A land title is the official legal record of who owns a property. It also records mortgages, covenants, easements, and caveats that affect how land can be used. In Australia, all property dealings rely on accurate title information where a person is buying or selling or refinancing or resolving disputes.
Without a current title search, you risk entering into a contract without knowing the true legal position of the land. A simple, low-cost search can save thousands in future complications.
It is important to identify the unique property identifier of land because it is the key reference point used by land registries to confirm ownership, boundaries, and encumbrances on land. When ordering a title search, you will usually be asked for one of these identifiers.
While most people think of a property by its street address, land registries in Australia don’t rely on street numbers as the legal identifier of land. Instead, they use unique title references such as Volume/Folio, Lot/Plan, or Certificate of Title numbers.
There are several reasons why a street number may not correctly identify a property. Reasons include:
- Councils sometimes renumber properties when new developments occur, when lots are subdivided, or to resolve inconsistencies. The land itself does not change, but the street address can.
- Multiple properties can share one street address.
- A single parcel of land may have frontages to more than one street. Depending on the source, it might be listed under different street numbers.
- In rural areas, properties are sometimes identified by rural numbers, lot numbers, or descriptive addresses that don’t align perfectly with the land registry’s records.
- A street number is only a navigational aid for postal and council purposes. The land registry requires the unique identifiers (Volume/Folio, Lot/Plan, etc.) to avoid disputes over boundaries and ownership.
The following table indicates the unique property identifiers in each state and territory.
| State/Territory | Identifier | Example |
|---|---|---|
| VIC | Volume/Folio | Vol 1234 Fol 567 |
| NSW | Lot/DP (Deposited Plan) | Lot 3 DP 123456 |
| QLD | Lot/Plan (RP, SP, BUP, etc.) | Lot 7 on RP123456 |
| WA | Volume/Folio (CT Ref) | Vol 1234 Fol 567 |
| SA | Volume/Folio (CT Ref) | CT 5678/123 |
| TAS | Title Reference (Vol/Folio) | Vol 12345 Fol 1 |
| ACT | Block/Section/Division | Block 12 Sec 45 Bruce |
| NT | Lot/Parcel Reference | Lot 1234 Town of Darwin |
