Cadastral reform: an Australian vision for the 1990s

This is a pre-print version of chapter 18 in Kadaster in Perspectief published by Dienst van het Kadaster en de Openbare Registers.Ten years ago cadastral reform was not an issue in Australia. In fact, the term 'cadastre' was not even thought applicable in Common Law jurisdictions; today this view has changed. What is 'cadastral reform' and why has it become a key issue in Australasia over the last few years, are key elements of this paper.This chapter recognises that present Australian cadastral systems had their genesis in the 19th Century and, as a consequence, many of our practices, laws and regulations and institutional arrangements are not applicable in today's society. In reforming our cadastral systems, the paper looks at the major pressures which are instigating change. In particular, the chapter emphasises that an holistic approach is necessary in reforming cadastral systems while recognising that cadastral systems are fast becoming spatial information systems, in parallel with the community as it moves into the era of an information society.As an example of the growing interest in cadastral reform, the recent conference 'Cadastral Reform 1990', the first of its type in Australia, is reviewed.1