SURVEYOR-GENERAL'S DIRECTION NUMBER 2

ISSUED PURSUANT TO REGULATION 27 OF THE SURVEY ACT 1992

SURVEY MARKS

1. Application of this Direction

Pursuant to Regulations 13,14 and 15 of the Survey Act 1992, this Direction details the requirements of the Surveyor-General in relation to permanent and State survey marks, reference marks and pegs.

2. Definitions

Adelaide Hills means the area defined by GRO Plan 180 of 1992 (Mount Lofty Ranges Review)

Commercial means an area designated primarily for shopping, commercial or business use in the Development Plan under the Development Act 1993, or land actually or intended to be used for such purposes.

Horticultural Area means a rural area, outside the Adelaide Hills where the primary land use activity is for horticultural purposes.

Rural means an area of land not within an urban area or a commercial area.

Urban means an area of land that includes an allotment or lot that is one half of a hectare or less in area or has a boundary with such an allotment or lot but excludes commercial areas.

"MGA" means the Map Grid of Australia 1994 specified in the GDA Technical Manual of the Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying & Mapping.

3. Permanent Survey Marks

The following types of survey mark have been gazetted as permanent survey marks pursuant to Section 49(3) Survey Act 1992:

1. a below ground permanent survey mark being a brass plaque inscribed survey mark or a steel rod measuring at least 300 millimetres in length and 10 millimetres in diameter set in a concrete block measuring at least 150 millimetres square at the top, 250 millimetres square at the base and 300 millimetres in depth.

2. an above ground permanent survey mark being a brass plaque inscribed survey mark or a metal rod set in a concrete pillar firmly secured in the ground.

Brass 'survey mark' plaques will be provided by the Surveyor-General and shall be used on all permanent survey marks.

Permanent survey marks (previously referred to as Network Permanent Survey Marks) shall be identified by the symbol:

4. State Survey Marks

State survey marks are marks constructed to the specifications set for below ground permanent survey marks. These marks are not included in the network of marks established by the Surveyor-General pursuant to Section 49(1)(a) of the Survey Act 1992 (ie the Tertiary Network).

Brass "survey mark" plaques will be provided by the Surveyor-General and shall be used on all State survey marks.

State survey marks shall be identified by the symbol:

5. Placing and Accepting Survey Marks

All permanent and State survey marks that are likely to effect the redefinition of boundaries in a survey must be located during the course of a survey. In addition, the following provisions must be met:

5.1 Permanent Survey marks

Surveys within tertiary network areas must connect to at least two permanent survey marks and one other survey mark for which the MGA coordinates (to 4th order or better) are known. (Note that Regulation 22 requires that in designated survey areas the other mark must be a permanent or State survey mark.)

New permanent survey marks shall not be placed in DSAs numbered up to 500 without the prior approval of the Surveyor-General. In DSAs 500 onward new PSMs must be placed to satisfy the above requirement for a minimum of 3 PSMs. New PSMs must also be placed to satisfy spacing requirements as for 5.2.1 below.

5.2 State Survey Marks

5.2.1 Surveys for Boundary Reinstatement and Division Creating 5 or Less Allotments/Lots

Sufficient State survey marks are required on a survey to ensure that all redefined boundaries can be readily reinstated by future surveyors. As a minimum, two State survey marks situated to provide overall control for the survey are required.

The spacing of State survey marks shall be relevant to both the street pattern and land use, the maximum spacing between adjacent marks being:

urban & commercial areas 250m

hills and horticultural areas 1000m

rural areas 2000m

However, for urban and commercial areas where the distance between road intersections or bends exceeds these limits they can be extended to the next road intersection or bend, however a 450m spacing shall not be exceeded.

Where outside urban or commercial areas the distance between road intersections or bends, or intersections of cadastral and road boundaries exceed these limits they can be extended to the next road intersection, bend or intersection of cadastral and road boundaries, however the following limits shall not be exceeded:

hills and horticultural areas 1500m

rural areas 3000m

State survey marks shall be generally placed in Roads or Reserves. On large rural surveys they shall also be placed at suitable positions near internal boundaries. The maximum spacing between adjacent State survey marks on internal boundaries shall be 1500 metres for the Adelaide Hills and Horticultural areas and 3000 metres for other rural areas.

A PSM location plan prepared on sheets provided by the Surveyor-General shall be supplied for every State survey mark placed on the survey.

Both permanent and State survey marks shall be identified by the abbreviation `PSM'.

5.2.2 Surveys for Divisions Creating More Than 5 Allotments/Lots

On plans of division creating more than 5 allotments or lots, the Surveyor-General shall advise the surveyor carrying out the division of the location of the State survey marks required following receipt of the proposal plan.

The State survey marks required by the Surveyor-General shall not be placed until the completion of works for the provision of roads, drains and other services in association with the division of land.

All State survey marks placed shall be covered with a cast iron cover suitably supported by a 195 millimetre diameter PVC pipe or brick obtained from the Surveyor-General.

All State survey marks placed shall be witnessed by a steel dropper encased in a PVC sleeve. An appropriately marked PSM witness plate shall be fixed to the sleeve.

A PSM location plan prepared on sheets provided by the Surveyor-General shall be supplied for every State survey mark placed on the survey.

5.2.3 Surveys in Tertiary Network Areas and Designated Survey Areas

State survey marks shall not be placed in Tertiary Network Areas or Designated Survey Areas without the approval of the Surveyor-General.

5.3 Protecting State survey marks

In all areas State survey marks should be placed in safe locations where they are least likely to be disturbed.

All State survey marks placed shall be set at least 200 mm below ground level to allow encasement in urban areas and to reduce the risk of being disturbed in other areas.

In rural areas State survey marks shall be witnessed by a steel dropper or a permapine post with a PSM witness plate attached. Witness droppers and posts should be placed so that they protect the mark and are in safe locations.

5.4 Coordination of new Permanent Survey Marks

The surveyor placing new permanent survey marks in DSA's shall provide the Surveyor-General with sufficient measurements to allow the MGA coordinates of the marks to be determined. This shall be undertaken in accordance with Section 5 of the Cadastral Survey Guidelines.

5.5 Reference Marks Outside DSAs

Sufficient reference marks shall be placed or connected to on both certified and identification surveys to facilitate future reinstatement of the boundaries.

The reference marking requirements are detailed in Section 14 of the Cadastral Survey Guidelines.

5.6 Survey Pegs

While it is necessary to mark every new boundary point defined on a cadastral survey with a survey peg (or if that is not practical, an alternative type of mark) it is not necessary to mark existing boundaries redefined.

Every boundary established on a survey for an application pursuant to Part VII A of the Real Property Act 1886 shall be marked with a survey peg, or if that is not possible an alternative mark.

Where a peg or alternative mark marking a boundary is not visible from an adjacent peg or alternative mark, survey pegs (or if that is not practical alternative marks) shall be placed along the boundary so that from any survey mark on the boundary, the adjacent survey marks are visible.

Where a boundary is marked by an alternative mark a note must be placed on the plan indicating the type of alternative mark used.

Boundaries need not be marked if a permanent improvement is situated on or within one metre of the boundary and the relationship between the improvement and the boundary is shown on the plan.

If the survey is for a division of land into more than 5 allotments or lots, the allotment/lot numbers must be placed, in a permanent and durable manner, on the top or face of each peg.

5.7 Additional marking

This Direction prescribes the minimum marking that is required on a cadastral survey. Additional marking shall be made whenever the circumstances of the survey require it.