THE NSW SURVEYORS’ MONTHLY MAGAZINE • … Computing Strata and Community Title Law Reform isnsW recommendations Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Modern day Plane surveying EISSI Young

THE NSW SURVEYORS’ MONTHLY MAGAZINE • WWW.SURVEYORS.ORG.AU

No: 52, Issue 1 february 2013Print Post APProved: PP255003/06031

App of the Month Cloud Computing

Strata and Community Title Law Reform isnsW recommendations

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Modern day Plane surveying

EISSI Young Professional of the Year

http://www.surveyors.org.au

2 • www.surveyors.org.au

All material, opinions and reports published in this magazine are for the interest of members. No endorsement by the Institution of Surveyors, New South Wales, Incorporated, is given or implied by their publication.

Regular Features 4 President’s report

6 Administration Manager’s report

7 editor’s report

8 secretary’s report

9 surveyor’s Quiz

22 Footprints

36 Classifieds

37 Membership Connect

38 nsW Government Gazette

39 Conferences and seminars

40 Looking Back

41 2013 Calendar of events

Feature Articles 12 Unmanned Aerial systems

15 Close – range Photogrammetry using an

Unmanned Aerial vehicle

EISSI Awards 2012 18 Young Professional of the Year –

Adrian White

The Profession 20 CORSnet News

25 Reference Marks – how far will you go to find

your reference mark?

26 Strata & Community Title Law Reform

31 Growing Your Practice with Sean Wolrige

Technology 29 App of the Month

Reports 32 sssi report

33 Cumberland Group News

34 SMIC News

Product News 36 Aibot X6 muliticopter lands in Australia with

Position Partners

37 Maptek to launch new online user’s area

QUOTE CORNER

Talent is cheaper than table salt.

What separates the talented

individual from the successful one

is a lot of hard work.”

~ stephen King

15

12

New toys for SurveyorsGavin docherty from Position Partners preparing to launch the Sirius UAV.

CONTENTS

Close-range Photogrammetryusing an Unmanned Aerial vehicle


President’s rePort

i hope you all had a fabulous Christmas and a relaxing break. The world did not end on 21 december 2012 as predicted in a new age prophesy. Apparently a 5125 year cycle known as the Long Count in the Mayan calendar came to a close on that date. I used this prediction for the end of the world as my excuse for being so unprepared for Christmas! everything always seems to get done but every year you wish you had just a couple more days to prepare especially when you are expecting 12 people to stay over for a few days!

the institution Board meeting on 7 december was also a rather hectic affair with numerous issues up for discussion. After the meeting the Board and staff enjoyed some nibbles and drinks including some Kris Kringle gift exchanges thanks to natasha’s organisation. This was followed by a celebratory meal at a local italian restaurant.

Constitution Review

A review of the ISNSW Constitution was completed by the Constitution Review Committee in time for discussion at the December Board meeting. Proposed changes include:• Definition of surveying to

align with FIG definition.• The current four elected

directors to be reduced to two.

• Procedural changes to the election of President Elect.After considerable

discussion the proposed changes were approved unanimously. By the time you read this you will have received an all member mail-out outlining the proposals. A General Meeting will be held at the Australia Day conference.

A big thank you to the review committee members Norm Mann, Bob Harrison, Grahame Wallis and Victoria Tester for all their hard work.

LPi uPdate

One of the most important issues for discussion at the December Board meeting was a Government proposal for LPI functions to be privatised as outlined in a Press Release by Greg Pearce MLC Minister for Finance and Services dated 3 November 2012.

I invited Des Mooney (General Manager LPI & Surveyor General) and Elise Bates (General Manager’s Executive Officer) to the meeting to brief the Board

on the proposal. The Board appreciated the time Des Mooney spent briefing the Board at clearly a very busy time for the LPI executive.

A scoping study of LPI will be undertaken that could eventually lead to some or all of LPI services being provided by the private sector under a long term agreement. These services include land titling and registration, property information, valuation, mapping and surveying.

