The role of a Land Surveyor comes down to providing control. That’s not to say that the Land Surveyor is any type of control freak – far from it. The role of Land Surveyors is to provide a recognised and constant legal framework that all other professionals in the property industry [and others] can utilise to control their particular specialised service.
Land surveying is one of the oldest professions in the world. The first land surveys date back nearly 3,000 years, when Egyptian surveyors subdivided the fertile land around the Nile River. The early settlement of Australia also required help from land surveyors. Many famous early explorers, including Burke and Wills, had a surveying background.
Land Surveyors play an integral role in land development, from the planning and re-design of broad acres through to the final construction of roads, utilities, and landscaping. Land Surveyors work on a diverse variety of projects from land subdivision and mining exploration to tunnel building and major construction as well as simple home renovations and new builds. They also give advice and provide concise detailed information to guide the work of Engineers, Architects, Town Planners, and Property Developers. Their role underpins these industries.
WHY IS LAND SURVEYING IMPORTANT?
We depend on Land Surveyors to ensure order in the physical world around us. They are experts in determining land size and measurement. Land Surveyors are the first people on any construction site, measuring and mapping the land. These primary measurements are then used by Architects to understand and make the most of the unique landscape when designing, and by Engineers to plan structures accurately and safely. As such, Land Surveyors ensure, via the accurate services they provide to these professionals, that buildings not only fit with the landscape but are able to be constructed. They provide the tools that enable control.
So, when you realise that the Land Surveyor’s work forms the foundational information upon which many of plans are created to ensure the form and function of projects meet the brief, you then begin to realise the importance of this work.
Why do renovators and developers need their land surveyed?
Accurately understanding the dimension and topography of any site is key to ensuring what you plan to achieve will comply with building guidelines, the town plan, and the end goal of your project. Undertaking a structural renovation or small development project requires a lot of planning to help secure its financial viability. A key part of that is land surveying to ensure that your project is physically possible as well as complies with all relevant codes and zoning.
The other key goal for most, if not all, of these projects is to create new titles that can be sold, leased, mortgaged or that enable various interests to be registered where boundaries are known and clearly marked and have legal standing that is recognised by all.
A licensed surveyor is the only person legally entitled to perform these tasks or undertake a survey to mark the boundaries of your property which is why their role is so important.
