AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

SURVEYORS ORDINANCE 1967

Explanatory Memorandum

No. 34 of 1967

	The Minister has approved the making of an Ordinance to provide for a system of registration of land surveyors and the regulation of the practice of land surveying in the Australian Capital Territory.

	Legislation, at present in force in the Australian Capital Territory requiring the licensing of surveyors, is contained in section 13 of the Real Property Ordinance 1925-1963.  Under this section, the Surveyor-General has been authorised by the Attorney-General to grant licences to persons to practise surveying, if the nature of the survey falls within the provisions of the Real Property Ordinance that is, if such surveys would affect the title of any land in the Territory.  However, there are other types of surveys which are outside the scope of the Real Property Ordinance and hence can be carried out by persons not subject to any supervision by the Surveyor-General.  In these circumstances, it is considered that legislation in the Territory should be made to cover all aspects of surveying to conform with that at present in force in all States of Australia.

	The Surveyors Ordinance provides for the constitution of a Surveyors Board, which will be appointed by the Minister, and will comprise of the following five members –

	(a)	The Commonwealth Surveyor-General;
	(b)	two registered surveyors; and
	(c)	two registered surveyors who shall be selected from a panel of three 		nominated by the Institution of Surveyors, Australia, Canberra Division.

The Board will be empowered to – 

	(i)	issue registration certificates to surveyors and cancel such certificates;
	(ii)	conduct examinations of surveyors;
	(iii)	prescribe the scale of fees to be charged by registered surveyors;
	(iv)	enter into reciprocal arrangements with the States and other 			Commonwealth countries with respect to recognition of qualifications 		and status of surveyors.

	Provision is made in the Ordinance for aggrieved persons to appeal to the Supreme Court against decisions of the Board.

        P. N.
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(Minister’s Initials)