MHAs from both sides of the House of Assembly gave Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture Minister Gerry Byrne the nickname “Mr. Good Deeds” as sweeping and historic changes to nearly every aspect of land title and administration in Newfoundland and Labrador were ushered through the House of Assembly following careful and thorough examination and debate.
Second reading and clause-by-clause consideration of the Committee of the Whole concluded Wednesday night to bring Bill 68, An Act to Amend the Lands Act, 1991 into its confirmed form.
Applicant-friendly changes will include:
- Providing shortened, easier requirements for establishing adverse possession, better known as squatter’s rights, against the government.
- Creating Certificates of Dispossession whereby large areas of land and property are acknowledged up front to have been dispossessed from the government, (i.e. not considered to be Crown Lands).
- Creating an independent tribunal to hear appeals of adverse possession decisions.
- Offering greater flexibility for applicants to meet timelines and to develop land in shoreline reservations.
Other changes that will help streamline and clarify the process of securing property title include:
- Easier access to Crown lands through an online applications and payment portal.
- Establishing greater housing security through the Primary Residence Property Title Program. Based on an amendment requested by the Official Opposition, payment related to market value of land that were originally proposed will no longer be required. An application fee and quitclaim fee will still apply, as well as a document preparation fee and provision of an acceptable land survey upon approval.
- Establishing a clearer and more applicant-friendly assessment and evaluation manual and directives related to Crown land assessments.
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“After five decades of inaction, Crown lands are finally on a better path. The vision and execution of my plan was always to make things easier to obtain land held by families through long term possession, to reduce the financial burden of obtaining land and to balance the public interest held in our collective ownership of Crown lands with private interests as property owners and occupiers. These changes are bold, sweeping and extensive. Members of the House of Assembly asked for only one change to the entire program that I laid out – I was quite willing to adopt the change and the House readily agreed. This package of reforms was an important achievement, and “Mr. Good Deeds” is a name I’m proud to hold. We have delivered deeds that will strongly support good title, where previously, that was an impossible outcome.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
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Learn more
Primary Residence Property Title Program to Provide Affordable Path to Ownership
Upcoming Legislation to Allow for Swift Provincial Government Dispossession of Crown Lands
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