In late 2024 we sought feedback on our proposal to modernise the generation, view and use survey and title plans by replacing the current plans with a digitally visualised version.
Your input helped us reconsider some assumptions and clearly communicated the need to take measured steps toward implementing this substantial change.
Your valued feedback has been analysed and is now available along with our response.
Summary of responses
We received 61 submissions from professional bodies, survey firms, and individual lawyers, conveyancers, surveyors and people connected to these professions.
Most submitters were in support of the proposals. They thought that digitally visualised plans would present opportunities to improve efficiency, increase accuracy and reduce costs to both businesses and clients. However, the surveyor professional bodies also reported that about a third of their members did not support the proposal. This told us that we need to do further work on bringing surveyors, lawyers and conveyancers on the journey to digitisation.
The feedback has been collated under the following five themes:
- Usability and accessibility
- Integrity of the information
- Presentation and layout
- Business impacts
- Workflow processes.
Give it a try
You can still test the prototype developed to help demonstrate digitally visualised plans in action:
The proposal
We proposed to provide a tool to enable survey plan users (for example conveyancers, surveyors and their clients) to digitally view and interact with the data forming the Cadastral Survey Dataset (CSD).
This will remove the need for surveyors to submit diagrams as part of their CSDs.
The tool would not be able to be used for CSDs that already include a static survey plan - that is, all survey plans and CSDs up until the capability is legally introduced. Those plans would remain as the authoritative depiction of the CSD.
We recognise this would be a significant change that will require updates to the Cadastral Survey Rules 2021. Transition arrangements would also need to be in place.
Find out more
Read more about the feedback, the Surveyor-General’s response and next steps
Watch the Digitally Visualised Survey Plans webinar to find out more about the original proposal