The Land Title Act 1994 has been amended so that, from 1 October 2019, paper Certificates of Title (CTs) will become an item of historic or sentimental value only and will have no legal effect. As is currently the case, the electronic title held in the Titles Registry will continue to be the point of truth for ownership and other interests in land in Queensland.
Once the changes come into effect, there will be no requirement to bring paper CTs in to the Titles Registry or to destroy or dispose of them. Additionally, there will be no requirement for paper CTs to be dispensed with for a transaction to proceed – such as sale of the property, entry into a lease or release of a mortgage held over the property.
What do I need to do?
Nothing yet. The current legislative provisions that govern paper CTs will remain in place up to and including 30 September 2019. For this reason, paper CTs will still need to be deposited (or dispensed with) for any transactions up to that date.