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S+SNZ Planning & Resource Management study materials
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S+SNZ Planning & Resource Management: Surveying and Spatial Information in Planning

S+SNZ Planning & Resource Management · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

All guide sections

Surveying and Spatial Information in Planning

Scope

This domain tests the cadastral survey and spatial information system that underpins planning. Expect the Cadastral Survey Act 2002, the role of the Surveyor-General, the Cadastral Survey Rules 2021, Landonline, the cadastral survey dataset (CSD), geodesy and the use of GIS in plan analysis.

Core rules

  • The Cadastral Survey Act 2002 provides for the Surveyor-General to set standards for cadastral surveys and to maintain the cadastral survey dataset. Cadastral surveys must comply with the Cadastral Survey Rules 2021.
  • The CSD is the authoritative record of parcel boundaries. A survey plan approved and deposited under the RMA subdivision process (including the s 223 approval and s 224 certificate) creates the new parcels.
  • Spatial data used in planning includes NZGD2000 (geodetic datum), NZTM2000 (map projection), parcel IDs, zoning maps and hazard overlays. GIS is an analytical and communication tool, not the legal record of a boundary.
  • Surveyors must record survey methods, accuracies and any discrepancies in a survey report. Planning officers should check that mapping aligns with the CSD before relying on it.

Worked example

A planner is assessing a subdivision application where the GIS parcel boundary appears to cut through an existing building. The planner checks the CSD and the survey plan. The deposited survey plan, not the GIS line, defines the legal boundary. If the plan shows the building is clear, the consent can proceed subject to the usual conditions. If the survey report identifies an unresolved boundary discrepancy, the planner should seek clarification before recommending approval.

Traps

Treating a GIS or aerial image boundary as cadastral evidence; confusing the geodetic datum with the map projection; assuming council planning maps are survey-accurate; and ignoring survey accuracies or a survey report's caveats.