{"id":"survey-regulations-2020","name":"Survey Regulations 2020","slug":"survey-regulations-2020","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"sa","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":237763,"registerId":"sa-survey-regulations-2020-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-06","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Survey Regulations 2020","content":"South Australia\nSurvey Regulations 2020\nunder the Survey Act 1992\n\nContents\nPart 1—Preliminary\n1\tShort title\n3\tInterpretation\nPart 2—Licences and registrations\n4\tPurpose of Part\n5\tQualifications\n6\tPractical experience\n7\tOther requirements—standards of competence\n8\tOther requirements—refresher courses for former licensed or registered surveyors\nPart 3—Survey instructions\n9\tPurpose of Part\n10\tInterpretation\n11\tSurvey evidence\n12\tPlacing or accepting survey marks\n13\tPermanent survey marks\n14\tAccuracy\n15\tField notes\n16\tSurvey reports\n17\tIdentification surveys to comply with code\n18\tPlans\n19\tCertification of plans\n20\tBoundaries of land within coordinated cadastre\n21\tSurvey of land\n22\tReinstatement of marks after land division complete\n23\tRemoval of marks\n24\tExemptions by Surveyor‑General\n25\tAdditional work required by Surveyor‑General\n26\tDirections of Surveyor‑General\nPart 4—Miscellaneous\n27\tAdoption of Code of Ethics\nLegislative history\n\nPart 1—Preliminary\n1—Short title\nThese regulations may be cited as the Survey Regulations 2020.\n3—Interpretation\nIn these regulations, unless the contrary intention appears—\nAct means the Survey Act 1992.\nPart 2—Licences and registrations\n4—Purpose of Part\nThis Part is made for the purposes of section 22 of the Act.\n5—Qualifications\nFor the purposes of section 22(1)(b) of the Act, the qualifications required of an applicant for a licence or registration as a surveyor are—\n\t(a)\ta Graduate Diploma in Surveying from the University of South Australia; or\n\t(b)\ta Master of Surveying from the University of South Australia; or\n\t(c)\ta Bachelor of Geoinformatics and Surveying from the University of South Australia; or\n\t(d)\ta Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Surveying) from the University of South Australia; or\n\t(da)\ta Bachelor of Geospatial Information Systems/Bachelor of Surveying from Flinders University; or\n\t(e)\tqualifications, or qualifications and experience, accredited as being equivalent to the qualifications referred to in paragraph (a) or (c) by the Institution of Surveyors.\n6—Practical experience\n\t(1)\tSubject to this regulation—\n\t(a)\tan applicant for a licence as a surveyor who has not previously been a licensed surveyor must have a total of at least 400 days of practical experience in surveying including at least 200 days practical experience in cadastral surveying; and\n\t(b)\tan applicant for registration as a surveyor who has not previously been a registered surveyor must have a total of at least 400 days of practical experience in surveying.\n\t(2)\tThe practical experience may comprise discrete periods each of which must be at least 4 weeks in duration unless the Institution of Surveyors is satisfied that a shorter period is justified in the particular circumstances of a case.\n\t(3)\tEach period of practical experience must be approved by the Institution of Surveyors.\n\t(4)\tThe Institution of Surveyors—\n\t(a)\tmust approve a period of practical experience for an applicant whose proposal of intention to obtain practical experience has been agreed to by the Institution under subregulation (6) if—\n\t(i)\tthe Institution is satisfied, after taking into account progress reports provided to the Institution in relation to the applicant under subregulation (7), that the practical experience was undertaken in accordance with that proposal; and\n\t(ii)\tthe prescribed supervisor has certified (in a manner approved by the Institution) that the applicant has satisfactorily completed the period of practical experience; and\n\t(b)\tmay, in any other case, approve a period of practical experience if—\n\t(i)\tthe Institution is satisfied that—\n\t(A)\tthe practical experience was supervised by a prescribed supervisor; and\n\t(B)\tthe prescribed supervisor did not, at any time during the period of supervision, supervise the practical experience of any other person for the purposes of this Part (or, if they did, the supervision was of 1 other person only and that other person had already completed at least 1 year of supervised practical experience); and\n\t(C)\tthe practical experience was not so specialised or elementary as to restrict the development of the competence of the applicant; and\n\t(ii)\tthe prescribed supervisor has certified (in a manner approved by the Institution) that the applicant has satisfactorily completed the period of practical experience.