Local MP and Minister for Primary Industries, David Basham, wants it to be easier for Fleurieu farmers to realise the economic potential of owning multiple land titles.

Speaking on ABC Radio Adelaide last week, Minister Basham said that in the 1830s, when the Torrens title system was first established, 80 acres (about 32 hectares) was considered a viable size of land for a farm. Overtime these smaller parcels have become part of larger properties  and many farms in the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu are comprised of multiple land titles.  

“You’re seeing the larger commercial farms having to have an increased asset base by owning all these extra titles which they don’t really need, to run a farm,” Minister Basham said.

“The title actually enables you to build a house on each block of land. Effectively, that’s one of the key parts of what a title enables you to do. If they don’t need them, how do they realise their asset? 

“Well, one, they need to sell pieces of land and allow hobby farmers to move in, which is fine. No problem with that but they don’t necessarily want to sell them the full 80 acres (32 hectares). They might only want to sell them a few hectares so we need to allow title realignments easily to occur so that either small parcels could be sold off or even vice versa.

Minister Basham described the current system of land division as “clunky”.

“We have to make sure we are getting productive land back into the hands of people who want to use it. That will protect that land going forward for primary production, if we can get it back into a larger parcel and it will just allow the people to have the piece around them that they need for their enjoyment of living in the rural settings.”

He said that the idea was in the very early stages and that significant work would need to be done for changes to be made.