Land Administration

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Land Administration
Question 1
Land management is defined as a process through which land resources are overseen in their use and development (Ting et al 2001, pp 84). Here, the way land is used is planned for, implemented and controlled. Land can be used in various ways. It can be used for farming activities, for pasture, for settlement and for eco-tourism. Some pieces of land can be set apart for conservation purposes like forestlands and water conservation areas (Williamson 2001, pp 297). Land use has major impacts on natural resources like soil, water, plants and animal species, and nutrients to name but a few and as such, it is necessary that land use be in a such a way that it does not negatively impact these natural resources. Land management thus is aimed at ensuring that land use is carefully planned and developed in a sustainable way.
A land policy is a course of action that guides how land is to be used as well as how it will be accessed. It is also a guideline as to how land is to be owned and this includes the forms the tenure under which it is to be held. A land policy also defines the principles and rules that are to govern property rights over natural resources and land (North 1999, 18). Additionally, a land policy also defines the methods of legal access and use including transfer and validation rights. It also guides how the procedures and rules of land use and development are to be ratified and administered including how the information about the land holdings is to be managed. A land policy is also a guideline that specifies which structures are to be in charge of land management, arbitration of conflicts and legislation implementation (Williamson 2001, pp 304). Land policies are issued by governments and are further developed through decrees and legislations.
Land administration can be formal or informal and is the way in which the rules governing land tenure are applied and made operational. Land tenure defines how land and related resources are to be accessed and controlled. It defines the rules and rights that govern this use and control of land and related resources and as such for this to be effective, a land tenure system has to be in place (Ting et al 2001, pp 91). This includes institutions, rules, rights and authorities and as such land administration is part of the land tenure system. It is concerned with the allocation of land rights including their limitation and transfer through such ways as leases, sales or inheritance. Land administration is also concerned with the resolution of land use disputes as well as land planning and enforcement. Additionally, it is concerned with land valuation and taxation. Land administration utilises actors and in formal settings these may include agencies like urban and rural planning, land valuation and taxation, land registries and surveying (Williamson 2001, pp 306)
The land management system of Australia is ...