\n\t(5)\tAn applicant under this regulation may, before undertaking a period of practical experience, submit to the Institution of Surveyors for its agreement, a written proposal (in a manner approved by the Institution) of the applicant's intention to obtain such practical experience, signed by the applicant and the proposed prescribed supervisor and containing the following information:\n\t(a)\tthe expected nature and duration of the practical experience;\n\t(b)\tthe qualifications held by the supervisor during the 2 years immediately before the proposed commencement of the practical experience;\n\t(c)\ta statement to the effect that the supervisor agrees—\n\t(i)\tto supervise the applicant for the duration of the proposed period of practical experience; and\n\t(ii)\tnot to supervise the practical experience of any other person for the purposes of this Part during that period (unless it is supervision of 1 other person only and that other person will, at the proposed commencement of the period, have already completed at least 1 year of supervised practical experience).\n\t(6)\tOn receipt of a proposal under subregulation (5), the Institution of Surveyors must decide whether or not it agrees to the proposal and give notice of that decision to the applicant as soon as reasonably practicable.\n\t(7)\tA person who supervises an applicant's practical experience in accordance with a proposal under subregulation (5) must report to the Institution of Surveyors (in a manner approved by the Institution) on the progress of the applicant—\n\t(a)\tif the period of practical experience exceeds 6 months—within 28 days after the completion of each 6 month period; and\n\t(b)\tin any case—within 28 days after the completion of the period of practical experience.\nMaximum penalty: $200.\n\t(8)\tIn this regulation—\nprescribed supervisor, in relation to the supervision of a period of practical experience undertaken by an applicant under this regulation, means—\n\t(a)\ta licensed surveyor who has been licensed for at least 2 years immediately before the commencement of that period; or\n\t(b)\ta person holding qualifications approved by the Institution of Surveyors as relevant to the practical experience who has held those qualifications for at least 2 years immediately before the commencement of that period.\n7—Other requirements—standards of competence\n\t(1)\tAn applicant for a licence as a surveyor who has not previously been a licensed surveyor must—\n\t(a)\tcomplete a project, or series of projects, in cadastral surveying in accordance with these regulations; and\n\t(b)\tdemonstrate a satisfactory level of competence in the completion of each project.\n\t(2)\tAn applicant for registration as a surveyor who has not previously been a registered surveyor must—\n\t(a)\tcomplete a project, or series of projects, in a category of surveying in which the applicant has gained practical experience in accordance with these regulations; and\n\t(b)\tdemonstrate a satisfactory level of competence in the completion of each project.\n\t(3)\tEach project must be—\n\t(a)\tset by a person appointed, with the approval of the Minister, by the Institution of Surveyors; and\n\t(b)\tof moderate complexity and sufficiently broad to enable the applicant to demonstrate an application of knowledge and skills in the relevant category of surveying.\n\t(4)\tThe applicant's level of competence in relation to a project must be assessed by a person appointed, with the approval of the Minister, by the Institution of Surveyors.\n\t(5)\tThe assessment of an applicant's level of competence in the completion of a project in a particular category of surveying must be based on the following considerations:\n\t(a)\twhether the applicant's level of competence equates to the standards of competence expected in such a category of surveying in the workplace;\n\t(b)\tany relevant guidelines published by the Institution of Surveyors and in force from time to time.\n8—Other requirements—refresher courses for former licensed or registered surveyors\n\t(1)\tA former licensed surveyor who applies for a licence as a surveyor must—\n\t(a)\tundertake a refresher course in cadastral surveying in accordance with this regulation; and\n\t(b)\tdemonstrate a satisfactory level of competence in the completion of the course.\n\t(2)\tA former registered surveyor who applies for registration as a surveyor must—\n\t(a)\tundertake a refresher course in surveying other than cadastral surveying in accordance with this regulation; and\n\t(b)\tdemonstrate a satisfactory level of competence in the completion of the course.\n\t(3)\tEach refresher course must be—\n\t(a)\tset by a person appointed, with the approval of the Minister, by the Institution of Surveyors; and\n\t(b)\tsufficient to enable the applicant to update the applicant's knowledge and skills in the relevant category of surveying after taking into account—\n\t(i)\tthe applicant's qualifications and experience in that category of surveying; and\n\t(ii)\tthe length of time that the applicant has not practised in that category of surveying.\n\t(4)\tThe applicant's level of competence in relation to a course must be assessed by a person appointed, with the approval of the Minister, by the Institution of Surveyors.