Law gap to close

Press, 17 April 1982, Page 9

Law gap to close

Parliamentary reporter Ellesmere. Buller,, and Westland counties are among 13 local body areas which will be affected by an amendment to the Local Government Act introduced to Parliament. The Local Government Amendment Bill is designed to remedy a gap in the existing law which has had the effect of preventing subdivision and sale of land in those local body areas. Under existing law, there is a prohibition on depositing survey plans, on the transfer, conveyance or lease of any land, and on the issue of a

certificate of title on subdivided lands unless certain conditions have been met. One of these conditions is that the subdivision complies with the operative district scheme for the area, but the 13 local bodies affected have no operative schemes, only proposed district schemes. Because no allowance is made in the law for local bodies having only proposed schemes, subdivisions and land sales cannot legally proceed in those 13 areas' The bill to rectify this omission was introduced without dissent and referred to the Local Bills Select Committee for consideration.