Registered Surveyors prepare plans of survey that determine the physical boundaries of new parcels of land and create their legal identity. Spatial Services through the Office of the Surveyor-General provides the legal framework under which Registered Surveyors in NSW must conduct their surveys. The Office of the Surveyor-General also provides industry support through the Surveyor - General’s Directions, presenting on cadastral surveying related topics at industry continuing professional development (CPD) seminars and through direct enquiries from surveying professionals with regards to specific projects. NSW Land Registry Services publishes the Registrar General’s Directions.
Under the Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2017 (the Regulation), the Office of the Surveyor-General of NSW can provide exemptions from complying with the requirements of the Regulation and is also required to provide approvals for activities under the Regulation.
Survey standards
The Board of Surveying and Spatial Information (BOSSI) sets and regulates competency standards for surveyors and surveying practices in NSW. These standards are designed to maintain the integrity of land boundaries across the State (i.e. the State’s cadastre), which in turn maintains the integrity of the NSW property market and ensures community interests are protected. Spatial Services implements and monitors these standards on behalf of the Surveyor-General.
To ensure a high level of competency in surveying services in NSW, only surveyors registered with the Board of Surveying and Spatial Information can prepare plans of survey. Such plans of survey are required when new land parcels are formed through subdivision or when all or part of an existing parcel is to be used for a specific purpose (i.e. easement or lease).