Survey Co-ordination Regulations 2024

The Regulations revolve around a short set of technical and administrative concepts that determine how the State coordinates surveys. Key concepts are permanent marks, survey connections, datums and projection systems, plan forms and classification, and the Central Plan Register.

Permanent marks: A permanent mark established under the Act must be durable and in a form listed in Schedule 1 or otherwise authorised by the Surveyor‑General (reg 6). Location criteria are prescriptive: marks should be where they are least likely to be damaged, facilitate horizontal and vertical connections, be readily identifiable and be in the most stable location available (reg 7(2)). Protection devices such as box‑covers have construction and siting requirements (reg 7(3)), and marker posts must be set vertically and at least 300 millimetres from the centre of the mark (reg 7(4)). On longer surveys (1000 metres or more in length) marks must be placed so that no two are more than 1000 metres apart unless the Surveyor‑General approves an alternate distance (reg 7(5)).

Sketch plans and registration: A separate sketch plan is required for each permanent mark, and a copy must be forwarded to the Central Plan Office within 60 days after establishment or location (reg 8(1)-(2)). Sketch plans must include certification by the surveyor, MGA2020 Easting and Northing with zone, connections to nearby features, parish name and registration number allocated in accordance with reg 10, and be reproducible (reg 8(3)(a)-(h)). Supplementary sketch plans are required if additional connections are obtained (reg 9).

Datums and projections: The Regulations adopt and require the use of national reference systems. GDA2020 and MGA2020 are defined and required for horizontal coordinates (reg 5 definitions; reg 13). AHD71 is defined for vertical datum (reg 5). Plans must display north in either MGA2020 Zone 54 or 55 where appropriate (reg 18(1)(b)), and Schedule 2 maps parishes to MGA2020 zones (reg 13(1) and Schedule 2).

Connections and verification: Surveys connecting to permanent marks must follow technical rules consistent with the Surveying (Cadastral Surveys) Regulations (reg 15(1)(a)), include independent verifying checks unless in a closed traverse (reg 15(1)(b)), and must provide sufficient data when connecting to two or more permanent marks for bearing and distance determination (reg 15(2)). For connection to the survey control network, conventional terrestrial surveys must directly connect to two or more verified network marks at least 200 metres apart and generally within a 500 metre radius unless the connection can be made with up to three instrument points from each network mark; alternately indirect connections are permitted through other surveys already connected (reg 16). GNSS surveys require direct connection to at least one properly verified survey control network mark that is the closest suitable for GNSS observation (reg 16(3)).

Plan forms, signing and classification: Plans must be either standard paper (or paper-representation) plans or electronic plans (reg 17). Standard plans must meet graphic, orientation, scale, datum and trimmed sheet size requirements in reg 18 and Schedule 3. Electronic plans must meet reg 19 content rules. Signing and authorisation rules allow electronic signatures and require that the signing surveyor certifies accuracy (reg 20). Plans prepared by departments or public authorities must indicate classification using a double letter for graphical precision and a numeral for contour precision according to Schedule 4 (reg 21(3)).

Central Plan Register: The Central Plan Register must show particulars of each plan or survey forwarded under s 7 of the Act and the location of any plan recorded under s 8(1) of the Act (reg 22). The Registrar under the Transfer of Land Act and the Surveyor‑General are identified as stakeholders via cross‑references and definitions (reg 5).

Primary affected parties are surveyors, licensed surveyors, proper officers of departments and public authorities, the Surveyor‑General, the Central Plan Office (Central Plan Register), and the Registrar under the Transfer of Land Act 1958. Secondary or indirect effects reach landowners, developers and authorities who commission surveys, and operators of GNSS equipment.

Surveyors and licensed surveyors: The Regulations place procedural, technical and certification duties on the surveyor who establishes or locates permanent marks. That surveyor must prepare and certify a sketch plan within 60 days (reg 8(1)-(3)). Surveyors carrying out surveys that will be lodged with the Registrar or Surveyor‑General must follow the measurement and connection requirements (regs 12-16, 21). A person who signs a plan certifies that the plan and related survey are accurate (reg 20(6)).

