The Survey Practice Advisory Committee is appointed by the Minister for Planning and Land Management to help guide decision making relating to surveying practice in the ACT.

Members (2024-2027 term)

The current members consist of:

Mr Greg Ledwidge – Surveyor-General of the ACT (chair)
Ms Joanne Hawkes – Deputy Surveyor-General of the ACT (deputy chair)
Mr Steven Beljanski – Registered Surveyor (ACT surveying industry representative)
Mr Sean Quinn – Non-surveyor member (Land Titles representative)
Mr Michael Stapleton – Registered Surveyor (GCA representative)
Mr Jason Steger – Registered Surveyor (GCA representative)

2024 SPAC Meeting Minutes

2023 SPAC Meeting Minutes

Surveyor-General Directions

Surveyor-General Guidelines

Guideline 1 – Partial surveys, Compiled and Computed Plans [340.3 KB]

Guideline 1 provides guidance for the preparation of a survey based on a partial survey or the use of compiled or computed boundaries.

Guideline 2 – Cadastral Control Surveys [1.7 MB]

Guideline 2 provides guidance to surveyors in connecting their boundary surveys to the ACT's survey control network. This guideline contains advice on both horizontal and vertical control procedures.

Guideline 3 – Estate Development Plans and Datum Ground Level surveys [2.7 MB]

Guideline 3 provides guidance for determining Datum Ground Level in Greenfields and Infill sites. This Guideline also prescribes minimum survey, data and plan standards.

Guideline 4 - Surveyors Practice Directions - Guide to interpretation and use [5.0 MB]

Guideline 4 provides explanations and interpretations of the Surveyors Practice Directions 2021 (Number 1).

Guideline 5 - Community Title Surveys in the ACT [233.3 KB]

Guideline 5 provides instructions to surveyors for the purpose of a Community Title which provides a management structure for community schemes.

Guideline 6 - Deposited Plans - Standards and Procedures [8.5 MB]

Guideline 6 provides the requirements to prepare a deposited plan for a boundary survey and information on the survey plan examination process through to registration. For more information read the Explanatory Statement [166.1 KB].

Guideline 7 - Cadastral Plan Types [291.1 KB]

Guideline 7 outlines the different types of survey plans.

Guideline 8 - Preservation of Survey Infrastructure [187.1 KB]

Guideline 8 outlines how those working with and around survey control marks can ensure their preservation and maintenance.

Guideline 9 - GNSS Equipment Verification [1.2 MB]

Guideline 9 provides information to surveyors who use Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) equipment for surveying applications. This guideline is important for surveyors to obtain accurate results using GNSS.

Guideline 10 - GNSS and Cadastral Surveys [567.7 KB]

Guideline 10 provides technical information for surveyors using GNSS equipment when performing cadastral surveys.

Guideline 11 - Areas on Class A Unit Plans [385.1 KB]

Guideline 11 provides information as to how to show areas on Class A Units Plans.

Guideline 12 - Qualified Surveyors [248.1 KB]

Guideline 12 defines the requirements to become a qualified surveyor and the types of work they can perform.

Guideline 13 - Supervision by Registered Surveyors [299.5 KB]

Guideline 13 outlines the obligations of registered surveyors in relation to general and immediate supervision of staff in the performance of boundary surveys.

Guideline 14 - Working with GDA2020 & MGA2020 [1.3 MB]

Guideline 14 provides guidance for surveyors working with GDA2020 and MGA2020 data in the ACT.

Guideline 15 - Detail Surveys [3.5 MB]

Guideline 15 provides standards for all Detail Surveys, data and related plans associated with the development of sites in the ACT.

Guideline 16

Document not allocated.

Guideline 17 - Standards and Specifications for Units Plan [2.1 MB]

Guideline 17 outlines the requirements for the preparation of a Units Plan and includes plan forms and samples.

Guideline 18 - Transforming to GDA2020 [4.8 MB]

Guideline 18 provides advice on data transformation from the ACT Standard Grid datum to the Geocentric Datum of Australia 2020 (GDA2020).

Guideline 19 - Allocation of Street Addresses [280.1 KB]

Guideline 19 provides standards for the allocation of street addresses in the ACT pursuant to the Districts Act 2002.

Guideline 20 - Standards and Procedures for Easement Plans

Document under review.

Guideline 21 - Remote Sensing and Cadastral Surveys

Document under review.

Guideline 22 - The Determination of Boundaries

Document under review.

Cadastral forms and checklists

EDM Calibration

Other resources

ISNSW/ACT Seminar Slides

OSGLI Seminar Slides – 2024

OSGLI Twilight Seminar - 26 March 2024 [27.3 MB]

OSGLI Seminar Slides – 2023

OSGLI Update 2024

Historical reference material

ACT Trig Booklet [3.7 MB] (1985). A list of standard grid co-ordinates of beaconed trig stations and other notable structures.

Kennedy, W.D. (1973). Origin and development of the ACT land surveying system [7.6 MB]. Technical Papers of the 16th Australian Survey Congress, Canberra.

Nicolson, J.K.L. (1973). An offering to those not fully conversant with metric conversion in the ACT [730.7 KB]. Australian Survey Office, Department of Administrative Services, Canberra.

Taylor, J.K. (1977). The cadastre of the Australian Capital Territory [6.5 MB]. Australian Survey Office, Department of Administrative Services, Canberra.

Wellspring, K.H. (1973). Some aspects of the conversion from imperial to metric co-ordinates in the Australian Capital Territory [1.3 MB]. Technical Papers of the 16th Australian Survey Congress, Canberra.

