Survey

What is the role and duties of a Land Surveyor ?

A licensed or registered surveyor is the only person who is legally
authorised to perform land or cadastral surveying and sign-off on
projects. They perform the following tasks:
❑ Apply the laws & procedures relating to land ownership
❑ Establish boundaries and titles when undertaking surveying work

Why do we need a land surveyor in Australia?

Land surveyors are a crucial link in the land development process.

Without them we would be unsure of where to build structures and
the infrastructure needed to support them.

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 Survey requirements for
lodging a DA

❑ Go to the Local Council’s DA Checklist to

establish whether a survey is required
❑ Surveys are generally required for all
development applications that entail new
external works. If alterations and additions are
being done that are wholly internal to the
building, a survey may not be required. To
clarify whether a survey is required, you may
wish to contact Council’s Duty Planning
officer.

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Example
Survey
Drawing

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 Council requirements

❑ Site boundaries, bearings and dimensions

❑ Contours or Australian Height Datum ground levels
❑ Natural drainage lines/water courses
❑ Any geotechnical hazards or restricted development areas;
❑ Location of existing buildings/structures
❑ Location of existing trees (including girth and spread of
canopy)
❑ Significant vegetation/topographical features
❑ Street features – power poles, kerbs & gutters

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Survey information
Typical Information on a survey Plan

❑ Site identification
❑ Datum to AHD
❑ True North
❑ Boundaries and Dimensions
❑ Contours
❑ Spot Levels
❑ Site features – paths,
Structures, pits etc.
❑ Trees & vegetation
❑ Existing structures
❑ Adjoining structures
❑ Window locations of adjoining
structures
❑ Ridge & Gutter levels
❑ Kerbs & gutters
❑ Services – Electric, Sewer, Gas
etc
❑ Easements

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 How surveys are used to produce Site
Profile

❑ SECTION B-B – From the survey levels and identified features, an

accurate representation of the site profile is able to be drafted. The
House is located and surrounding path levels established

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Glossary
❑ AHD - Australian Height datum
❑ Contour - A line on a map joining points of equal height
above or below sea level
❑ True North - “True north” is the northern axis of rotation of the
Earth. It is the point where the lines of longitude converge on
maps
❑ Magnetic North - “Magnetic north” is the point on the Earth’s
surface where its magnetic field points directly downwards.
❑ Easement- An easement is a nonpossessory interest in another's land that
entitles the holder only to the right to use such land in the specified manner.
❑ Bearing- Bearing of a line is its direction relative to a given meridian. A meridian
is any direction such as true meridian, magnetic meridian and arbitrary
meridian
❑ Geotechnical- Relating to the type of civil engineering methods to plan and
build that is concerned with rocks and soil: Geotechnical engineering is
important in any construction occurring on the surface of or within the ground.
cadastral
❑ Cadastral- Cadastral surveying is the discipline of land surveying that relates to
the definition or re-establishment of land parcel boundaries
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