Proper officers of departments and public authorities: Plans prepared by or on behalf of a department or public authority must be in standard plan or electronic plan form and must be signed or authorised in accordance with reg 20 (reg 17(1), (3)-(4)). Responsible proper officers must ensure classification for departmental plans is indicated using the Schedule 4 system (reg 21(3)). Notices of intention to commence surveys must include specified particulars (reg 12).

Surveyor‑General and Central Plan Office: The Surveyor‑General decides parish names and registration numbers for permanent marks and ensures registration at the Central Plan Office (reg 10(1)). The Surveyor‑General may require plans to be in particular forms (reg 17(2)), approve alternate monument types where Schedule 1 forms are impracticable (reg 6(b)(ii)), and require pre‑removal verification or replacement of marks (reg 11(b)-(c)). The Central Plan Office receives sketch plans and registers permanent marks and plans (regs 8, 10, 22).

Registrar and cadastral system actors: The Regulations interact with the land registration system indirectly by specifying what must accompany surveys lodged with the Registrar (reg 15(2), reg 17). The definitions explicitly reference the Transfer of Land Act 1958 and the Surveying Act 2004 (reg 5 definitions), connecting these Regulations to cadastral recording and property title transactions.

GNSS and equipment operators: The Regulations differentiate GNSS surveys from conventional terrestrial surveys for network connections (reg 16(3)). A GNSS survey must be directly connected to at least one verified control network mark suitable for GNSS observation (reg 16(3)). Survey equipment must be compared to standards and use units of metres and degrees, minutes and seconds as applicable (reg 14).

Landowners and developers: While not the primary contracting party, owners and developers commissioning surveys will face the practical consequences of these rules through surveyor obligations, such as marks placement, certification, and the need for coordination with the Surveyor‑General and Central Plan Office. The requirement that permanent marks be located where they are least likely to be damaged and readily identifiable (reg 7(2)) affects site selection and potential costs for protection or relocation.

Other instruments and document providers: Entities producing technical guidance, mapping datums and standards (for example the Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping Technical Manual and National Measurement Determination) are incorporated by reference and therefore influence compliance (Endnotes and Table of Applied, Adopted or Incorporated Matter).

Duties are concentrated on surveyors, proper officers of departments/public authorities and the Surveyor‑General. The Regulations set time limits, technical minimums, documentation formats and certification duties; they also allocate decision rights to the Surveyor‑General in several respects.

Duties of surveyors and proper officers:

• Prepare and lodge a separate sketch plan for each permanent mark established or located, within 60 days (reg 8(1)-(2)). Supplementary sketch plans for additional connections must also be lodged within 60 days (reg 9(1)).
• Ensure sketch plans include certification by the establishing surveyor confirming correctness, observance of the Regulations, and that connecting measurements and observations were made in accordance with these Regulations (reg 8(3)(a)(i)-(iii)).
• Use prescribed datums and projection zones for survey bearings: the appropriate MGA2020 zone per Schedule 2 must be used (reg 13(1)-(2)).
• Use and maintain survey equipment compared to a standard of measurement with units in metres for length and degrees/minutes/seconds for angles and capable of achieving precision levels required by reg 7 of the Surveying (Cadastral Surveys) Regulations (reg 14).
• Connect surveys to permanent marks consistent with Surveying (Cadastral Surveys) Regulations and include at least one independent verifying check unless the survey is a closed traverse (reg 15(1)(a)-(b)).
• For surveys to be lodged with the Registrar or Surveyor‑General that connect to two or more permanent marks, provide sufficient connections to determine bearing and distance and show appropriate bearings/distances on field notes and plans (reg 15(2)).

Duties related to the survey control network:

• Conventional terrestrial surveys, when required by the Surveyor‑General, must be directly connected to two or more survey control network marks that are properly verified, at least 200 metres apart, and generally within a 500 metre radius or meet instrument-point constraints, or indirectly connected via other surveys already connected (reg 16(1)(a)-(b), (2)).
• GNSS surveys must be directly connected to at least one properly verified survey control network mark that is the closest suitable for GNSS observation (reg 16(3)).