Other state and national organisations

Board of Surveying and Spatial Information NSW (BOSSI)
BOSSI is responsible for the registration of surveyors in NSW and investigating complaints against registered surveyors.

Geoscience Australia
Geoscience Australia is Australia's pre-eminent public sector geoscience organisation, and is the national focal point for coordination of geodetic information and data, and maintains a national network of geodetic observatories which forms part of a global observatory network.

National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA)
NATA is Australia's national accreditation body.

National Measurement Institute (NMI)
NMI is Australia's national authority on measurement and is responsible for maintaining measurement standards and regulating measurement systems.

NSW Spatial Services
NSW Spatial Services, a division of the Department of Customer Service, provides spatial and land information services to spatial professionals and the general community in NSW.

Queensland Spatial and Surveying Association
The Queensland Surveying and Surveying Association represents spatial and surveying professionals in Queensland.

Surveyors Board of South Australia
The Surveyors Board of South Australia is a sub-committee of the SA Division of the Institution of Surveyors responsible for the training and conduct of surveyors in SA.

The Association of Consulting Surveyors National
The Association of Consulting Surveyors National promotes the profession of surveying, representing and supporting the interest of surveying consultancies through relevant training and connection to build business acumen.

The Association of Consulting Surveyors NSW
The Association of Consulting Surveyors NSW vision is to see thriving consulting surveyor businesses in every region and city across New South Wales where surveyors are recognised for underpinning the value of the economy.

The Association of Public Authority Surveyors NSW
APAS is a non-profit organisation whose purpose is to bring together surveyors and closely allied spatial information professionals employed by Public Authorities in both NSW and the ACT.

The Institution of Surveyors NSW
The Institution of Surveyors NSW represents land, engineering and mining surveyors in NSW.

The Institution of Surveyors Victoria
The Institution of Surveyors Victoria is a state body created to achieve uniformity of practice amongst Victorian surveyors.

The Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping (ICSM)
Established in 1988 by the Prime Minister, State Premiers and Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, this body coordinates national spatial data.

The Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute (SSSI)
The SSSI is a national body, created to support those working in the spatial information industry, including surveyors.

Western Australian Institution of Surveyors
The Western Australian Institution of Surveyors represents surveyors of Western Australia.

Other industry resources

Correct use of building products and appliances

The products and materials you use in buildings and building services must be 'fit for purpose'. Use of the wrong products can cause significant additional cost – ranging from repairing and replacing products, to life safety risks and building failure.

A building product or material can be non-conforming, non-complying, or both.

Find out more about the correct use of building products and appliances.

Electrification

The ACT is preparing to electrify our city and transition away from the use of fossil fuels, such as gas, petrol and diesel by 2045. The below resources help ensure buildings are fully electric and EV-ready.

Find out more about the ACT's energy transition.

Hoarding signage guidelines

The planning and land authority recognises that imagery on hoarding signage advertising is powerful and can influence our beliefs and behaviours. It is everyone's responsibility to make sure hoarding signage advertising is not discriminatory—community members, business, government and non-government organisations—and to make sure hoarding signage advertising reflects our community values and achieves equity across our society.

While voluntary, the Hoarding signage guidelines will facilitate hoarding advertising signage that reflects current community standards and values to help create a more cohesive community.

Industry associations

These industry groups provide information about building, home design, compliance, building contracts and more.

Housing Industry Association (HIA)

HIA is Australia's largest residential building organisation. They represent a network of more than 40,000 members including builders, carpenters and joiners, bricklayers, plasterers, tilers, electricians, painters, roofing contractors, kitchen and bathroom specialists, and more.

Visit the HIA website.

Master Builders Association (MBA)

MBA is the nation's peak building and construction industry association. Over their 125-year history, membership has grown to more than 32,000 businesses nationwide.

Visit the MBA ACT website.

Australian Institute of Architects

The Australian Institute of Architects represents more than 10,000 members. The Institute aims to promote, maintain, advance and encourage excellence in architectural practice to improve the quality of our built environment.

Visit the Australian Institute of Architects website.

Property Council of Australia

The Property Council of Australia represents more than 2,200 member companies, including property investors, owners, managers and developers.

Visit the Property Council of Australia website.

Safety

The WorkSafe ACT Construction Safety Portal covers:

work health and safety
construction site safety and supervision
asbestos and dangerous substances
incident reporting.

Security of payments

The ACT Building and Construction Industry (Security of Payment) Act 2009 establishes a rapid adjudication process so that people who carry out construction work, or supply goods and services, can receive timely payment.

Under this process, if a person makes a payment claim and it is not paid in accordance with the process in the Act, they may apply to an authorised nominating authority (ANA) for an adjudication. The ANA appoints an adjudicator to hear disputes about account payments instead of the matter having to be heard in court.

Find out more about the security of payments process.

Resources

On this page

Fees and charges

Support for the new planning system

Surveyor resources

Members (2024-2027 term)

2024 SPAC Meeting Minutes

2023 SPAC Meeting Minutes

Related documents

ISNSW/ACT Seminar Slides

OSGLI Seminar Slides – 2024

OSGLI Seminar Slides – 2023

OSGLI Update 2024

Historical reference material

Other state and national organisations

Other industry resources

Housing Industry Association (HIA)

Master Builders Association (MBA)

Australian Institute of Architects

Property Council of Australia

Acknowledgement of Country

Community

Professionals

Applications and assessments

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