We are reviewing and updating the Standard for the New Zealand Survey Control and its accompanying Guideline, first published in 2009, to ensure the framework remains fit for purpose 15 years on.
The purpose of the standard is to specify the Surveyor-General’s requirements for the maintenance of the national survey control system. This is the system that includes trig stations and the survey marks often found under covers in the pavement.
Significant developments over the past decade and a half, including earthquake recovery, the adoption of NZVD2016, the move to multiGNSS positioning, and increasingly accurate survey technologies, mean the system needs to better reflect current practice and support New Zealand’s geodetic needs for the decade ahead.
What's proposed to change
The Standard and Guideline will be consolidated into a single document, with targeted updates to accuracy frameworks, network definitions, mark densities, and the way datum changes are monitored and published.
The proposed changes aim to provide a clearer and more consistent foundation for New Zealand’s spatial referencing system, support the growing demand for 3D property rights and engineering applications, and enable more efficient maintenance of survey control networks.
We are seeking specific feedback on proposed updates to accuracy standards; network definitions (including the introduction of a 3D Cadastral Control Network to replace Cadastral Horizontal Control Network and Cadastral Vertical Control Network); the approach to deformation monitoring; and the creation of a new Valuable Geodetic Marks category.
Read the consultation document
Make a submission
Please email your feedback by Friday 27 February 2026.