\n\t(5)\tThe assessment of an applicant's level of competence in the completion of a course in a particular category of surveying must be based on the following considerations:\n\t(a)\twhether the applicant's level of competence equates to the standards of competence expected in such a category of surveying in the workplace;\n\t(b)\tany relevant guidelines published by the Institution of Surveyors and in force from time to time.\n\t(6)\tIn this regulation—\nformer licensed surveyor means a former licensed surveyor in respect of whom a period of 5 or more years has elapsed since they were last licensed;\nformer registered surveyor means a former registered surveyor in respect of whom a period of 5 or more years has elapsed since they were last registered.\nPart 3—Survey instructions\n9—Purpose of Part\nThis Part is made for the purposes of section 43 of the Act.\n10—Interpretation\nIn this Part—\nallotment has the same meaning as in Part 19AB of the Real Property Act 1886 and in addition includes a community lot, development lot and common property within the meaning of the Community Titles Act 1996 and a unit and common property within the meaning of the Strata Titles Act 1988;\ncoordinated cadastre—see Part 5 Division 1 of the Act;\ndivision of land has the same meaning as in Part 19AB of the Real Property Act 1886;\nGeocentric Datum of Australia 2020 or GDA2020 has the same meaning as in the determination under section 8A of the National Measurement Act 1960 of the Commonwealth for the recognised‑value standard of measurement of position;\nimprovement means a permanent improvement (including a building, fence or wall) situated on or near the boundary of land;\nMap Grid of Australia 2020 means the system of rectangular coordinates derived from a Universal Transverse Mercator projection of latitudes and longitudes based on the Geocentric Datum of Australia 2020;\nreference mark means—\n\t(a)\ta metal pin, being a length of metal pipe or rod of at least 10 millimetres in diameter and 300 millimetres in length driven at or below ground level; or\n\t(b)\ta steel dropper of at least 300 millimetres in length driven at or below ground level; or\n\t(c)\ta masonry nail or screw firmly secured to a concrete footpath or kerb or a building or other immovable object; or\n\t(d)\ta drill hole and wings in concrete; or\n\t(e)\ta lead core or plastic plug set into concrete; or\n\t(f)\ta metal spike of at least 100 millimetres in length and 8 millimetres in diameter driven into bitumen; or\n\t(g)\tthe corner of a building or other immovable object that may be re‑established without ambiguity; or\n\t(h)\ta durable mark on a building or other immovable object; or\n\t(i)\tany other mark approved and notified in the Gazette by the Surveyor‑General as a reference mark;\nrevoked regulations means the Survey Regulations 2007 as in force immediately before the commencement of these regulations;\nsurvey mark means—\n\t(a)\ta survey peg; or\n\t(b)\ta State survey mark or survey peg as defined under the revoked regulations placed or accepted in a survey in existence before the commencement of these regulations;\nNote—\nPermanent survey marks are included in the definition of survey mark in section 4 of the Act.\nsurvey peg means—\n\t(a)\ta peg of a durable nature, composed of wood, metal, plastic or other material approved for the purpose by the Surveyor‑General, measuring at least 300 millimetres in length and 50 millimetres square at the top and coloured white; or\n\t(b)\ta metal pin, being a length of metal pipe or rod of at least 10 millimetres in diameter and 300 millimetres in length and coloured white driven at or below ground level; or\n\t(c)\ta steel dropper of at least 300 millimetres in length and coloured white driven at or below ground level; or\n\t(d)\ta masonry nail or screw coloured white and firmly secured to a concrete footpath or kerb or a building or other immovable object; or\n\t(e)\ta drill hole and wings in concrete that is coloured white; or\n\t(f)\ta lead core or plastic plug coloured white and set into concrete; or\n\t(g)\ta metal spike of at least 100 millimetres in length and 8 millimetres in diameter driven into bitumen and coloured white; or\n\t(h)\tany other peg or mark approved and notified in the Gazette by the Surveyor‑General as a survey peg.\n11—Survey evidence\n\t(1)\tA surveyor must, before carrying out a cadastral survey, obtain all information—\n\t(a)\tthat is likely to provide evidence of the boundaries of the land to be surveyed; and\n\t(b)\tthat is reasonably accessible.\n\t(2)\tA surveyor must, in carrying out a cadastral survey—\n\t(a)\tlocate all existing survey marks, reference marks, improvements and natural features likely to provide evidence of the boundaries of the land; and\n\t(b)\tconnect the survey to all existing surveys of land in the vicinity likely to provide evidence of the boundaries of the land by connecting to such existing survey marks or reference marks on surveys lodged in the Lands Titles Registration Office; and\n\t(c)\tif significant differences in the data from an existing survey are revealed—carry out such further work as may be necessary to establish whether or not the difference results from an error in measurement in the existing survey, the placement or acceptance of the survey mark in the existing survey or the siting of the improvement.