Boundary and reference marks (SSIR 2024)

For all survey's completed in accordance with the Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2017, please refer to this page.

Marking the survey

All surveys, other than those conducted under section 46 Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024, must be marked, as appropriate, on the ground by bench marks, boundary marks, reference marks and permanent survey marks. The nature of these marks is specified in Schedules 1 to 4 Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024.

NOTE: For permanent survey marks refer to the Permanent survey marks page. For bench marks refer to the Definition of stratum boundaries page.

 

Boundary marks

A boundary mark by definition means a survey mark of the kind referred to in Schedule 2 Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024.

Section 48 and section 49Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024 provides the requirements for placing boundary marks in a survey, as summarised below:

  • if a plan defines parcel boundaries, the corners of those boundaries must be marked with boundary marks unless it is not possible as provided for in section 48(3) and section 63(5)(a) Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024
  • the position of these marks must be shown on the plan of survey by using the symbol shown in Schedule 5 Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024
  • if the mark is a peg as described in Schedule 2 Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024, then no further details are required
  • if the mark is not a peg the surveyor must indicate the nature of the mark. See section 68(1)(b)Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024
  • if it is not possible to place a boundary mark:
    • a reference mark must be placed and a note provided indicating that the corner was not marked and why or
    • if the corner does not have an accessible surface for marking, the corner may be left unmarked and shown by an “obstructed boundary corner” symbol as depicted in Schedule 5 Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024
  • if the corner is liable to be subject to erosion because of a water boundary the mark should be placed on the side boundary, at a safe distance from the corner and the distance to the corner shown on the plan. See section 49 Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024
  • in a rural survey, if a boundary is unfenced, pegs and lockspits must be placed at intervals along the boundary as required by section 48(6)Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024
  • in a rural survey, if a fence post is on the corner and a reference mark is placed the plan should indicate “Fence Post on Corner” and a boundary mark is not required. See section 48(9) Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024

Reference marks

A reference mark by definition means a survey mark of the kind referred to in Schedule 3 Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024.

Section 51(2)Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024 provides that a reference mark must not be referenced to more than 1 point on a plan and the distance from the mark to the referenced point must not be more than 30 metres.

NOTE: Section 51(3)(a)Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024 allows for an urban survey to reference a mark to a second point if  the mark is within 10 metres of the point it is referencing. Section 51(3)(b) Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024 allows for a rural survey to reference a mark to a second point if the mark is within 30 metres of the point it is referencing, and if the land abuts road, the reference mark must reference the same side of the road.

A reference mark: 

  • must be shown on the plan of survey by using the symbol shown in Schedule 5 Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024
  • must be placed in a position where it is unlikely to be disturbed and remote from the point which it references, see section 51(4)(a)Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024
  • must be shown at the corner which it references not at the actual position of the mark. The symbol must be noted with the following details: 
    • the prefix “RM”
    • the nature of the mark e.g. DH&W (Drill Hole and Wing), GIP (Galvanized iron Pipe) etc.
    • the bearing and distance from the mark to the corner
    • the status of the mark e.g. Found, Not Found, Gone, Disturbed, By Me (if the mark has been re-referenced) etc. If the mark has been placed it is not required to show a status and 
    • the plan of origin where applicable. The plan of origin is the plan which placed the mark or a plan that re-referenced the mark
  • If the mark is found or placed at a depth more than 300mm below the existing surface, show the depth in metres.

NOTE: If a permanent survey mark is used as a reference mark the plan should show, in addition to the reference mark symbol at the corner, the actual position of the permanent survey mark using the appropriate symbol from Schedule 5.

Where a reference mark is being used as the terminal of a datum line and is not referenced to a corner, a reference mark symbol must be shown at the position of the mark and noted with the nature of the mark e.g. DH&W, GIP etc. The notation should not include the “RM” prefix.

