Office of the Surveyor-General and Land Information

The Office of the Surveyor‑General and Land Information sits within the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate (EPSDD) and serves as Canberra’s statutory land surveying authority. OSGLI safeguards public confidence in land ownership and spatial data by managing cadastral systems, survey control infrastructure, and geographical information across the ACT.

Key responsibilities:

Custody of cadastral data: Maintains the Spatial Cadastral Database (SCDB) and oversees survey plan examination (X‑plans to Deposited Plans), supporting accurate boundary definitions

Registrar of surveyors: Oversees registration, renewal, and public records of licensed surveyors

Street addressing & roads: Manages the allocation of street addresses and the opening/closing of public roads

Regulatory compliance & standards: Issues Practice Directions, guidelines (e.g. No. 3 & 15), enforces SCDB protocols, and updates methodologies to include GNSS and UAV‑LiDAR practices

The Office ensures integrity, consistency, and transparency within the ACT’s cadastral framework, supporting legal land boundaries, property data, and regulatory compliance.