\n12—Placing or accepting survey marks\n\t(1)\tA surveyor must, in carrying out a cadastral survey ensure that each new boundary of the land is marked with survey pegs so that the boundary is readily and unambiguously discernible on the ground after completion of the survey and complies with any applicable directions given by the Surveyor‑General.\n\t(2)\tA surveyor must ensure that each survey mark placed or accepted in a cadastral survey is secure and reasonably protected from accidental disturbance.\n13—Permanent survey marks\n\t(1)\tA surveyor must, in carrying out a cadastral survey of land within the designated survey area or the coordinated cadastre, comply with any directions given by the Surveyor‑General as to the placing of permanent survey marks and the provision to the Surveyor‑General of information relating to the marks once placed.\n\t(2)\tA surveyor must, if using permanent survey marks in carrying out a cadastral survey on land not within the designated survey area or the coordinated cadastre, comply with any directions given by the Surveyor‑General referred to in subregulation (1) in relation to the permanent survey marks.\n14—Accuracy\n\t(1)\tA surveyor must, in carrying out a cadastral survey—\n\t(a)\tuse equipment and techniques to ensure that the required standard of accuracy, as determined by the Surveyor‑General, is met; and\n\t(b)\tcarry out adequate checks of the survey to ensure that the required standard of accuracy, as determined by the Surveyor‑General, is met.\n\t(2)\tA surveyor must provide the Surveyor‑General with satisfactory evidence of compliance with subregulation (1) in relation to a specified cadastral survey within 14 days of receiving a written request from the Surveyor‑General for such evidence (or such longer period as is allowed by the Surveyor‑General).\n15—Field notes\n\t(1)\tA surveyor must ensure that records or notes of survey (which may be in electronic form) are made in the course of a cadastral survey carried out or supervised by the surveyor and must retain those records or notes for a period of at least 10 years after completion of the survey.\n\t(2)\tA surveyor must provide the Surveyor‑General with a copy of the records or notes made in relation to a specified cadastral survey within 14 days of receiving a written request from the Surveyor‑General for such copy (or such longer period as is allowed by the Surveyor‑General).\n16—Survey reports\n\t(1)\tA surveyor must, if requested to do so in writing by the Surveyor‑General, provide the Surveyor‑General with a report under this regulation in relation to a cadastral survey in respect of which the surveyor has certified a plan within 14 days of receiving the request.\n\t(2)\tThe Surveyor‑General may direct that subregulation (1) does not apply to a cadastral survey of a particular class, and that the report be provided immediately after certifying the plan or such longer period as is allowed by the Surveyor‑General.\n\t(3)\tA report under this regulation must include the information required, and be in a form approved, by the Surveyor‑General.\n17—Identification surveys to comply with code\n\t(1)\tA surveyor who carries out an identification survey must comply with the provisions of the Lodgement of Boundary Identification Surveys Code (the code).\n\t(2)\tIn order to comply with the provisions of the code, the surveyor must—\n\t(a)\tcomply with any provisions in the code that are expressed as mandatory; and\n\t(b)\thave regard to any provisions in the code that are not expressed as mandatory but are expressed as recommendations.\n\t(3)\tIn this regulation—\nidentification survey means a cadastral survey of existing boundaries of land for which a plan is not required by law (other than by this regulation) to be lodged in the Lands Titles Registration Office;\nLodgement of Boundary Identification Surveys Code means the Code of Practice—Lodgement of Boundary Identification Surveys, prepared by the Surveyors Board of South Australia, 17 March 2016, as in force from time to time.\n18—Plans\nA plan of a cadastral survey lodged in the Lands Titles Registration Office must comply with any requirements issued by the Registrar‑General pursuant to regulation 16 of the Real Property Regulations 2024 as in force from time to time.\n19—Certification of plans\n\t(1)\tA surveyor must certify a plan of a cadastral survey by completing a certificate, in a form approved by the Surveyor‑General.\n\t(2)\tIf a surveyor certifies a plan of a cadastral survey undertaken by another surveyor, the certifying surveyor must certify that—\n\t(a)\tthe survey was undertaken under the supervision of the certifying surveyor; and\n\t(b)\tthe survey complied with all requirements of the Act.