The recent bushfires have had a devastating impact on many South Australians. As part of State Government Relief, the Office of the Registrar-General in conjunction with Land Services SA have introduced a bushfire relief program for eligible property owners.

This relief program will provide affected property owners with:

Fee Relief Register Searches

Land Services SA will provide Register Searches at no cost to bushfire affected property owners. Register Searches are required when submitting building or development approval applications and may be relevant when transferring or refinancing a property.

Registration Fee relief for specific Lands Titles Office Dealings

The Registrar-General will waive the Transaction and Registration Fees on transfers* and other related dealings for bushfire affected property owners.

*This relief program provides full Registration Fee relief up to a property value of $1 million (i.e. a cap of $8,510.50).  Relief for properties valued over $1 million will be capped at $8,510.50, with the balance of Registration fee payable.

Eligibility

A property owner, affected by bushfires in the Local Government Areas of Adelaide Hills, Kangaroo Island, Mount Barker, Murray Bridge, Mid-Murray, Yorke Peninsula and Kingston District, are likely to be eligible for support.

The State Recovery Office has provided Land Services SA with a register of those properties affected by the recent bushfires. When accessing this relief program, the address and owner of the affected property will need to be verified by Land Services SA.

The affected property owner may also be eligible for other grants or financial assistance – to find out more, visit: https://dhs.sa.gov.au/services/disaster-recovery/grants

How to Access this Relief Program

Register Search

To obtain a copy of a Register Search for the affected property, please contact [email protected].

Registration and Transaction Fee Waiver

To seek fee relief for eligible dealings the following requirements apply:

  • Lodge these dealings in the physical channel through Drop & Go or via post
  • A request for fee relief in the form of a letter (addressed to Registrar-General) must be attached to the eligible dealing(s)
  • Supporting documentation, e.g. a letter from Revenue SA granting relief from stamp duty, etc. should be attached to the eligible dealing.

Stamp Duty relief for purchase of a replacement home

Where a home was destroyed in a specified bushfire area, relief from stamp duty on the transfer of the purchase of a replacement home is available. Please refer to Revenue SA for further information and criteria.

Key Timeframes

This relief program will remain available up to and including 20 January 2024.

Should you have any questions or require any support, please do not hesitate to contact Land Services SA at [email protected] or on 08 8423 5000

For more information, please read Customer Information Bulletin #341