Duties about plans and signatures:

• Plans forwarded under the Act must be standard plans or electronic plans (reg 17(1)).
• Standard plans must meet graphic, orientation, scale and size requirements and have version and plan numbers; electronic plans must meet similar versioning and naming requirements (regs 18-19).
• Signing rules require the surveyor who carried out or superintended the survey to sign the first sheet of a standard plan and to sign or authorise electronic plans; licensed surveyors must sign sheets where cadastral work is involved, and the Surveyor‑General signs where appropriate (reg 20).

Duties concerning permanent marks and replacement:

• Permanent marks must be registered and assigned a parish name and registration number by the Surveyor‑General (reg 10(1)).
• If a permanent mark is removed under section 16 of the Act, the responsible surveyor must, where practicable, notify the Surveyor‑General before removal; if required by the Surveyor‑General, relate the mark horizontally and vertically to adjacent monuments before removal and ensure connections meet not less than the precision standard used to establish the mark (reg 11(a)-(b)).
• If required, the responsible surveyor must establish a replacement mark and prepare its sketch plan (reg 11(c)-(e)).

Rights and decision allocations:

• The Surveyor‑General has allocation and supervisory powers: assigning parish names and registration numbers (reg 10(1)), registering marks (reg 10(1)(b)), approving alternative monuments when Schedule 1 types are impracticable (reg 6(b)(ii)), requiring plans in particular forms (reg 17(2)) and requiring certain verification or replacement measures when marks are removed (reg 11(b)-(c)).
• Persons signing plans may use electronic signatures (reg 20(4)-(5)).
• The Regulations permit the Surveyor‑General to require additional or alternative steps, thereby creating administrative discretion over certain aspects of compliance (reg 17(2), reg 11(b)-(c)).

Certifications and legal effect:

• Signing or authorising a plan is a certification that the plan and any related survey are accurate (reg 20(6)). This creates an express professional certification duty on the signatory.
• The Central Plan Register must record particulars of plans forwarded under s 7 of the Act and the location of plans recorded under s 8(1) of the Act (reg 22), creating a public administrative record that links to land administration processes.

Timing and sequence duties:

• Apply for a permanent mark registration number prior to lodging a sketch plan (reg 10(2)(a)).
• Lodge sketch plans and supplementary plans within 60 days after establishment, location or obtaining additional connections (regs 8(1)(b), 9(1)).

Collectively, these duties create a chain of technical, administrative and certification responsibilities that bind surveyors and departmental proper officers, while decision rights and some discretion are concentrated in the Surveyor‑General and the Central Plan Office.

The Regulations themselves do not include express monetary penalties or criminal offences. The instrument is made under section 22 of the Survey Co‑ordination Act 1958 (reg 2) and repeatedly cross‑references substantive powers in the Act, for example sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 15 and 16 (regs 12, 21 and Part 2 and Part 3 use those sections). Enforcement therefore flows from the Act’s enforcement architecture as applied to these Regulations. The Regulations create obligations that can be enforced administratively through the Surveyor‑General and Central Plan Office functions, and through the statutory registration and recording regimes described in regs 10 and 22.

Administrative enforcement mechanisms apparent from the text include:

• Registration and withholding of registration: The Surveyor‑General must assign and register permanent marks at the Central Plan Office (reg 10(1)). Failure to register as required will likely prevent a mark from being formally recognised in the Central Plan Register (reg 22), with practical consequences for linking future surveys or cadastral registration.
• Control over plan format and acceptance: The Surveyor‑General may require plans to be in particular forms (reg 17(2)) and may therefore refuse to accept plans not meeting standards. That gatekeeping function affects whether a survey can proceed through administrative processes that depend on plan acceptance.
• Certification obligations: By signing a plan the surveyor certifies accuracy (reg 20(6)). In practice such certification creates professional accountability under licensing regimes referenced indirectly by the Surveying Act 2004 and the Surveying (Cadastral Surveys) Regulations. Professional disciplinary mechanisms and civil liability could attach to false certification, although the Regulations do not set out those sanctions themselves.

