House Approves Bill for Cadastral Mapping

The House of Representatives on June 15, approved a Bill to make special provisions for Cadastral Mapping and Tenure Clarification for the registration of land titles in specified areas.
This came after suspension of the debate on the Bill last week, to allow for clarification of issues raised by Opposition Leader, Bruce Golding on the methods to be used to establish boundaries using the cadastral survey method, the provisions in place to allow landowners, who might be affected by the delineation of boundaries, to raise their concerns, since the survey would be done by a remote control method, and the powers given to the Minister under Section 5 of the Act.
Responding, Minister of Land and Environment, Dean Peart said Cadastral Mapping determined and established boundaries in the same manner as in the case of traditional cadastral surveys, and that while notices of surveys are served on all affected landowners, they could exercise the right to object to the surveys.
Mr. Peart explained that boundaries were established in accordance with the standards set out in the Land Surveyors Act.
He also informed that existing registered or surveyed boundaries are not resurveyed. However, he said where boundaries have to be re-established because of missing marks or incorrect fencing, they must be re-established to the same standards as that of the original survey. In addition, he noted that the Land Surveyors Act made provision for the adjudication of boundaries when disputes as to boundaries arose.
Addressing the question of the ministerial powers granted under Section 5 of the Act, the Minister said the aim of the section was to expedite the titling process.
The Bill, which allows the Minister to declare, by Order, a project area, will enable cadastral mapping tenure specification registration activities to be carried out, and enable the Ministry to implement projects throughout the parishes resulting in the production of a cadastral map of the entire island eventually, and where possible all unregistered parcels in the project area will be registered under the Registration of Titles Act.
Mr. Peart said that for the first time in Jamaica, “landowners in the project area will be able to benefit from significant reductions in the cost of legal and surveying services for land registration”.Other benefits, he said, would be a reduction in the cost of administration of estates, the waiver of transfer tax, stamp duty and certain transactions, including court documents and exemption and recording fees.