Australian Property News

Calls for easements to be compulsory in Queensland

Posted on Friday, August 10 2012 at 4:11 PM

Queensland-based property advisory group THG is lobbying the State Government to introduce statutory easements on smaller lots.

It’s also calling for the reduction of red tape around the titling of small lot sizes.

Director Peter Sippel says the changes would allow for more affordable housing.

“The building sector is developing a range of innovative housing products in response to the need for increased affordability in housing and THG is leading the way,” Sippel says.

“(We) recently negotiated a record freehold lot size of 74 square metres with Moretan Bay Regional Council as part of a pilot housing project in Warner Lakes. “As we see an increase in these types of housing innovations, it follows that the titling system needs to be capable of responding to protect property rights in ways that don’t add unwarranted additional cost.

“While community title legislation accounts for the public protection of adjoining property owner rights, there’s no such convention for freehold titles.

“This means small lot owners with freehold titles who have the requirement to build on the boundary line are faced with creating a myriad of easements to cover the rights to support, shelter, drainage, access and so on.

Complicated and exhaustive easement arrangements not only add cost to the initial purchase price of the product, but also significant conveyance costs to future purchasers, he says.