What these Regulations do not do:

• They do not specify fines, criminal offences, or specific penalty amounts within the text of the Regulations. Any formal sanctions for non‑compliance, including prosecution, monetary penalties or disciplinary action, must therefore derive from the Survey Co‑ordination Act 1958, the Surveying Act 2004, the Transfer of Land Act 1958, or other professional and statutory regimes, not from these Regulations directly.
• They do not create explicit administrative review or appeal mechanisms within the text; recourse would be as provided elsewhere in law or via general administrative law remedies.

Implementation and compliance enforcement risk:

• The instrument creates a concentration of gatekeeping power in the Surveyor‑General around registration, plan form requirements and approval of alternate monument types (regs 6(b)(ii), 10(1), 17(2), 11(b)-(c)). Where the Surveyor‑General exercises discretion inconsistently or with delay, practical enforcement will be through refusal to accept or register plans and marks rather than monetary penalties contained in the Regulation.
• The professional certification requirement (reg 20(6)) shifts a compliance burden to individual licensed surveyors and may invite professional‑liability claims or disciplinary action under related acts if inaccurate plans are lodged.

In short, these Regulations create binding technical duties and administrative gatekeeping that are enforced via registration and professional accountability mechanisms rather than by explicit pecuniary penalties contained in the Regulations themselves.

The Regulations are designed to operate within an existing statutory and technical matrix. They are made under the Survey Co‑ordination Act 1958 (reg 2) and repeatedly cross‑reference or adopt rules from related statutes and technical instruments. Interaction points are technical (datums and manuals), administrative (registration with Central Plan Office and transfer of land processes) and professional (licensing and cadastral surveying standards).

Principal statutory cross‑references:

• Survey Co‑ordination Act 1958: The Regulations are made under s 22 of that Act (reg 2) and incorporate procedures required by the Act for notices of intention to commence surveys (reg 12 refers to s 5 of the Act), registration of plans and marks (reg 10 refers to registration), and the Central Plan Register (reg 22 refers to s 8(1) of the Act).
• Surveying Act 2004: Definitions and certain obligations rely on the Surveying Act 2004 and the Surveyor‑General’s office created under s 40 of that Act (reg 5 definitions). The Regulations adopt the Surveying Act’s definition of cadastral survey and survey control network, aligning measurement, verification and registration processes with cadastral law.
• Transfer of Land Act 1958: The definition of Registrar is drawn from the Transfer of Land Act 1958 (reg 5), thereby linking these Regulations to property title processes. Plans lodged with the Registrar are subject to the form, signing and connection requirements in regs 15 and 17-20.
• Surveying (Cadastral Surveys) Regulations 2015: The Regulations refer to standards required by regulation 7 of the Surveying (Cadastral Surveys) Regulations for precision and accuracy, and require equipment capable of achieving those precision levels (reg 14). Reg 21(1)(a) adopts the standards required by that instrument as part of the measurement standards applicable under s 6(3) of the Act.

Technical and incorporated documents:

• The Regulations incorporate the National Measurement (Recognized‑Value Standard of Measurement of Position) Determination 2017 and the Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping Technical Manual, version 1.7 (Endnotes, Table of Applied, Adopted or Incorporated Matter). These documents are applied for definitions of GDA2020, MGA2020 and mapping/projection best practice (reg 5, reg 18(1)(d), Schedule 2). Practically this means compliance requires observance of federal determinations and interstate technical manuals as part of state survey regulation.

Geographic names and datum interplay:

• Plans that include place names must use the current geographic name in the Register of Geographic Names under the Geographic Place Names Act 1998 (regs 18(1)(e), 19(b)). Vertical datum references use AHD71, which is defined in reg 5 and linked to a 1971 adjustment technical report adopted in the Endnotes. Horizontal datums and projections are mandated to GDA2020 and MGA2020 (reg 5 definitions and reg 13).

