DATE: 5 MARCH 2026
DISTRIBUTION: GENERAL
SUBJECT: VERSION 2 OF THE RECORDER'S DIRECTIONS - SIGNERS
The Land Titles Act 1980 (the Act) gives the Recorder of Titles (Recorder) power to issue binding Directions relating to the preparation and lodgement for registration of applications, dealings, instruments, and other documents for the purposes of the Act.
The effective date of the first version of the Directions was 7 March 2024.
Today the Recorder has published Version 2 of the Directions on the Land Titles Office (LTO) website. Section 160A(6) of the Act requires that the Recorder publish Directions at least 20 working days before the date on which they are specified to take effect.
Version 2 of the Directions amends the Signer definition in clause 2 - Definitions and interpretation. This is the only substantive amendment to the previous version of the Directions (other than minor changes to some formatting and minor amendments to the Preliminary provisions in clause 1). The Signer definition has been amended to include, for the purposes of a Mortgage, Discharge of Mortgage, or Partial Discharge Mortgage only, an attorney of the Subscriber duly appointed pursuant to the Powers of Attorney Act 2000 as amended from time to time, provided that such:
- Subscriber is an “authorised deposit-taking institution” (ADI) which term has the meaning given to it in the Directions and the Banking Act 1959 (Cth);
- attorney is authorised by the Subscriber to sign such documents on behalf of the Subscriber; and
- attorney declares in the attestation clause of any such document that such attorney has not received notice of revocation of the power contained in the relevant power of attorney.
The Directions are available on the Recorder's Directions webpage.
The effective date for Version 2 of the Directions is 13 April 2026.
Version 2 of the Directions applies to all applications, dealings, instruments and other documents for the purposes of the Act (other than those excluded) which are:
- dated on or after the effective date of these Directions; and
- lodged with the LTO on or after the effective date of these Directions.
ROBERT MANNING
Recorder of Titles