\n\t(3)\tA surveyor must not certify a plan of a cadastral survey unless satisfied that—\n\t(a)\tthe survey has been carried out in accordance with this Part; and\n\t(b)\tthe plan complies with the requirements of this Part; and\n\t(c)\tthe certificate complies with the requirements of this regulation.\nMaximum penalty: $2 000.\n20—Boundaries of land within coordinated cadastre\nIn carrying out a cadastral survey of land within the coordinated cadastre, a surveyor must accept the Map Grid of Australia 2020 coordinates describing the boundaries of the land, as recorded in the plan of the area filed in the Lands Titles Registration Office pursuant to Part 5 Division 1 of the Act.\n21—Survey of land\nIn carrying out a cadastral survey of land, a surveyor must comply with the following additional requirements:\n\t(a)\tthe survey must connect to at least 3 permanent survey marks for which the Map Grid of Australia 2020 coordinates are known or established;\n\t(b)\tthe survey must be adjusted to the scale and orientation dictated by the known or established Map Grid of Australia 2020 coordinates of the permanent survey marks to which the survey is connected;\n\t(c)\tif the survey does not agree with the coordinates of the permanent survey marks to which the survey is connected within the standards of accuracy required by the Surveyor‑General under this Part, the matter must be reported to the Surveyor‑General and any directions given by the Surveyor‑General in relation to the matter followed.\n22—Reinstatement of marks after land division complete\n\t(1)\tA surveyor who has carried out a cadastral survey for a division of land into more than 5 allotments must, as soon as practicable but not later than 30 days after completion of works for the provision of roads, drains or other services in association with the division of land—\n\t(a)\tplace in position all survey marks required in relation to the survey by the Surveyor‑General; and\n\t(b)\tprovide to the Surveyor‑General any information in relation to the survey as required by the Surveyor‑General.\n\t(2)\tIf a surveyor fails to comply with subregulation (1), the Surveyor‑General—\n\t(a)\tmay, after giving the surveyor not less than 14 days notice in writing—\n\t(i)\tundertake any additional survey work that may be required; and\n\t(ii)\tplace any survey marks required in relation to the survey; and\n\t(b)\tmay, after taking any action under paragraph (a)—\n\t(i)\tamend a survey plan; and\n\t(ii)\trecover as a debt from the surveyor the costs of undertaking the additional survey work, placing the required survey marks and amending a survey plan.\n23—Removal of marks\nIf the Surveyor‑General is satisfied that a survey mark or reference mark has been incorrectly or unlawfully placed by a person, the Surveyor‑General may—\n\t(a)\tremove the mark; and\n\t(b)\tif the Surveyor‑General considers it appropriate—reinstate the mark in the correct position; and\n\t(c)\trecover the costs of so removing the mark, or removing and reinstating the mark, from the person.\n24—Exemptions by Surveyor‑General\n\t(1)\tThe Surveyor‑General may, by notice in writing to a surveyor, exempt the surveyor from any specified requirement of this Part in relation to a specified cadastral survey if—\n\t(a)\tcompliance is not practicable; or\n\t(b)\tthe surveyor wishes to use an alternative method of survey,\nand the Surveyor‑General is satisfied that the accuracy of the survey will not be jeopardised.\n\t(2)\tAn exemption under subregulation (1)—\n\t(a)\tmay be made on application by a surveyor; and\n\t(b)\tmay be subject to conditions determined by the Surveyor‑General; and\n\t(c)\tmay be varied or revoked by the Surveyor‑General by notice in writing to the surveyor.\n\t(3)\tThe Surveyor‑General may, by notice in the Gazette, exempt a class of surveys from any specified requirement of this Part.\n\t(4)\tAn exemption under subregulation (3)—\n\t(a)\tmay be subject to conditions determined by the Surveyor‑General; and\n\t(b)\tmay be varied or revoked by the Surveyor‑General by subsequent notice in the Gazette.\n25—Additional work required by Surveyor‑General\n\t(1)\tIf the Surveyor‑General believes on reasonable grounds that the definition of boundaries as shown on a survey plan may not be accurate by reason of the survey not being carried out in accordance with these regulations, the Surveyor‑General may, in order to enable the Surveyor‑General to verify the definition of boundaries, require the surveyor by whom or under whose supervision the survey was carried out to undertake additional work, or to provide additional information, in relation to the survey.\n\t(2)\tThe surveyor must comply with any such requirement within 14 days or such longer period as is allowed by the Surveyor‑General.\n26—Directions of Surveyor‑General\nIf the Surveyor‑General gives a direction for the purposes of this Part, the direction must be published in the Gazette and on a website determined by the Surveyor‑General.\nPart 4—Miscellaneous\n27—Adoption of Code of Ethics\nFor the purposes of section 63(3)(b) of the Act, a surveyor to whom the Act applies must comply with the provisions of the Professional Practice Rules of the Surveyors Board‑Code of Ethics, published in the Gazette by the Institution of Surveyors, as in force from time to time.