Urban Surveys

For an urban survey (except a survey to define an affecting interest referred to in section 54 Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024 ) reference marks are required by section 51, 52 and 53Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024 as follows:

  • if the land abuts a road, at each extremity of the land fronting the road, including the  intersection with other roads
  • if a road frontage exceeds 100 metres and there are intervening side boundaries, further reference marks must be placed at intervals of 100 metres or less
  • if a road frontage exceeds 250 metres and there are no intervening side boundaries, further reference marks must be placed at intervals of 250 metres or lessif an existing reference mark is within 10 metres of  a point being referenced, that mark may be referenced to the point as indicated by section 51(3)(a)Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024. An example of how to show this is provided in Surveyor-General’s Direction No.7
  • if the plan does not abut a road there must be at least two reference marks for each parcel of land surveyed as indicated by section 52(3)(a) Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024
  • if the nature of a reference mark is a “Specific Point” and the corner abuts a road an additional reference mark must be placed within the road corridor, see section 51(6) and Schedule 3 Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024
  • if the land is partially surveyed, at each terminal of each section surveyed
  • if the land abuts a natural feature boundary, reference marks are required at the extremity of the land fronting the natural feature
  • see Roads information below. 

Rural Surveys

For a rural survey (except a survey referred to in section 54 Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024), two reference marks are required for each parcel shown on the plan in accordance with section 52(3)(b) Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024.
Further to this, reference marks will also be required in the following circumstances:  

  • if the land abuts a road, at each extremity of the land fronting the road, including the  intersection with other roads
  • if the land is partially surveyed, at each terminal of each section surveyed
  • if a boundary, which is not a road frontage, exceeds 2,400 metres (whether or not it contains 1 or more bends), marks must be placed along that boundary at intervals of not more than 1,500 metres  
  • if the nature of a reference mark is a “Specific Point” and the corner abuts a road an additional reference mark must be placed within the road corridor, see section 51(6) and Schedule 3 Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024
  • if the land abuts a natural feature boundary, reference marks are required at the extremity of the land fronting the natural feature
  • if the land has a frontage to a natural feature boundary, which is greater than 500 metres, so as to refer to the intersection of each side boundary with the natural feature 
  • see Roads information below. 

Roads

Section 53 Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024 applies to a survey for the purpose of creating, redefining or widening of a road under any Act. The clause requires the placement of reference marks which must be shown on the plan as described below.

If a reference mark consists of a drill hole and wing, section 53(6) Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024 requires that there must be 2 such marks.

If a road being created joins or intersects and existing road and reference marks have been placed in that road, section 53(7)(a) Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024 requires that the existing reference marks be connected to the new reference marks. If a road frontage exceeds 250 metres and there are intervening side boundaries not more than 250 metres apart, further reference marks must be placed at each angle of the road, each tangent point of a curve and each terminal of a series of chords of a regular curve in the road. As far as is practicable, reference marks must be inserted to reference the same side of the road and be in pairs suitable for orientation purposes along a road.

For urban surveys reference marks must be placed:

  • at the terminals of the road

  • at the intersection with any other roads. If the corner is cut off or rounded off the mark may be referenced to either end of the base line of the triangle, a tangent point or to the point of intersection of the road boundaries

  • at a maximum distance of not more than 100 metres between 2 successive reference marks along a road frontage if there are intervening side boundaries

  • at a maximum distance of not more than 250 metres between 2 successive reference marks along a road frontage if there are no intervening side boundaries

For rural surveys reference marks must be placed:

  • at the terminals of the road  

  • at the  intersection with any other roads. If the corner is cut off or rounded off the mark may be referenced to either end of the base line of the triangle, a tangent point or to the point of intersection of the road boundaries

  • at a maximum distance of not more than 1000 metres between 2 successive reference marks along a road frontage. 

Easements and Affecting Interests

Section 54 Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024 applies to a survey for the purpose of creating affecting interests. This information is in regard to a plan which is solely for the definition of affecting interests (including proposed affecting interests) or if the affecting interest is over land which is outside of a lot in the plan.
Affecting interests are defined in Schedule 9 of the Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024  to mean:

  • easements

  • profits à prendre

  • restrictions on the use of land

  • positive covenants.

Section 54(3) indicates the requirements for reference marks relative to the sites of affecting interests defined in the plan, set out as follows:

  • when the site of an affecting interest is up to and including 250 metres in length a reference mark is required at one terminal

  • when the site of an affecting interest is more than 250 metres in length a reference mark is required at each terminal

  • additional reference marks are required at intervals along the site of not greater than: 

    • 500 metres for urban surveys 

    • 1,000 metres for rural survey. 

All NSW legislation can be accessed at www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/   



Publication Date: March 2025