors and inaccuracies will invade and corrupt the title database.
We have a world class Torrens Land Title system already – the best in the world – which makes a profit for the NSW taxpayer - in 2014/2015 the title system made a profit of $47m – enough for hundreds of nurses, teachers or police -  why would you put that at risk?
Q10 The Government says the State Guarantee is secure, what do you say to that?
A10 Tell that to the lady in Canberra who was recently de-frauded - her land title was stolen – and she lost her home. She had to sue the ACT government to get compensation. While this is very rare it happened. If this fraud can happen under a government owned monopoly – similar to that existing in NSW – how much more likely is it once the land title system is privatised? 
Q11 What should people do if they are concerned?
A11 Tell the government through your local member –enough is enough! Stop this crazy sell-off, protect the family home and don’t sell off the land title system.  Other countries have avoided this for good reason. Why would NSW want to be the first in Australia to introduce a lesser system?
Q12 What would you like to see happen now?
A12 We ask all our politicians in both the Upper &amp; Lower Houses to vote against the privatisation Bill - which will shortly be debated in the Lower House.  The Bill is the “Land and Property Information NSW (Authorised Transaction) Bill 2016” which in its title contains not a hint of its true intention to privatise the NSW Torrens Land Title System.
Further, the power to be vested in the Treasurer under the Bill is truly astounding: “The authorised transaction is to be effected as directed by the Treasurer and can be effected in any manner considered appropriate by the Treasurer”. 
Should the Bill make it to the Upper House we trust our representatives will kick it out taking into account:
<ul>
<li>The impact of the proposal on the integrity of the current Torrens Land Title System; </li>
<li>The loss of a guaranteed revenue source for future government; and </li>
<li>The impact on the cost conveyancing for our children and grandchildren resulting from the insurance which will inevitably replace the current State Government Guarantee of title</li>
</ul>
For and on behalf of the Concerned Titles Group.
Members of the Concerned Titles Group are:
Margaret Hole AM Solicitor, previously Examiner of Title at LPI Previously Judicial Officer of ADT Past President of the Law Society of NSW
Ian McCormack Former Senior Conversion Officer Old System Projects; Training Officer &amp; Plan &amp; Title Advisor NSW Land Titles Office
Noel Benham Former Manager Title Creation &amp; Assistant Director Title Creation Division NSW Land Titles Office
Tony Proust Fellow ISNSW Bachelor Applied Science (Surv) WAIT, Registered Surveyor &amp; Certified Practicing Planner
Barry O’Malley Fellow ISNSW Former Principal Surveyor of NSW NSW Land Titles Office
Bruce Langley Former Senior Conversion Officer &amp; Advisor Old System &amp; Crown Land; Project Liaison Officer to Gov Agencies NSW Land Titles Office
The group can be emailed for further information at: concerned.titlesgroup@gmail.com 
 
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