On this page

Land surveyors (or Cadastral surveyors) locate and mark property boundaries. They must be registered under the Surveyors Act 2007 (the Act) to:

  • perform surveys to divide the land
  • determine and mark existing boundaries
  • provide certificates to show where structures are, compared to boundary lines, and
  • conduct engineering, topographic and photogrammetric surveys, and supply the data.

Find a registered surveyor

Find a surveyor on Access Canberra's list of registered land surveyors. You can also contact the ACT Registrar of Surveyors at surveyors.registrar@act.gov.au.

Surveyors registered in NSW will appear on the NSW Board of Surveying and Spatial Information (BOSSI) public register.

Construction and engineering surveyors

The ACT is working towards a regulatory framework for construction and engineering surveyors.

This may allow a registered construction or engineering surveyor to perform surveys for boundary-related, engineering or construction work. A registered surveyor will supervise this work.

Become a surveyor

A career in surveying is both challenging and rewarding. It provides a balance of indoor and outdoor work, and a variety of places to work with diverse roles.

A career in surveying might be for you if you:

  • have a keen eye for detail
  • are interested in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), and
  • enjoy being outdoors.

Demand for surveyors is increasing, which means that job prospects are high.

Find information about what surveyors do, how to become a surveyor and where to study, at A life without limits.

Qualifications

To be a registered surveyor, you must have a 4-year surveying degree or equal from a recognised Australian or New Zealand University. You must also have at least 2 years of practical experience. You can get some of this experience while you're at university.

You must also prepare projects and take exams through the board of the state which you want to be registered.

Because of its size, the ACT doesn't hold its own registration examinations. Instead, it uses the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 (Cwlth) and accepts registration from other Australian and New Zealand jurisdictions. Often those who want to register in the ACT will sit the BOSSI examinations.

Learn more about the registration process in NSW.

If you have overseas qualifications, there are overseas assessments to complete.

Maintain your registration

To maintain your registration, you must meet the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements. These requirements help to keep up to date with new technology and changes to legislation. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) [536.3 KB] allows CPD points to be gained in either the ACT or NSW and will be recognised in both jurisdictions.

CPD training is provided by four Ratified Organisations (RO's):

You can be registered in more than one jurisdiction.

Registration must be renewed annually.

Interstate Registered Surveyors working in the ACT.

If you are a registered or licenced land surveyor from another state, territory or from New Zealand, you may choose to work in the ACT pursuant to following:

  1. Mutual Recognition (MR) provisions. In this situation you will need to apply for registration in the ACT and pay the required fee. This is the only option for surveyors from Queensland and New Zealand.
  2. Automatic Deemed Registration (ADR) provisions. If you do so, you must notify the responsible ACT registration authority before you work in the ACT. If your home jurisdiction is Queensland or New Zealand you may not work in the ACT under ADR.

Find more information on Automatic Mutual Recognition (AMR).

Other requirements

Advertising

You must always identify if you're registered under the Act in advertising. You may describe yourself as a 'consulting (or consultant) surveyor' or 'land surveyor'. However, you must still be registered and qualified to conduct boundary surveys.

Insurance

If you're a private surveyor, you should have professional indemnity insurance. Anyone engaging a surveyor's services should confirm this beforehand.

Regulation and complaints

If you're not a registered surveyor, it's illegal for you to do survey work to specify land boundaries. Anyone who believes a current or former surveyor has broken the law can report it to the Surveyor-General.

Complaints may lead to disciplinary action.

Related content