\nMaximum penalty: $2 000.\nLegislative history\nNotes\n\t•\tPlease note—References in the legislation to other legislation or instruments or to titles of bodies or offices are not automatically updated as part of the program for the revision and publication of legislation and therefore may be obsolete.\n\t•\tEarlier versions of these regulations (historical versions) are listed at the end of the legislative history.\n\t•\tFor further information relating to the Act and subordinate legislation made under the Act see the Index of South Australian Statutes or www.legislation.sa.gov.au.\nLegislation revoked by principal regulations\nThe Survey Regulations 2020 revoked the following:\nSurvey Regulations 2007\nPrincipal regulations and variations\nNew entries appear in bold.\nYear\nNo\nReference\nCommencement\n2020\n238\nGazette 23.7.2020 p3869 \n24.8.2020: r 2\n2024\n82\nGazette 8.8.2024 p2421\n8.8.2024: r 2\n2025\n82\nGazette 7.8.2025 p3015\n7.8.2025: r 2\n2026\n2\nGazette 15.1.2026 p30\n15.1.2026: r 2\nProvisions varied\nNew entries appear in bold.\nEntries that relate to provisions that have been deleted appear in italics.\nProvision\nHow varied\nCommencement\nr 2\nomitted under Legislation Revision and Publication Act 2002\n8.8.2024\nr 5\namended by 82/2025 r 3\n7.8.2025\nr 10\n\n\nGeocentric Datum of Australia 2020 or GDA2020\nsubstituted by 2/2026 r 3\n15.1.2026\nr 18\namended by 82/2024 r 3\n8.8.2024\nSch 1\nomitted under Legislation Revision and Publication Act 2002\n8.8.2024\nHistorical versions\n8.8.2024\n\n7.8.2025\n\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":5,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The 2020 regulations principally modernise and operationalise the Survey Act 1992 rather than expand its regulatory reach. They replace the 2007 regulations and set contemporary technical standards (notably alignment with GDA2020/MGA2020), formalise specific university qualifications while allowing equivalence via the Institution of Surveyors (reg 5), prescribe detailed training, assessment and record‑keeping processes, and reinforce the Surveyor‑General's oversight powers (regs 24–26). These are refinements and procedural/technical updates — they narrow and clarify implementation in places (for example by listing particular degree awards and stricter supervisor approval rules) but do not add new subject‑matter beyond the Act's original licensing and survey‑practice remit."},"complexity_factors":["Length: 27 regulations divided into 4 Parts with detailed procedural and technical requirements","Defined terms block in reg 10 (multiple technical definitions including reference/survey peg, coordinated cadastre, GDA2020, Map Grid of Australia 2020)","Detailed conditional rules in reg 6 for practical experience (minimum days, minimum block lengths, supervisor qualifications, approval and reporting processes)","Multiple cross‑references to external instruments and bodies (Survey Act 1992, Real Property Regulations 2024, Lodgement Code, Institution of Surveyors, Registrar‑General, Surveyor‑General)","Discretionary powers and multiple paths (Surveyor‑General may exempt, vary or revoke; may require additional work and recover costs — regs 24–26)","Nested obligations and timing rules (e.g. 14‑day response periods for Surveyor‑General requests, 30‑day reinstatement window after subdivision works, 10‑year records retention)","Penalties and cost recovery provisions (different penalty levels for different breaches; recovery as debt for certain failures)","Technical accuracy standards tied to external technical datum (GDA2020/MGA2020) requiring instrument calibration and survey adjustments","Procedural requirements for competence assessment and appointment of assessors by the Institution with Ministerial approval (regs 7–8)"],"plain_english_summary":"**What these regulations do (mechanically)\n\n- Set the technical, educational and procedural rules that surveyors in South Australia must follow when applying for licences/registration and when carrying out cadastral (boundary) surveys.\n- Specify the qualifications, supervised practical experience, assessed projects or refresher courses required to obtain or regain a licence/registration (Part 2: regs 5–8).\n- Prescribe how cadastral surveys must be done on the ground and in records: what evidence to collect, how to place and protect survey marks, accuracy checks, connections to permanent survey marks and to the national coordinate system (GDA2020/MGA2020), plan certification and file requirements (Part 3: regs 9–26).\n- Give the Surveyor‑General powers to issue directions, permit exemptions, require additional work and recover costs; and require adherence to a professional Code of Ethics (Part 3–4: regs 24–26, 27).\n\nWho it affects\n\n- Individual surveyors and persons seeking to become licensed or registered surveyors in South Australia (see regs 5–8).\n- Employers and supervisors who provide and sign off on practical training (reg 6).