Services

Surveyors use the term “Identification Surveys” to describe land boundary surveys in which the boundaries of a particular existing land parcel are re-established and marked on the ground.

There are numerous reasons why clients require an identification survey.

• Council has imposed a boundary survey as a condition of approval pertaining to a Development Application. It could be the new shed or extension which is to be built on the boundary or close to it.
• Your builder has advised that the boundaries of your land need to be surveyed and pegs placed before they can commence construction.
• You are erecting a new fence and the boundary position is unknown.
• There is a dispute between yourself and your neighbour over the position of the boundary.
• A new dwelling is being constructed on your common boundary and you are of the opinion they are encroaching on your property. 

The surveyor searches the records of the Lands Titles Office to obtain information relevant to your parcel of land. This will involve the purchase of a copy of the Certificate of Title, survey mark records and relevant survey plans. The cost of these items is normally charged to the client as disbursements. 

The surveyor uses the information and data purchased from the Lands Titles Office to determine the position of your allotment boundaries. The surveyor then takes measurements from the closest, most reliable start points, ascertains the position of the boundaries and marks them accordingly.

The client receives an identification plan which shows boundary dimensions, the position of marks placed and the position of improvements (fences, buildings etc.) in relation to the boundaries.  

Some popular misconceptions
All boundaries are easily defined using permanent survey marks located on every street.
This can certainly be true in relatively new subdivisions where the regulations of the Survey Act require placement of or connection to existing permanent survey marks. However, for older suburbs and country towns and areas where the plans that created the allotments might have been lodged prior to any survey mark requirements. Also many of the survey marks placed by older surveys are no longer in existence. Survey marks are removed by road works, new footpaths and infrastructure placement. Some modern survey marks in old areas are not connected to the boundary cadastre. Not all parcels of land are created by survey plans. It is impossible to create a new allotment without any survey whatsoever. Re-establishment of these boundaries can be extremely difficult.

Boundaries have a unique position.
Modern measurements sometimes disclose differences in boundary dimensions (both angles and distances) from those shown on your Certificate of Title. The true position of your allotment may be the surveyor’s opinion of where the boundaries should be. Another surveyor may have a different opinion.

Once I have my boundaries surveyed they will remain fixed in the same position indefinitely. 
Identification survey plans are not lodged or registered in a database such as the Lands Titles Office. Thus they are not on the public record and other surveyors cannot gain access to this information. Hence another surveyor will have to commence the survey from information they can source. In some cases this later information may affect what the original surveyor did. The only sure way of protecting your boundary definition is to lodge an appropriate plan with the Lands Titles Office. This course of action can be quite expensive and is only recommended in a small number of situations. Your surveyor should be able to advice you accordingly.