The land valuation department has gone paperless, the public works minister said yesterday.

Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch told MPs that the department had been one of the first to become paperless and no longer had a physical filing system. He added the paperless mantra also applied to the documentation of “pertinent verbal discussions” which was valuable in legal matters because there was now a “zero risk” of lost files.

Colonel Burch said the department’s filing cabinets had been removed and distributed elsewhere in Government which had increased office space in the department by 10 per cent.

He added four tonnes of paper had been removed.

Colonel Burch said next year’s valuation list would cover 36,000 units.

He explained that property values had declined overall, with some falling more than others, and that the valuation would “re-level the playing field”.

The list, published every five years, will be unveiled on December 31, 2020.

Colonel Burch added it would be the last valuation to use paper survey forms.

• To view the ministerial statement, click on the PDF link under “Related Media”