Placement of marks

Permanent marks

See cls.41 and 42 Surveying Regulation, 2006

Urban subdivision surveys

A survey in an urban area must be connected by measurement to at least 2 permanent survey marks and, for land having an area of more than 10 hectares, to at least 2 additional permanent survey marks for each extra 10 hectares or part thereof. These marks must be placed within 300 metres of the survey. If there are two established permanent survey marks within that distance, connections to those marks must be used in preference to non-established permanent survey marks even if the latter are closer to the survey.

Further, a survey that creates or redefines parcels must relate to, within 300 metres, no less than:

  • 1 to 10 parcels - 2 permanent survey marks
  • 11 to 20 parcels - 3 permanent survey marks
  • more than 20 parcels - 4 permanent survey marks (plus 1 mark for every 20 parcels or part thereof over 40 parcels)

Note  A maximum of two of the permanent survey marks referred to above may be included in this total.

Rural subdivision surveys

A survey in a rural area must be connected by measurement to at least 2 permanent survey marks and, for land having an area of more than 10 hectares, to at least 2 additional permanent survey marks for each extra 100 hectares (or part thereof). These marks must be placed within 1000 metres of the survey. If there are two established permanent survey marks within that distance, connections to those marks must be used in preference to non-established permanent survey marks even if the latter are closer to the survey.

Note  In large rural subdivisions the above clause might necessitate the placement of ten or more permanent survey marks. As this might be impractical in the field in some instances, the Surveyor General has approved an exemption from these requirements. In any such situation a surveyor may claim an automatic exemption by adding to the plan "Clause 43 Exemption Policy" after the surveyor's reference. This exemption applies to the requirements of Clause 43 only.

Further, a survey that creates or redefines parcels must relate to, within 1000 metres, no less than:

  • 1 to 10 parcels - 2 permanent survey marks
  • 11 to 20 parcels - 3 permanent survey marks
  • more than 20 parcels - 4 permanent survey marks (plus 1 mark for every 20 parcels or part thereof over 40 parcels)

Note  A maximum of two of the permanent survey marks referred to in paragraph 1 may be included in this total.

New and existing roads

A survey for new road or redefining road frontage must have 2 or more permanent survey marks for every 1,000 metre interval (urban surveys) or 2,000 metre interval (rural surveys) see cl.42(2) Surveying Regulation 2006.

Generally

A permanent survey mark must:

  • be so located as to be suitable for an orientation of the survey and for redefinition of the survey
  • be so located at road junctions, road intersections, road angles or crests of hills as to be visible between other permanent survey marks without obstruction, and to be suitable for subsequent inclusion in the State Control Survey, and
  • be identified in location by a sketch plan of approved standard lodged in the LPM Authority prior to the plan.

Measurements between all permanent marks found or placed, and connections to the survey, must be proved by closed survey see cl.42 Surveying Regulation, 2006.

Note  For the placement of Permanent Survey Marks in plans for easement purposes only see information below.

Reference marks

See cls. 28 and 29 Surveying Regulation, 2006.

For an urban survey the surveyor must show at least 2 reference marks at suitable locations in relation to the land being surveyed see cl.28(2) Surveying Regulation, 2006.

For a rural survey the surveyor must connect or place and connect to at least 2 reference marks for each parcel and where a boundary (other than road frontage) exceeds 2,400 metres the surveyor must place additional reference marks at intervals of not more than 1,500 metres see cl.29(3) and (5) Surveying Regulation, 2006.

All reference marks must be placed within 30 metres of the point they are referencing.

Note  A Permanent Mark (PM, SSM etc.) may also be used as one of the required Reference Marks. As well as depicting the location of the Permanent Mark, the plan should indicate the usual "double circle" symbol at the corner relevant to the Reference Mark together with an appropriate connection eg:

 "RM SSM 10° 20' 30" - 2.35"

Frontage to existing roads

Where an urban survey abuts a road a reference mark must be shown at each extremity and at intervals of not more than 100 metres throughout the survey where there are intervening side boundaries see cl.28(1) Surveying Regulation, 2006. However, the placement of a reference mark at the extremity of the parcel is not required where some other reference mark is already placed within 10 metres of that extremity and that reference mark is referenced on the new plan to that extremity.

If the survey is a rural survey, reference marks must be placed so as to refer to the terminals of the road surveyed, to each junction or intersection of any roads and in pairs suitable for orientation purposes throughout the whole length of the road in selected positions so that the maximum distance between any 2 successive reference marks does not exceed 1,000 metres see cl.31(5) and (6) Surveying Regulation, 2006.

Note  For information on the requirements of placing new reference marks in a new road, see Reference for new roads page.

Easements

Permanent marks

A survey for the purpose of creating an easement must have 2 or more permanent survey marks for each interval of 2,000 metres (urban surveys) or 4,000 metres (rural surveys) see cl.42(3) Surveying Regulation, 2006.

Connections to parcel boundaries

If the survey is carried out for the purpose of defining an easement or restriction on user the site must be connected to relevant monuments and where the easement or restriction intersects or terminates on a parcel boundary the survey plan must show connections from the easement or restriction to the nearest corner of that boundary see cl.18(1) and (2) Surveying Regulation 2006.

Reference marks

A survey for easement or restriction on use purposes must have at least one reference mark and where the easement or restriction exceeds 200 metres each terminal must be connected to a reference mark. In addition the survey must have reference marks at intervals not exceeding 500 metres (for urban surveys) or 1,000 metres (for rural surveys) see cl.18(3) Surveying Regulation 2006.

For easements over existing line of pipes, underground or within buildings, it is only necessary to show the approximate position see cl.18(4) Surveying Regulation 2006.