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Recommended references

Candidate surveyors should be aware that this list is not complete and is offered as a guide to legislation which affects land surveying in New South Wales.

When completing projects for the Land Surveyors' Assessment Procedures it is the candidate surveyors' responsibility to ensure that they are aware of all legislation affecting that project.

Acts and regulations relating to land surveying in NSW

Candidate surveyors seeking registration as a surveyor permitted to carry out land surveys in New South Wales should possess a sound knowledge of the following:

  • Surveying and Spatial Information Act 2002
  • Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2017
  • Real Property Act 1900 and Regulations
  • Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and Regulations
  • Strata Schemes Development Act 2015
  • Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 and Regulations
  • Community Land Development Act 1989 and Regulations
  • Community Land Development Act 2021
  • Community Land Management Act 1989 and Regulations
  • Community Land Management Act 2021 
  • Local Government Act 1993
  • Conveyancing Act 1919 and Regulations - Sections 7, 45, 45A, 88 & 89, 178, 179, 181A, 181B, 196, 196A, 197, Schedule VIII
  • Crown Land Management Act 2016
  • Coastal Management Act 2016

It would also be advisable to have knowledge of the appropriate clauses of the following:

  • Roads Act 1993
  • Public Works and Procurement Act 1912
  • Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991
  • Encroachment of Buildings Act 1922
  • Pipelines Act 1967 and Regulations
  • Dividing Fences Act 1991
  • Mining Act 1992 and Regulations
  • Land Sales Act 1964

Legislation can be viewed and downloaded from www.legislation.nsw.gov.au, a service provided by the NSW Parliamentary Counsel Office. Legislation can also be downloaded at www.austlii.edu.au the site of the Australian Legal Information Institute (AustLII), which provides free access to Australian legal materials.

Publications with an historical significance

Historical (roads and alignments)

  • NSW Acts of Councils
  • 1833 Act 4 William IV No 11 (Opening of Roads)
  • 1833 Act 4 William IV No 7 (Para XLVIII & XLIX ~ alignment)
  • 1834 Act 5 William IV No 20 (alignment)
  • 1835 Act 6 William IV No 9 (alignment)
  • 1837 Act 8 William IV No 21 (alignment)
  • 1838 Act 2 Victoria No 2 (paras 45 to 48)

Historical (general)

  • Main Roads Act 1924
  • State Roads Act 1986
  • Local Government Act 1919
  • City of Sydney Corporation Act 1879
  • Public Roads Act 1879
  • Public Roads Act 1902
  • Crown and Other Roads Act 1990
  • Strata Schemes (Freehold Development) Act 1973 and Regulations
  • Strata Schemes (Leasehold Development) Act 1986 and Regulations

The documents are available via professional libraries or supervising surveyors.

Reference publications

  • Baalman & Wells on the Practice of Land Titles Office (4th Edition)
  • Notes on Survey Investigation (R. Willis)
  • Helmore on Real Property
  • Integration Survey Manual (Government Printer of Government Information Centre)

The above documents are available through professional libraries.

These documents are available from the Institution of Surveyors NSW Young Surveyors Group.

Board of Surveying and Spatial Information publications

Publications of the Institution of Surveyors of NSW

  • Handbook for Practising Land and Engineering Surveyors (H. Focxall)
  • Legal Aspects of Boundary Surveying as apply in NSW (F. Hallmann) Release 5
  • Definitions of Railway Boundaries in NSW (J. Webber)
  • Identification Surveys: Freehold Title and Torrens Title (J. Weingarth)
  • Boundaries (A. W. Miller)
  • Public Roads in New South Wales (V. Le Gay Brereton)
  • Surveyors and their Professional Liability ~ A Manual of Loss Prevention ~ 2nd Edition (Blume, Gill and Gibbons)
  • Roads (R. W. Ibbotson)

These documents are available from the Institution of Surveyors NSW, Level 4, 162 Goulburn Street, Surry Hills NSW.

Publications of the Institution of Surveyors of Australia

  • Some Aspects of Title Boundary Location in NSW (K. E. Hammer)
  • Boundary Control (F. M. Halmann)
  • Identification Surveys in New South Wales (C. J. L. West) ~ Australia Surveyor

These documents are available from the Institution of Surveyors NSW, Level 4, 162 Goulburn Street, Surry Hills NSW.

Publications of Spatial Services

For Spatial Services publications and other related information see the Spatial Services website.

NSW College of Law

Surveys (Practice Paper BC6)

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