Strategic Goal 2: Optimal Intervention

Our objective

An outcome focus that moves the industries LINZ regulates⁹ towards self-regulation as far as possible given the level of risk.

Contribution to end outcomes

Certainty of New Zealand's property rights and interests.

Contribution to intermediate outcomes

An effective system for defining and transacting land through:

• readily obtainable information – directly or indirectly – at a reasonable cost
• greater reliability of information on rights on which to base investment or development decisions, and
• rights that can generally be transferred without redefinition.

Regulatory interventions review

Why reviewing regulatory interventions was a priority

2007/08 was the third year of a multi-year programme to rationalise all LINZ standards. These standards include Acts and the regulatory and rule-making powers delegated to LINZ through legislation. The goals of this rationalisation programme have been to:

• focus each regulation on the risk to be mitigated and the outcome to be achieved, rather than on how the outcome will be achieved
• develop a regulatory framework that ensures that all our interventions are optimal, meaning that each intervention is appropriate for the level and severity of the risk the intervention is intended to mitigate
• ensure that consistent practices are adopted across all the industries LINZ regulates, and
• ensure all our customers and stakeholders understand the objectives of the interventions we develop.

This programme reduces the level of regulatory prescription, allowing the targets of our regulations – such as conveyancers and surveyors – to be flexible and innovative in how they meet standards.

With the framework fully established, we continue to review all our standards to ensure alignment with the goals outlined above. Survey and title standards were the initial priority, given the 100% e-lodgement programme.

The activities we said we would undertake in 2007/08

• Complete the development of new standards for survey and titles, expanding this to the valuation and Crown property areas.
• Move our regulatory compliance approach from auditing individual activities to testing the systems and controls of those required to comply, as a means of providing a greater level of assurance to regulators and of being forward-looking and preventative.

What we have achieved

To achieve the desired goals of rationalisation, LINZ has conducted a rigorous, transparent and inclusive process. The process has been rigorous in the application of a risk-based approach to determining the optimal level of intervention – neither more nor less than required to manage the associated risk. It has been transparent and inclusive through extensive stakeholder engagement: consultation on risk and requisite intervention, accompanied by communication and explanation of the rationale behind each intervention.

At the beginning of this review of interventions, LINZ administered standards, guidelines, regulations, and frameworks recorded in more than 290 documents. When the rationalisation process is complete, LINZ anticipates a total of approximately 35 documents, providing a more accessible and coherent regulatory approach.

At the beginning of this review of interventions, LINZ administered standards, guidelines, regulations, and frameworks recorded in more than 290 documents. When the rationalisation process is complete, LINZ anticipates a total of approximately 35 documents, providing a more accessible and coherent regulatory approach.

Each stage of the review work is fully tested to ensure understanding and agreement. Industry is involved throughout the intervention-setting process, so the focus moves from "why a standard exists" to "how best to comply". This creates efficiencies in delivery and should raise the level of first-time compliance and lower compliance costs.

All regulatory interventions were peer-reviewed, including assessment by expert committees. These interventions were then assessed by an independent source across four dimensions:

• appropriateness of the type of intervention relative to the risk
• acceptability to the industry of the content of the intervention, which bears greatly on compliance
• fairness of the process, eg is the industry sufficiently involved?
• usability of the published document: is it outcomefocused, easy to read and written in plain English?

The assessment indicated that the rationalised interventions developed under the review met or exceeded the performance targets across all four dimensions.

LINZ is planning for the rationalisation process to be complete at the end of the 2008/09 year.

Supporting the 2007 Electoral Representation Commission

Why supporting the Electoral Representation Commission was a priority

The Electoral Representation Commission is responsible for periodically readjusting electoral district boundaries and for naming electorates. The boundaries must meet prescribed population quotas and the Commission is required to take into account existing electoral boundaries, communities of interest, communications and topographical features and, in the case of the Māori electorates, tribal affiliations.

LINZ provides technical support to the Chief Electoral Office. This support includes arranging for the provision of all mapping for official and public use. Once the boundaries have been finalised, LINZ is also required to produce an updated index of all streets and places within each electoral district. This is produced from the information LINZ routinely maintains on advice from territorial authorities.

The activities we said we would undertake in 2007/08

• Produce provisional boundaries.
• Manage contracts for map production.
• Provide quality assurance that maps reflect the Commission's decisions.

What we have achieved

The provisional electoral boundaries were produced on time to meet all statutory deadlines and within budget. The contracts for the production of maps for electoral boundaries were managed, and overall quality assurance was provided to ensure the Commission's decisions were reflected correctly on maps and plans. A review of the process was carried out for future enhancements.

9 For example, conveyancers, cadastral surveyors and rating valuers.