Administrative law and subordinate legislation:

• The endnotes state the Regulations were made on 14 May 2024 and will sunset 10 years after making under the Subordinate Legislation Act 1994 (Endnotes, item 1). The style and interpretative rules for statutory rules noted in the Endnotes incorporate provisions of the Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984, which affects how headings, diagrams, examples, and punctuation are treated (Endnotes, Interpretation section).

Professional and liability regimes:

• The Regulations impose certification duties and technical standards that will interact with licensing and professional conduct rules under the Surveying Act 2004 and with civil liability doctrines for inaccurate surveys or negligent certification. The Regulations do not themselves describe disciplinary tools, but their requirements feed into those separate regimes through references to licensed surveyors and cadastral standards (regs 5, 20, 21).

Taken together, compliance requires attention to a layered set of instruments: these Regulations for process and documentation, the Survey Co‑ordination Act for enforcement and registration mechanics, the Surveying Act and Surveying (Cadastral Surveys) Regulations for technical precision and licensing, the Transfer of Land Act for land registration consequences, and the federal determinations and technical manuals for datum and mapping standards.

The Regulations expressly revoke previous subordinate instruments and record the legislative provenance and sunset timing in the Endnotes. Key points that document amendment history and the instrument’s status are:

Revocations and replacement:

• Regulation 4 revokes the Survey Co‑ordination Regulations 2014 and its 2015 and 2018 amending instruments (reg 4(a)-(c)). The Endnotes reiterate that S.R. No. 31/2024 was made on 14 May 2024 and came into operation on 19 May 2024 (Endnotes item 1). This instrument therefore replaces the earlier regulatory framework.

Table of Amendments:

• The Regulations’ endnotes include a "Table of Amendments" section indicating that there are no amendments made to the Survey Co‑ordination Regulations 2024 by subsequent statutory rules, subordinate instruments or Acts (Endnotes, Table of Amendments). As of the version date (19 May 2024) no post‑enactment amendments are recorded.

Sunset and lifecycle:

• The endnotes record that the Regulations will sunset 10 years after the day of making on 14 May 2034, in accordance with the Subordinate Legislation Act 1994 (Endnotes, item 1). That fixed sunset date imposes a statutory lifecycle on the instrument unless a subsequent rule extends or replaces it.

Incorporation and applied documents:

• The Explanatory details include a "Table of Applied, Adopted or Incorporated Matter" listing the external documents adopted by reference. These include:
  • Roelse et al., 1971 "The adjustment of the Australian levelling survey 1970-1971" for AHD71 (Endnotes table).
  • National Measurement (Recognized‑Value Standard of Measurement of Position) Determination 2017 for definitions of GDA2020 and MGA2020 (Endnotes table).
  • Technical Manual published by the Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping, version 1.7 dated 26 October 2021, applied to multiple regulations including references to MGA2020 and schedule 2 (Endnotes table). This table specifies that whole documents are applied, adopted or incorporated.

Stylistic and interpretative amendments:

• The Endnotes explain style changes and interpretative consequences under the Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984 (ILA), including how headings, diagrams, punctuation and provision numbers form part of the Statutory Rule where made after 1 January 2001 (Endnotes, Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984 section). Those are not substantive amendments to operational requirements but affect how the instrument should be read and how inserted subregulations are numbered.

Practical effect:

• Practitioners must treat this 2024 instrument as the operative regulatory standard for survey co‑ordination in place of the 2014/2015/2018 rules. Where compliance references older forms or processes, the 2024 text and its incorporated technical documents now supply the operative requirements.

No recorded subsequent amendments means the text and schedules provided are the baseline for planning regulatory compliance and for any administrative processes tied to the Central Plan Register or Surveyor‑General approvals until the instrument is amended or remade.

The Regulations and accompanying Endnotes do not record any litigation history. The instrument contains no references to judicial decisions, case law or any litigation that has interpreted its provisions. The endnotes and Table of Amendments make no mention of court challenges or determinations relating to the 2024 Regulations.

