Surveying FAQs

The exact process will depend on the property, the number and type of lots proposed, site constraints and the requirements of the relevant Council. A typical subdivision generally involves the following stages:

1. Preliminary feasibility

The first step is to determine whether the property can realistically be subdivided. This includes reviewing:

• zoning and minimum lot sizes;
• planning scheme and State mapping;
• access and road frontage;
• water, sewerage and stormwater requirements;
• onsite wastewater suitability;
• easements and existing services;
• flooding, bushfire, environmental and agricultural constraints; and
• likely infrastructure charges and development costs.

Professionals to consider: A registered cadastral surveyor, town planner or experienced land-development consultant should generally be consulted first. Early advice may also be required from a civil engineer, wastewater consultant or other specialist where particular constraints are identified. Consulting your Local Council website can also be helpful.

2. Preliminary subdivision design

A concept plan is prepared showing the proposed lots, boundaries, access arrangements and any likely easements. The layout may need to be adjusted to respond to planning requirements, site constraints and the practical provision of infrastructure.

Professionals to consider: A registered cadastral surveyor will generally prepare the proposal plan, with input from a town planner or land-development consultant. A civil engineer may also be needed for access, stormwater, earthworks and servicing advice.

3. Development application

Most subdivisions require a development application for Reconfiguring a Lot to be lodged with the relevant Council. The application will usually include the proposal plan, a planning assessment and any supporting technical reports.

Depending on the property, additional reports may be required for matters such as bushfire hazard, flooding, traffic, ecology, agricultural land, onsite wastewater or stormwater management. Some applications may also require referral to a State agency or public notification.

Professionals to consider: A town planner or experienced development-application consultant will commonly coordinate the application. A cadastral surveyor provides the proposal plan, while specialist consultants prepare any required technical reports.

4. Council assessment

Council assesses the application against the relevant planning scheme and legislation. During this stage, Council may issue an Information Request seeking clarification, amendments or additional reports.

Professionals to consider: The consultant coordinating the development application will usually manage communications with Council and coordinate responses from the surveyor, engineer and other specialists.

5. Development approval

If the application is approved, Council issues a Decision Notice containing the conditions that must be satisfied. These conditions may require infrastructure works, easements, service connections, vegetation management, access construction, payment of infrastructure charges or further approvals.

The approval should be carefully reviewed before progressing, as the conditions can significantly affect the cost and timing of the subdivision.

Professionals to consider: The development-application consultant or Town Planner if engaged will review the conditions. The cadastral surveyor and civil engineer will also usually review the approval. Legal or financial advice may also be appropriate before committing to substantial works.

6. Detailed design and operational works approvals

Where engineering or infrastructure works are required, detailed designs are prepared and any necessary operational works approvals are obtained before construction begins.

Professionals to consider: A Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland—usually a civil engineer—will generally design and certify the required works. Additional input may be needed from surveyors, electrical or hydraulic consultants, wastewater specialists and other technical professionals.

7. Construction and compliance

The required roads, accesses, drainage, earthworks and services are constructed. Inspections, testing, as-constructed surveys and compliance certificates may be required before Council will accept that the approval conditions have been satisfied.

Professionals to consider: Licensed civil contractors undertake the construction. The civil engineer supervises and certifies the engineering components, while a surveyor may provide construction set-out and as-constructed surveys.

8. Final cadastral survey

A final cadastral survey is completed to establish the approved new boundaries. Survey marks are placed and the final survey plan is prepared.

Professionals to consider: This work must be undertaken under the responsibility of a registered cadastral surveyor.

9. Plan sealing

The survey plan and evidence demonstrating compliance with the development approval are submitted to Council for endorsement, commonly known as plan sealing. Council will check that the relevant conditions have been satisfied before endorsing the plan.

Professionals to consider: The plan-sealing submission may be coordinated by the cadastral surveyor, town planner, land-development consultant or civil engineer, depending on the project. Clearances may also be required from utility providers and other authorities.

10. Registration and creation of new titles

Once the survey plan has been endorsed by Council, the plan and associated legal documents are lodged with Titles Queensland. The new lots and titles are formally created when the plan is registered.

Professionals to consider: A solicitor or conveyancer will generally prepare and lodge the titling documents. The cadastral surveyor may need to respond to any survey-plan queries raised during registration.

Not every subdivision will require every type of consultant. A straightforward boundary realignment or small subdivision may involve only a few professionals, while a larger or constrained development may require a broader project team. Obtaining early feasibility advice is the best way to understand the likely process, costs and professional requirements before proceeding.

A registered cadastral surveyor has a central role throughout a subdivision, particularly in relation to the land’s boundaries, dimensions and the preparation of the survey plan. However, a surveyor does not undertake every part of the subdivision process.

The surveyor’s role will generally include:

• researching the property’s title, existing survey plans, easements and boundary information;
• providing advice about the property’s boundaries, dimensions and physical suitability for subdivision;
• preparing the preliminary proposal plan used for the development application;
• working with the town planner, engineer and other consultants to develop a practical subdivision layout;
• reviewing approval conditions that affect boundaries, easements or the final survey plan;
• providing construction set-out or as-constructed surveys where required;
• completing the final cadastral survey;
• establishing and marking the approved new boundaries;
• preparing and signing the final survey plan; and
• assisting with the plan-sealing process and responding to survey-related queries from Council or Titles Queensland.

Certain cadastral work—particularly the determination, marking, creation or alteration of property boundaries—must be undertaken under the responsibility of a registered cadastral surveyor.