The Government will assess the merits of having the private sector deliver LPI services under a concession agreement, with the view to expanding commercial services. A concession model is a business operated under a contract or licence – in this case the Government would be the regulator and the private sector operator would operate under a licence to Government. How this proposal would affect the delivery of services to the Surveying Industry is not yet clear.

On the 17 December the company J.P. Morgan was appointed as the commercial advisor to the review. According to their website J.P. Morgan is an international company which undertakes asset management, investment banking, private banking, treasury and securities services and commercial banking. The review process is expected to take a number of months and if the Government wishes to implement the

proposal it is unlikely that it could be in place before the end of 2013.

At this stage the most important thing the Institution can do is highlight the issues and possible ramifications for the Surveying industry so that they can be addressed in the review. A committee has been formed to handle the issue. On the committee is Phil Hayward (President Elect), Victoria Tester (Hon Secretary) and Grahame Wallis (Immediate Past President). I will not be contributing to the process due to a possible conflict of interest.

Initially this committee will co-ordinate a response detailing potential issues and concerns for ISNSW members. Clearly it is important that ISNSW has a significant input into the entire process to ensure the best outcomes for members. Comments on the issues can be forwarded to the Institution for the attention of the LPI review committee and / or directly to [email protected]

st GeoRGe sutheRLand GRouP QuestionnaiRe

I consider it worthy of mentioning the results of a questionnaire completed by members of the St George Sutherland Group on the 29 November. Members were asked five simple questions which are repeated below:Q1: Would you prefer to receive the Azimuth in hard copy or soft copy?

weLCome to 2013“Cheers to a new year and another chance to get it right” oprah Winfrey

mailto:[email protected]


Azimuth • February 2013 • 5 ProUd sPonsor oF tHe sir tHoMAs MitCHeLL AWArd 2012

President’s rePort

A: Hard copy 62% Soft copy 38%Q2: Do you believe that ISNSW is meeting your needs?A: Yes 93% No 7%Q3: Do you believe that ISNSW is providing value for money?A: Yes 83% No 17%Q4: Would you support and watch videotaped seminars?A: Yes 83% No 17%Q5: Do you believe that the President of ISNSW should be a paid position?A: Yes 63% No 37%

Although the answers to the questions were of a relatively small sample of 31 the Board is encouraged by the response to questions two and three. The staff and Board members put in an enormous amount of work for the benefit of the members so it is nice to see these efforts appreciated. With respect to question one the Azimuth is to continue in its current form for the foreseeable future and there are no plans currently proposed to switch to electronic delivery. I asked a similar question when I addressed the combined conference of the Association of Consulting Surveyors and Country Surveyors in Canberra recently. The overwhelming response was for continuing with hard copy. With respect to question four I personally find the result surprising. The Board will be investigating the concept of webinars and videotaping as part of its suite of continual professional development.

website

At the December meeting of the Board I organised a presentation by two computer scientists on the state of the Institution website. The two people were Kyle Stewart (my son) and Andreea Hrincu who gave up their time as a personal favour. They highlighted a number of areas

for possible improvement and detailed numerous exciting developments that could be feasible with a reconstructed site such as electronic fee payments and CPD management to name just two. These developments are expensive and it will be up to the website committee to assess whether the benefits would outweigh the costs.

stRata industRy woRkinG GRouP

The strata industry working group met on Tuesday 4 December. It was reported from that meeting that LPI has published a new version of “Strata Fast Facts”. The committee recommends that surveyors dealing in strata obtain an updated copy via the web. Also of interest is that the Office of Fair Trading has received approximately 1900 submissions into the review of current legislation. Analysis of the submissions is underway and it is anticipated that a new draft Act would be released late 2013.

isnsw PoLiCies

The Board continues the review process of ISNSW policies under Victoria Tester’s leadership which was started by Greg Goodman when he was Hon. Secretary. An additional five policies were passed at the December Board meeting. The process is nearing completion.