Implications for practitioners:

• There is no recorded case law interpreting specific obligations in these Regulations. Where disputes arise about construction, compliance or the exercise of administrative discretion by the Surveyor‑General (for example, approval of alternate permanent mark types, or decisions about whether a replacement mark must be established under reg 11), practitioners will need to rely on the text of the Regulations, the Survey Co‑ordination Act 1958 and related instruments, and general administrative law principles until litigation yields interpretive guidance.
• Because the Regulations interact with other statutory regimes,particularly the Surveying Act 2004 and the Transfer of Land Act 1958,challenges may involve multiple statutory frameworks. Any future litigation that does occur is likely to raise questions about professional certification duties (reg 20(6)), the scope of the Surveyor‑General’s discretion (regs 6, 10, 11, 17) and the interplay between registration procedures and cadastral registration.

Absent authoritative judicial interpretation, practitioners should assume a conservative approach to compliance, document decisions made under Surveyor‑General direction, and preserve administrative review rights and records that could support an appeal or judicial review if administrative decisions materially affect survey or property interests.

The Regulations contain several technical requirements and procedural traps that can have practical cost or timing consequences if overlooked.

60‑day deadlines: Sketch plans for a newly established permanent mark or for locating an existing unregistered permanent mark must be forwarded to the Central Plan Office within 60 days (reg 8(1)(b)-(2)(b)). Supplementary sketch plans after obtaining additional connections also have a 60‑day deadline (reg 9(1)). Failure to meet these deadlines could interrupt registration (reg 10) or result in administrative refusal of later-dependent processes.

Registration sequencing: A surveyor or proper officer must apply for a permanent mark registration number prior to lodging a sketch plan (reg 10(2)(a)). Lodging a sketch plan without obtaining the registration number first risks non‑compliance and may require re‑submission.

Datum and zone specificity: The Regulations mandate GDA2020/MGA2020 and explicitly allocate MGA2020 zones by parish in Schedule 2 (reg 13(1)-(2)). The Schedule contains exceptions and fragmented parish allocations. Using the wrong MGA zone or failing to observe the Schedule’s parish mappings will lead to orientation errors and acceptance issues for plans, particularly for cadastral registration.

GNSS vs terrestrial connection requirements: Conventional terrestrial surveys have numerical constraints for connecting to the survey control network (reg 16(1)(a)(iii)), including a general 500 metre radius rule and the instrument‑point limitation (no more than three instrument points from each control mark). If connections within those parameters are not practicable, the Surveyor‑General may require alternative processes (reg 16(2)-(3)). GNSS surveys require direct connection to at least one network mark that is the closest suitable for GNSS observation (reg 16(3)). Misreading these distinctions can cause rework.

Verification and independent checks: A survey connecting to a permanent mark must include at least one independent verifying check measurement unless it is a closed traverse (reg 15(1)(b)). Practically this means surveyors must budget time and equipment to perform verifying checks and to retain field notes showing these checks for lodgement and for certification (reg 21(2)).

Box‑cover and marker post details: Box‑cover base must not be less than 50 millimetres above the top of the permanent mark and the top flush with the ground (reg 7(3)(c)). Marker posts must be at least 300 millimetres from the mark’s centre and independent of the medium in which the mark is set (reg 7(4)). These are prescriptive physical dimensions; non‑compliance may render a mark non‑conforming.

Plan versioning and sheet numbering: Standard and electronic plans must contain a new version number each time amended (regs 18(1)(g), 19(a)). Multi‑sheet standard plans have specific sheet numbering requirements including "Sheet 1 of [total]" on the first sheet (reg 18(2)). Failure to follow versioning and sheet numbering protocols can complicate plan management and acceptance.

Certification liability: The person who signs or authorises a plan certifies that the plan and any related survey is accurate (reg 20(6)). That creates a professional certification exposure; practitioners should ensure internal quality control aligns with the Surveying (Cadastral Surveys) Regulations referenced in reg 21(1)(a).

Applied external documents: The Regulations incorporate external technical documents and national determinations (Endnotes, Table of Applied, Adopted or Incorporated Matter). Practitioners must obtain and apply those documents when interpreting datum conversion, network mark verification or precision standards. Ignoring those incorporated materials is not a defence.