The surveyor does not generally:

• prepare or certify civil engineering designs;
• construct roads, drainage, accesses or services;
• prepare specialist reports relating to matters such as flooding, bushfire, ecology, traffic or wastewater;
• determine whether Council will approve the subdivision;
• provide legal advice or determine land ownership disputes; or
• prepare and lodge the legal documentation required to register the new titles.

These responsibilities generally sit with other engaged professionals:

• Town planner or development-application consultant: planning assessment, development application coordination and communication with Council.
• Civil engineer: infrastructure advice, detailed engineering design, operational works applications, inspections and certification.
• Specialist consultants: wastewater, bushfire, flooding, ecology, traffic and other technical assessments.
• Civil contractors: construction of approved roads, drainage, earthworks and services.
• Solicitor or conveyancer: easement and covenant documents, legal advice, registration documents and creation of the new titles.
• Council and Titles Queensland: assessment, approval, plan endorsement and registration.

The surveyor works as part of the broader project team, providing the specialist cadastral and spatial information on which many other stages rely. Depending on their qualifications and the services offered by their practice, a surveyor may also coordinate other components of the development process, but these are separate from the surveyor’s statutory cadastral responsibilities.

A Notice of Encroachment, commonly referred to as an NOE, means that a cadastral survey has identified a building, fence, retaining wall or other improvement that is on, near or across a surveyed property boundary.

Queensland surveyors are required to notify landowners who may be affected when a survey identifies a relevant encroachment or when the reinstated position of a boundary may adversely affect an existing improvement.

The notice is provided as a written record of the survey findings. It is not a letter of demand, does not automatically mean that anyone has deliberately done something wrong and does not, by itself, require the encroachment to be immediately removed.

The encroachment may involve:

• an improvement from your property extending onto adjoining land;
• an adjoining owner’s improvement extending onto your property;
• a fence, wall or other feature that does not follow the surveyed boundary; or
• an improvement that may be adversely affected by the position of the reinstated boundary.

If you receive a Notice of Encroachment, you should:

1. Read the notice and any attached survey plan carefully.
   These documents should identify the relevant boundary and the nature and approximate extent of the encroachment.
2. Contact the issuing surveyor if you need the findings explained.
   The surveyor can explain what was measured, how the boundary was determined and what the survey plan shows.
3. Avoid moving fences, removing structures or commencing work immediately.
   An encroachment can sometimes be resolved by agreement, an easement, a boundary realignment, alteration or removal of the improvement, or another legal arrangement.
4. Seek independent professional advice where necessary.
   A registered cadastral surveyor can provide independent boundary advice. A solicitor experienced in property matters can advise on ownership, responsibility and the available legal options.

A surveyor’s role is to determine and document the boundary and the position of the improvement. The surveyor does not determine legal liability or require either landowner to take a particular course of action.

Do not assume that the fence, building or boundary is incorrectly positioned based solely on Queensland Globe.

Queensland Globe is a valuable general mapping tool, but the cadastral boundary layer and aerial photography are compiled from different sources. They may not align perfectly and are not sufficiently accurate to determine the legal position of a property boundary. An apparent encroachment on the screen may simply be caused by mapping or aerial-image alignment.

Do not move a fence, alter a building or approach your neighbour with an allegation based only on online mapping.

If the location of the boundary matters—for example, before building, replacing a fence, buying or selling property, or resolving a concern with a neighbour—a registered cadastral surveyor should complete an identification survey. The surveyor will examine the relevant plans and historical survey evidence, undertake field measurements and mark or report the boundary’s position.

If the survey confirms an encroachment, we can explain the survey findings. Depending on the circumstances, you may also need advice from your solicitor about the available options.

Property boundaries are legal interests in land, not simply lines produced by GPS or online mapping.

In Queensland, cadastral surveys that define, mark, create or change property boundaries must be carried out under the responsibility of a properly registered cadastral surveyor. This includes identification surveys, boundary reinstatement and subdivision surveys.

A registered cadastral surveyor is qualified to interpret current and historical survey plans, locate and assess survey marks, reconcile conflicting evidence and apply Queensland’s surveying legislation and standards. The surveyor accepts professional responsibility for the survey and must maintain appropriate records.

Using a registered surveyor provides confidence that the work is accurate, legally recognised and suitable for its intended purpose.

A survey involves considerably more than the time spent measuring your property.

Depending on the type of survey, the work may include:

• discussing your requirements and confirming the purpose of the survey;
• obtaining title information and current and historical survey plans;
• researching easements, previous surveys and adjoining boundaries;
• inspecting the site and locating existing survey marks;
• measuring boundaries, buildings, fences, levels or other relevant features;
• completing calculations and assessing the survey evidence;
• placing or reinstating survey marks where required; and
• preparing plans, reports, survey records or documentation for Council or Titles Queensland.

The timeframe depends on the type and complexity of the survey, the size and location of the property, the age and availability of survey records, site access, vegetation, weather and the condition of existing survey marks. Some fieldwork may be completed within a few hours, but the research, calculations and preparation of plans continue after the survey team leaves the site.

When providing a quotation, we will explain the expected scope and likely timeframe. If you are working toward a building, settlement or Council deadline, please let us know as early as possible.

No—not as a general rule.

Survey pegs and other cadastral survey marks provide physical evidence of property boundaries and should not be removed, disturbed or relocated without appropriate advice. Interfering with a survey mark may also be an offence under Queensland legislation.

If we place boundary pegs as part of a survey, they are normally left in position so the boundary can be identified. Building set-out pegs and other temporary markers are also generally left for the builder or contractor who needs them.

Temporary stakes, flagging or markers may sometimes be removed once they are no longer required, but please check with us before removing anything if you are unsure. Never rely on a disturbed or relocated peg to determine a boundary—contact a registered cadastral surveyor if a boundary mark has been damaged or moved.