Compliance Program

The compliance program has been established to monitor compliance with the obligations and practices which underpin and support the certifications made by the legal practitioner, registered conveyancer or mortgagee (Representative) for both the paper and electronic transactions, as they relate to: 

• Verification of identity; 

• Verification of authority (Right to Deal); 

• Client authorisation; and  

• Retention of evidence.  

Under Section 220A of the Real Property Act 1886 (SA) and Section 33 of the Electronic Conveyancing National Law (South Australia) Act 2013 (SA), the Registrar-General has the power to undertake a compliance examination as part of the administration and enforcement of these Acts. 

Compliance Examination Procedure

Representatives may be selected  for a compliance examination at random or based on one or more factors, including (but not limited to) the following: 

• whether the Subscriber is newly registered;  

• whether the Subscriber has been examined before; 

• whether the Subscriber’s last or previous examinations were unsatisfactory or if there have been past instances of non-compliance;  

• whether the Subscriber has been identified through a notification raising issue(s) of compliance to the Registrar-General; or  

• where the Registrar-General identifies a problem with a transaction during the examination of a dealing.  

The examination will be initiated by a written notice from Land Services SA, on behalf of the Registrar-General to the Representative. The Compliance Examination Notice will be sent to the email address recorded for the representative. The notice will: 

• outline which transaction(s) will need to have evidence of compliance shown; and  

• detail the documents and information to be provided (copies only). 

Timeframe for Response

Representatives will have 10 business days, from the date the Compliance Examination Notice was sent, to produce the documents and information requested. 

Provision of Evidence

Copies of the documents and information requested in the Compliance Examination Notice must be provided to Land Services SA via the secure Subscriber Compliance Portal. Information on how to access the portal is provided in the Compliance Examination Notice.  Additional support can be found in our Subscriber Compliance Portal Guide and Frequently Asked Questions, click here.  Failure to comply with the requests the subject of the Compliance Examination, may result in an offence under section 220A(2) of the RPA, which attracts a financial penalty. 

Notification of Outcome

Land Services SA will conduct a desktop evaluation of the documentation submitted against the transactions selected for compliance examination. 

Once the compliance examination is complete, the Representative will receive notification by email of the examination results. 

A satisfactory compliance will require no further action or correspondence. 

An unsatisfactory compliance examination result may require the Representative to: 

• Provide further documentary evidence; 

• Provide a written explanation addressing the deficiencies identified and outline the controls to be put in place to prevent a re-occurrence; and 

• In circumstances of gross deficiency, a face-to-face interview with the Representative or an on-site visit to the Land Services office may be requested. 

All compliance examination requests and outcomes will be recorded and held by Land Services SA. 

Further information can be found in the Australian Registrars National Electronic Conveyancing Council (ARNECC) Compliance Examination Guidance Note. 

Enquiries regarding the Compliance Program should be directed to LTOCompliance@landservices.com.au . 

Supporting Materials

Additional guidance for Representatives in relation to some of the common errors found across jurisdictions when conducting compliance examinations can be found at ARNECC Subscriber Compliance Common Errors. 

The Registrar-General and Australian Institute of Conveyancers have produced a podcast addressing frequently asked questions regarding the Compliance Program. 

Click here to access the guide to using the Subscriber Compliance Portal.