Public Information
“ When seeking advice about Land and Boundaries
Always ask to speak to a Licensed Surveyor as they are the Government appointed Guardians of the Cadastre”
What is a Licensed Surveyor
A Licensed Surveyor is a Surveyor who has met all of the requirements of the Surveyors Board of South Australia and is currently registered and listed in the South Australian Government Gazette. To be a member of this list a Surveyor must have attained a University Degree in Surveying and then fulfilled the minimum two years requirement of practical experience under the guidance of a licensed surveyor as well as have the required minimum of $2000000 in Professional Indemnity Insurance.
Only Licensed Surveyors can undertake Cadastral Surveys and certify cadastral documents lodged with the Lands Titles Office. Therefore it is very important that when seeking advice to do with Cadastral Surveying you make sure that you are speaking to a Licensed Surveyor and not a so called property developer.
To check if a surveyor is licensed or registered in South Australia, a published version of the Register is made available annually in the South Australian Government Gazette or you can pick a member of the Consulting Surveyors of South Australia who have been suitably vetted and follow our Code Of Conduct.
What services does a Surveyor provide?
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Generally surveys fall into one of two Categories, Cadastral and Engineering.
Cadastral surveying is a branch of the surveying profession that is concerned with land management, and more specifically with issues of land ownership, measurement and delineation of property boundaries. Surveys of this type include
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Land Divisions – Torrens Titles, Community Titles and Community Strata Schemes
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Boundary Identification Surveys
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Subdivisions
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Road Opening and Closing Plans
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Easement Plans
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Lease Plans
Engineering surveying is a branch of the profession that that is concerned with the use of the land with respect to design and construction of infrastructure. Surveys of this type include
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Topographic Surveys
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Level and Detail Surveys
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Civil Construction Set Out Surveys
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Structural Set Out Surveys
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Stockpile Volume Surveys
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As constructed Surveys
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Monitoring Surveys
Subdividing your Property
Only a Licensed Surveyor can subdivide your land or development.
A Consulting Licensed Surveyor is an expert in the subdivision process and can assist you with all steps. From the initial assessment and consultation with Council and other involved Authorities to find out what subdivision options are available for your property, to the preparation of the Proposal Plan of Division and lodgement of the application with the State Commission Assessment Panel.
Once all approvals have been received the Licensed Surveyor can then prepare the certified Land Division to identify and mark the position of the boundaries on the ground. The final plan is then prepared as per the Plan Presentation Guidelines outlined in the Manual of Survey Practice. This plan is then uploaded to the State Commission Assessment Panel web site and once all requirements have been met a Certificate of Approval will be issued that will allow the lodgement of the Final Plan with the Lands Titles Office. The plan is then examined and eventually new Certificate of Title will be issued.
This has been an outline of the process and your Consulting Licensed Surveyor will be able to fill you in with a more detailed assessment of the process and costs, as well as the time involved to complete your Land Division.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Surveyor do?
A Surveyor carries out the necessary field work, measurements and calculations to prepare the plans and documentation required for the specific survey requested.
What type of Survey do I need?
A Consulting Surveyor offers many services so when explaining your situation they will be able to determine what sort of survey you require.
In many cases clients have been referred onto a Surveyor by a fellow professional such as an Architect, Building Designer, Solicitor or Conveyancer and already have some idea of what they require.
What type of Boundary Survey do I require?
Buying a property is the most expensive purchase that most people with ever make. Identifying and marking the property boundaries is very important particularly when building, as is being aware of any encroachments that may exist. Property disputes can be a major issue and not easy to rectify. A Licensed Land Surveyor can help you through the process and can explain the difference between an Identification Survey, a Plan for Information Purposes and a Lodged and Approved plan with the Lands Titles Office.
What are the different types of Certificates of Title available?
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TORRENS TITLE
The registered proprietor of a Torrens Title owns the land and all the infrastructure on that land. Parts of the allotment maybe shared with others in the form of easements.
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COMMUNITY TITLE
The ownership of a Community Title is the same as a Torrens Title except some land must be shared with all other Community Lots within the Scheme. The shared portions are Common Property and can be used for driveways, infrastructure, buildings, gardens or other shared uses. Such Common Property is managed and maintained by all Community Title owners within the Community Scheme.
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COMMUNITY STRATA TITLE
Such a Title can only be issued if at least one lot exists above another and Common Property is created in a Community Scheme. This would be the case in a multi-storied building where lots exist above one another. By the physical nature of a multiple storied building, all walls, floors, ground and roof are Common Property.
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STRATA TITLE
Strata Titles can no longer be created. They can only be amended. If the existing Strata Plan consists of all Units being on the ground without being above one another, they can be converted to a Community Title. The advantages of the Community Title over the Strata Title is that the Community Title can give ownership to the buildings, improvements and the land within the Title to the owner of that Title.
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What is a Torrens Title with party wall rights?
Torrens Titles are generally the preferred option of owners. Therefore builders will create smaller totally independent allotments that share adjoining walls. These are called semi-detached dwellings. Reciprocal party wall rights are created on the final plan lodged with the Lands Titles Office to cover this situation. The party wall rights are a type of easement which means that if at a later date one owner decides to demolish their house they are legally not allowed to touch the section of the existing party wall that is on their side of the boundary. This protects the owner of the adjoining property.
How do I find the right Surveyor?
First, make sure the Surveyor is Licensed and qualified to complete the work you require. You can check the list for current Licensed Surveyors or the list of Consulting Surveyors South Australia members. You can then talk to a few Surveyors for some advice or you may have a recommendation from a trusted friend or associate.
Fees for Surveyors
The cost involved to complete a project depends on many variables such as the type of survey, difficulty and extent of the survey, the availability of survey information in the vicinity of the project and the time involved to complete the work. It would be best to talk to your chosen Consulting Surveyor who would be able to a determine the extent of the project and supply either a fixed quote or a price range depending on certain variables and this is generally an obligation free service.
Find a Surveyor