Central Plan Register scope: The Central Plan Register must show particulars of each plan forwarded under s 7 of the Act and the location of any plan recorded under s 8(1) (reg 22). Ensure that records forwarded meet the minimal content so they will be recorded correctly; incomplete or mislabelled submissions risk administrative return.

No express penalties in the Regulation text: Because the Regulations do not specify penalties, enforcement will be by action under the Act or associated statutes. Practitioners may underestimate the impact of non‑registration or non‑acceptance, which can delay land transactions or approvals.

Survey control network distance rules: Conventional terrestrial surveys connecting directly to two or more control marks must ensure the marks are at least 200 metres apart (reg 16(1)(a)(ii)). The 200 metre requirement interacts with the 500 metre radius rule and instrument point constraints. Practical navigation of these geometric rules is nontrivial in urban or constrained sites.

Schedule complexities: Schedule 2 contains a long table assigning MGA2020 zones by parish and county with exceptions and embedded interrupted rows. Errors in reading or transcribing these allocations can produce orientation mistakes.

Compliance requires procedural checklists, technical conformance and administrative sequencing. Below is a practical, stepwise blueprint, with statutory references, designed for survey firms, departmental proper officers and licensed surveyors.

1. Pre‑survey administrative steps

• Determine whether the survey is a cadastral survey under the Surveying Act 2004 (reg 5 definition) and whether it will be lodged with the Registrar or the Surveyor‑General. This determines signing and plan requirements (regs 17-20).
• If establishing a permanent mark, apply for a parish name and registration number from the Surveyor‑General before lodging any sketch plan (reg 10(2)(a)). Keep written proof of application.

2. Equipment and datum preparation

• Ensure survey equipment has been compared to an appropriate standard of measurement and records length in metres and angles in degrees, minutes and seconds (reg 14(a)). Ensure capability to meet precision required by reg 7 of the Surveying (Cadastral Surveys) Regulations, which reg 21(1)(a) adopts.
• Set horizontal reference to GDA2020/MGA2020 and determine the correct MGA2020 zone using Schedule 2 for the parish area concerned (reg 13(1)-(2); reg 5 definitions). For vertical work, adopt AHD71 as applicable (reg 5).

3. Permanent mark establishment

• Construct permanent marks of durable, permanent and stable materials and in the form listed in Schedule 1 or as authorised by the Surveyor‑General (reg 6). Where a box‑cover is used, ensure the cover top is flush with the ground and the base is not less than 50 mm above the top of the permanent mark (reg 7(3)(c)). Place marker posts vertically and at least 300 mm from the mark centre and independent of the mark medium (reg 7(4)).
• For surveys 1000 metres or longer, place marks so that no two are more than 1000 metres apart unless approved by the Surveyor‑General (reg 7(5)).

4. Sketch plan creation and lodgement

• Prepare a separate sketch plan for each new or located existing permanent mark that is not registered, ensuring the plan meets the precise content requirements of reg 8(3)(a)-(h): certification statement, connections to features, cadastral boundaries as broken lines unless verified, connection to nearest property boundary or named street, MGA2020 Easting/Northing and zone, marker post/box‑cover indication, parish name and registration number, and legibility for reproduction.
• Lodge the sketch plan with the Central Plan Office within 60 days of establishing or locating the permanent mark (reg 8(1)(b), (2)(b)). If additional connections are obtained later, prepare and forward a supplementary sketch plan within 60 days (reg 9(1)).

5. Survey connections and verification

• When connecting to permanent marks, follow the Surveying (Cadastral Surveys) Regulations standards as adopted in reg 15(1)(a) and include at least one independent verifying check measurement unless the survey is a closed traverse (reg 15(1)(b)). Document verifying checks in field notes.
• For surveys to be lodged with the Registrar or Surveyor‑General that connect to two or more permanent marks, ensure connections are sufficient to determine bearing and distance and record appropriate bearings and distances in field notes and on the plan (reg 15(2)).
• For connections to the survey control network, confirm whether the Surveyor‑General requires direct connection. For conventional terrestrial surveys, connect to at least two properly verified network marks at least 200 metres apart and generally within a 500 metre radius, or ensure compliance with the instrument‑point rule (no more than three instrument points from each control mark) (reg 16(1)(a)(ii)-(iii)). If impracticable, follow reg 16(2) or consult the Surveyor‑General for direction (reg 16(2)-(3)).
• For GNSS surveys, directly connect to at least one properly verified network mark that is closest and suitable for GNSS observation (reg 16(3)). Record network mark verification status in field notes.