\n- The Institution of Surveyors (approval and assessment roles under regs 6–8) and the Surveyor‑General and Registrar‑General (technical directions, plan and filing requirements under regs 13–21, 24–26, 18).\n- Land owners, developers and local authorities indirectly, because surveys prepared under these rules determine legal boundaries and infrastructure reinstatement obligations (regs 11–23).\n\nWhy it matters (stated purpose and the likely trade‑offs and consequences)\n\nStated purpose: The regulations implement the licensing and survey‑practice rules required by the Survey Act 1992 (see reg 4 for licensing purpose and reg 9 for survey instructions purpose). They aim to standardise who qualifies as a surveyor and how cadastral surveys are performed so boundaries recorded in title records are accurate and verifiable.\n\nCosts, incentives and implementation mechanics (concrete effects)\n\n- Who pays: surveyors pay the direct compliance costs (training, supervised days, assessed projects, refresher courses), and may be liable to repay costs if the Surveyor‑General must reinstate marks or carry out additional work because a surveyor failed to comply (regs 22(2), 23). Surveyors also face fines for particular breaches (e.g. up to $2,000 for improper certification; reg 19).\n- Who decides: the Institution of Surveyors approves practical training periods, appoints project setters and assessors for competence tests (regs 6–8); the Surveyor‑General issues technical directions, grants exemptions, requires more work and publishes directions/exemptions (regs 13, 24–26); the Registrar‑General sets plan lodgement requirements (reg 18, by cross‑reference).\n- Behaviour changes required: applicants must obtain specified university qualifications (or equivalent accreditation), complete at least 400 days practical experience with supervisor approvals and minimum block lengths (reg 5–6), complete assessed projects showing workplace competence (reg 7), keep field notes for 10 years (reg 15), connect surveys to permanent marks and national coordinates (GDA2020/MGA2020) and certify plans in prescribed forms (regs 19–21).\n\nConcentrated benefits and potential substitution effects\n\n- The rules concentrate qualification certainty on specific university awards (reg 5 lists particular degrees from University of South Australia and Flinders University) and on equivalence decisions made by the Institution of Surveyors. That provides clarity for graduates of named programs but shifts discretion to the Institution to recognise other qualifications (reg 5(e)).\n- Supervisor rules (reg 6(4)(b) and (5)) limit how many inexperienced trainees a single supervisor may sign off, which protects training quality but raises supervisory capacity constraints for employers.\n\nCompliance burden, enforcement and discretion\n\n- Administrative burdens include preparing and retaining field notes for 10 years (reg 15), responding to Surveyor‑General requests within 14 days (regs 14(2), 15(2), 16(1)), and meeting project assessments/refresher course requirements (regs 7–8).\n- The Surveyor‑General has broad discretionary powers to exempt surveys from requirements, to demand additional work, to remove/restore marks and to recover costs (regs 24–26, 23). These powers enable regulatory oversight but create some implementation risk from discretionary application.\n\nTechnical modernisation\n\n- The regulations tie cadastral work to the national geocentric datum (GDA2020) and Map Grid of Australia 2020, requiring surveys to connect to permanent marks with known GDA2020 coordinates and to adjust orientation/scale accordingly (regs 10, 20–21). That is a technical update aligning state practice with contemporary coordinate standards.\n\nRelevant sections (examples)\n\n- Qualifications: reg 5. Practical experience: reg 6. Competence projects/assessment: reg 7. Refresher courses: reg 8. Survey evidence and marks: regs 11–13. Accuracy and checks: reg 14. Records and retention: reg 15. Plan certification: reg 19. Connection to GDA2020 and permanent marks: regs 10, 20–21. Exemptions and Surveyor‑General powers: regs 24–26. Code of Ethics: reg 27.\n\nNet practical takeaway\n\n- If you are training to be a licensed or registered surveyor in South Australia expect a defined academic route, at least 400 days of supervised practical experience with limits on who may supervise you, assessed projects showing workplace competence,Mandatory record‑keeping and a requirement that cadastral surveys be anchored to national coordinates and permanent marks. The Surveyor‑General retains oversight powers to require corrections, to exempt practices where appropriate and to recover costs for non‑compliance.\n"},"summary":{"complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Unable to assess whether the scope of the Survey Regulations 2020 changed from its original intent, as no legislative text was available for analysis."