So with my thoughts for a dynamic year for ISNSW I will sign off with a quote from Oprah Winfrey.“Cheers to a new year and another chance to get it right” z

Graeme stewart

President isnsw

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AdMinistrAtion MAnAGer’s rePort

and looking forward to another great two days again this year.

We thank our Platinum Sponsor Position Partners.

Full report on the Australia Day Seminar will be in the MARCH Azimuth.

events CominG uP in 2013

In 2013 The Institution of Surveyors NSW together with members of the Seniors Group and the Surveyor General NSW will be working on a ‘Surveying Heritage Commemorative Program’ for upcoming Bi-Centenary events. The Seniors Group have estimated possibly twenty 200th anniversaries of explorations involving surveyors will take place over the next few years. This will provide an opportunity to highlight the role of surveyors and surveying heritage to the general public.

5th FebRuaRy

The Seniors Group Parliamentary Luncheon, Parliament House, Macquarie Street. 12.00 noon for 1.00pm start.

7th sePtembeR

The Excellence in Surveying & Spatial Information Awards will be held this year on Saturday 7th September at the Hilton Hotel Sydney. Mark the date in your diary today! z

terina sawyer,

administration manager

Welcome to the first

edition of the Azimuth

for 2013. I hope you all

enjoyed time with family

and friends over the

holiday period.

The Azimuth will undergo a face lift again this year, something we do every few years. I hope you enjoy the new look.

The Australian weather is something we can never predict, we swing from drought, floods, heat and freezing cold. But the heat and subsequent fires we have been experiencing since the New Year have been quite amazing. Who would have believed the fires that ravaged Tasmania at the beginning of the year, a state known for its cool climate and beautiful countryside and now we seem to be surrounded by serious fires again in New South Wales. We owe a huge debt to the men and women of our NSW Fire Service who risk their lives to put out these fires and save property, houses, people and animals. I am sure there are many of our surveying members who have been affected by the extreme weather conditions and fires of the last few weeks. We wish you all a safe journey during this difficult time.

the austRaLia day seminaR 2013

At the time of writing this report we are about to go into the Australia Day Seminar week. The event is booked out and although anxious we are very excited

we thank ouR PLatinum sPonsoR Position PaRtneRs

We owe a huge debt to the men and women of our NSW Fire Service

Azimuth • February 2013 • 7 PROUD SPONSOR OF THE SIR THOMAS MITCHELL AWARD 2013

editor’s rePort

WeLCoMe BACK to AzIMUTh IN 2013.

Although the year is now well under way, it’s not too late to make some new resolutions. I know you’ve probably already made some (exercise more, drink less, work more/work less), but you have probably already given up on those. So here are a few new resolutions to consider:• Try solving the Surveyors

Quiz without using CAD.• Download one of Dave

Lofberg’s surveying Apps.• Enter a project in this

year’s EISSI Awards.• Attend the EISSI Award

night (to collect your award, see above).

• Send in a question for Q & A with LPI.

• If you are considering buying new equipment, ring one of our advertisers and tell them you saw their ad in Azimuth.

• Read the SMIC report through to the end.

• Do you use Eplan? If not, do it this year.

• Get through the year with no LPI requisitions!I will check up with you at

the end of the year to see how you went.

Last November, I attended the Southern Group seminar at Coolangatta near Nowra. One of the presenters was Paul Standen from Ultimate

Positioning who was demonstrating the use of one of their UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). Well, it would be an understatement to say that I and the 80 or so others in the audience were amazed at what we saw. The flight demonstration made us realise that surveying could be fun again, and even had a few ‘old school’ surveyors declaring that they wanted one for Christmas. The ease with which the UAV took off, flew its flight and then landed was astonishing. Equally impressive were the results that could be achieved for surveys over large areas. In Azimuth this month, we have Gavin Docherty from Position Partners giving us a beginner’s guide to UAVs, explaining what they can be used for, how to use them and the

results achievable. Also, for the more technically inclined, Troy Gore, a University of Newcastle graduate, presents his university thesis on close range photogrammetry using UAVs.