6. Plan preparation and signing

• Choose plan form: standard plan (paper or paper representation) or electronic plan (reg 17(1)). Confirm whether the Surveyor‑General requires specific forms (reg 17(2)).
• For standard plans, meet the graphic, orientation and trimmed sheet size rules in reg 18 and Schedule 3. Display a north point based on MGA2020 Zone 54 or 55 where applicable, include scale bar and representative ratio, conform to MGA2020/AHD71 mapping systems where practicable, use the current geographic place name when a place is shown (reg 18(1)(b)-(e)), and include plan and version numbers (reg 18(1)(g)-(h)). For multi‑sheet plans follow sheet numbering requirements (reg 18(2)).
• For electronic plans, include version and plan numbers and current geographic names where applicable (reg 19).
• Sign plans in accordance with reg 20: the first sheet of a standard plan is signed and dated by the surveyor who carried out or superintended the survey (reg 20(1)); licensed surveyors sign sheets where the plan is based on a cadastral survey (reg 20(2)(a)); the Surveyor‑General signs where appropriate (reg 20(2)(b)). Electronic signatures and authorisations are permitted (reg 20(4)-(5)). Signing certifies accuracy (reg 20(6)).

7. Classification and documentation

• Certify accuracy or classification of survey plan and field notes (reg 21(2)). Departments and public authorities must indicate classification according to Schedule 4 using double letter for graphical precision and numeral for contour precision (reg 21(3)).
• Maintain field notes and verification records to demonstrate compliance with the Surveying (Cadastral Surveys) Regulations adopted via reg 21(1)(a).

8. Registration and Central Plan Register submission

• Ensure the Surveyor‑General assigns parish name and registration number and formally registers each permanent mark at the Central Plan Office (reg 10(1)). Include the parish name and registration number on sketch and supplementary sketch plans (reg 10(2)(b)).
• When lodging plans or sketch plans, confirm that the Central Plan Register will receive required particulars under reg 22: particulars of each plan or survey forwarded under section 7 of the Act and the location of any plan recorded under s 8(1) of the Act.

9. Removal and replacement procedures

• If removal of a permanent mark is necessary under section 16 of the Act, wherever practicable notify the Surveyor‑General before removal (reg 11(a)). If required, relate the mark horizontally and vertically to adjacent monuments before removal and ensure connections meet the precision standard used to establish the mark (reg 11(b)(i)-(ii)).
• If required by the Surveyor‑General, establish a replacement mark in accordance with reg 6 and prepare a sketch plan for the replacement mark under reg 8 (reg 11(c)). If a replacement is not established, notify the Surveyor‑General within 60 days after removal, giving particulars of the relationship between the removed mark and nearby marks (reg 11(d)). If a replacement is established, provide particulars within 60 days after replacement (reg 11(e)).

10. Record keeping and quality control

• Maintain versioned plans and change logs: every plan amendment must update the version number (regs 18(1)(g), 19(a)). Keep copies of all submissions to the Central Plan Office and correspondence with the Surveyor‑General, including registration number applications and approvals.
• Implement internal quality assurance to ensure that the signatory surveyor can certify accuracy under reg 20(6). Document independent verifying checks and control network connections for audit.

11. Consultations and Dispute avoidance

• Engage with the Surveyor‑General early where alternative mark types are necessary, where control network connections are impracticable within the stated distances, or where plan forms may deviate from standard expectations (regs 6(b)(ii), 16(2), 17(2), 11(b)-(c)).

By following this sequence and documenting each step with reference to the relevant regulation numbers, practitioners can reduce operational risk, avoid submissions being returned, and ensure plans and permanent marks are accepted into the Central Plan Register and usable for cadastral and land administration purposes.