},"complexity_factors":["No legislative content was retrievable — the source URL returned a 404 Page Not Found error","Cannot assess complexity without access to the actual text of the regulations","Score of 1 reflects absence of content, not simplicity of the law itself"],"plain_english_summary":"**No legislation content could be retrieved.**\n\nThe link provided for the *Survey Regulations 2020* (South Australia) returned a **Page Not Found** error from the SA legislation website. This appears to be a broken or outdated hyperlink, likely caused by a website migration that occurred around **24 March 2026**.\n\n**What this means for you:** No analysis of the actual law can be provided because the legislative text was not accessible. If you need to review the *Survey Regulations 2020*, try:\n- Visiting [www.legislation.sa.gov.au](https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au) and searching directly for the title\n- Reporting the broken link to OPCWeb@sa.gov.au\n- Checking the South Australian Government Gazette for the original gazetted version"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":5,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation appears consistent with its original purpose of regulating surveyor qualifications and survey standards. The 2024-2026 amendments show routine maintenance (updating references to Real Property Regulations 2024, adding new approved qualifications, updating to GDA2020 datum) rather than scope expansion."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple nested conditions in practical experience approval process (regulation 6, subregulations 4-7)","Extensive defined terms in Part 3 (10 defined terms including technical specifications for survey marks)","Cross-references to multiple other Acts: Survey Act 1992, Real Property Act 1886, Community Titles Act 1996, Strata Titles Act 1988, National Measurement Act 1960","Delegated authority to external bodies (Institution of Surveyors and Surveyor-General) with significant discretion","Multiple penalty provisions with varying amounts ($200 for progress report failure, $2,000 for certification and ethics breaches)","Technical specifications requiring precise measurements (e.g., 'at least 300 millimetres in length and 50 millimetres square at the top')","Temporal conditions (5-year gap for 'former' surveyor status, 10-year record retention, 14/30 day compliance periods)","Conditional exemptions framework allowing Surveyor-General to waive requirements"],"plain_english_summary":"This legislation sets out the rules for who can become a licensed or registered surveyor in South Australia, and how they must carry out their work.\n\n**What it does:**\n\n**Part 2 – Licences and registrations:**\n- Sets out the university qualifications needed to become a surveyor (degrees from UniSA or Flinders University, or equivalent qualifications approved by the Institution of Surveyors)\n- Requires 400 days of practical experience (including 200 days in cadastral surveying for those seeking a full licence)\n- Practical experience must be supervised by an experienced surveyor and approved by the Institution of Surveyors\n- Requires applicants to complete projects demonstrating competence, assessed by approved assessors\n- Former surveyors returning after 5+ years must complete refresher courses\n\n**Part 3 – Survey instructions:**\n- Governs how cadastral surveys (surveys that define land boundaries) must be conducted\n- Surveyors must gather all available evidence about land boundaries before surveying\n- Requires specific types of survey marks (pegs, pins, nails, etc.) to be placed securely\n- Mandates connection to at least 3 permanent survey marks using modern coordinate systems (GDA2020)\n- Requires field notes to be kept for 10 years\n- Plans must be certified by the surveyor, who can be fined up to $2,000 for improper certification\n- The Surveyor-General can require additional work, grant exemptions, and remove incorrectly placed marks\n\n**Part 4 – Miscellaneous:**\n- Requires surveyors to follow a Code of Ethics published by the Institution of Surveyors (maximum penalty $2,000 for breach)\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Anyone wanting to become a licensed or registered surveyor in South Australia\n- Current surveyors conducting cadastral surveys\n- The Surveyor-General, who has broad powers to direct how surveys are conducted\n- The Institution of Surveyors, which approves qualifications, experience, and assesses competence\n\n**Why it matters:**\nLand surveying underpins property ownership and development. These regulations ensure surveyors are properly qualified, maintain high standards of accuracy, and create reliable records that protect property rights and prevent boundary disputes."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/survey-regulations-2020","history":"/api/acts/survey-regulations-2020/history","analysis":"/api/acts/survey-regulations-2020/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/survey-regulations-2020/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/survey-regulations-2020/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/survey-regulations-2020/documents"}}