Identifying Property: SPI & PFI in Victoria

When we entered the Victorian market, we quickly realized the complexity and nuances involved in supporting the region. One term that became a bit of a "swear word" in our office was FSPL, although we've since mastered it. On the other hand, the LandVic approach to identifying parcels of land is something I genuinely appreciate.

Most jurisdictions in Australia have some form of property and land identifier, but the level of detail varies significantly. In Victoria, the specificity is remarkable, and there's a good reason for that: consistency across services.

For example: lets imagine a large regional area of land, about 300 hectares, it was then divided into three blocks. The entry point is connected only to the road-facing block, with the other two blocks having right-of-way through the front block. If someone in one of the rear blocks needed an ambulance, how would the responders know how to access that block? In Victoria, thanks to the LandMap data, they can.

The original block of land has a PFI (Persistent Feature Identifier), a unique identifier used to track and manage specific features in land administration databases. It also has an SPI (Standard Parcel Identifier), a shorthand way to describe a parcel's Lot & Plan number. When the owner decides to subdivide the land into three blocks, the process is straightforward but thorough.

The subdivision goes to the council for approval. If approved, the titles office issues new Lot & Plan numbers for the new blocks, resulting in new SPIs. The council then notifies LandVic of the changes through an M1 report, stating that PFI number X, originally the size of Y, has been subdivided into three new blocks, A, B, and C, each with their respective sizes. LandVic then provides new PFI numbers for the new blocks, ensuring that any future changes can be tracked precisely.

So, how does this relate to an ambulance? The extensive mapping data includes specific GPS coordinates for each title. If an ambulance is called to a location, they can use this precise data to navigate directly to the correct block, even if subdivisions have occurred. This is not always possible in other locations, but in Victoria, the use of LandVic data, updated indirectly by the council, makes it feasible.

Is the data 100% accurate and flawless? Not quite. Victoria is a vast region, and while the data is very accurate for most purposes, it is continually improving. We are proud to contribute to this system, as consistent data exchange is vital for numerous applications, whether the average ratepayer realizes it or not.