Also this month, we meet Adrian White, who became the young professional of the year at the 2012 EISSI awards. Amongst other things, Adrian is responsible for the CORSnet news updates. In App of the Month, Dave Lofberg steers away from recommending an actual app, but instead explains what he considers to be the big thing that will take off in 2013, cloud computing. Find out how you can benefit from this computing revolution.

Last year, the NSW Department of Fair Trading announced that it was going

to be reviewing the Strata and Community Titles legislation, and asked for submissions from interested parties. The Surveying Practice and Legislative Sub-Committee of ISNSW have made a submission which is published in Azimuth this month, which has many practical suggestions that, if adopted, will help make the legislation much more user friendly for both surveyors and strata owners.

See you next month. z

Paul davis-Raiss, editor-in-Chief

[email protected]

It’s not too late to make some new resolutions

Paul standen demonstrating the use of the uav at the southern Group seminarPhoto by dave Lofberg

mailto:azimuth%40surveyors.org.au?subject=


seCretArY’s rePort

New President Elect Phil Hayward commenced the meeting at 10:05am in the absence of new President Graeme Stewart.

Apologies Received: Graeme Stewart (President), Robert Van der Zypen (Southern Group Rep.), Paul Swan (TAFE).

ISNSW had received a suggestion from Gerald Weingarth that the longevity of ISNSW is something to be proud of and therefore we should incorporate the year of establishment into our crest. It was moved and passed that the wording ‘Est. 1891’ be incorporated into the ISNSW Crest.

Treasurer’s Report – Mathew Hynes (Honorary Treasurer) – Finances of ISNSW are generally in good health.

Membership Report – Vicki Tester (Honorary Secretary)

Welcome the following new members:• Muwaffaq Awadh O Alqurashi –

Student Membership• Matthew John Osborne – Student

Membership• Vincent Jonathon Kennedy – Corporate

Membership• Mark Robotham – Corporate

MembershipAdministration Manager’s Report -

Terina Sawyer (Administration Manager)- Reported on numerous events including the AGM of the Benevolent Association, Past President’s Lunch, EISSI Awards (next year’s event to be held at the Hilton Hotel on the 7th September), the 2013 Australia Day Seminar (ADS) and the latest Twilight Seminar.

Policy and Governance MattersVarious Matters under consideration

including:• Review of all policy and governance

documents currently being undertaken - the following reviewed policies were

adopted P2 – Rules for Groups, P2/1 – Rules for the Young Surveyors Regional Group, P2/1-D01 – Directions for the Young Surveyors Regional Group, P2/2 – Rules for the Engineering & Mining Surveyors Regional Group, P2/1-D02 Directions for the Engineering & Mining Surveyors Regional Group, P3 – Advertising Policy, P5 – Confidentiality at Business Meetings, P8 – Environmental Policy

• Hallmann Release 7 • Constitution Sub-Committee Report-

Finalising motions regarding the proposed changes to the Constitution. These motions are to be put up at a Special General Meeting held at the end of the first day of the ADS 2013.

• Strategic Planning Review• Proposed Surveying Heritage

Commemorative Program – Over the next few years there are up to twenty 200th anniversary explorations coming up that involved past surveyors e.g. 2013 marks the crossing of the Blue Mountains by Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth. John Brock will assist the Seniors Group in assessing these upcoming historical events and organising ways to highlight the roles of surveyors and surveying in these historical events.Throughout the afternoon session of

the Board Meeting the various reports of the Sub-Committees, Regional and Special Interests Groups and Co-Operating Associations were presented, with the meeting concluding at 2:58pm.

For a more extensive review of the above ISNSW Board Meeting, a copy of the ratified minutes is available through the ISNSW Office. z

vicki tester,

honorary secretary isnsw

Summary of the Minutes of the ISNSW Board Meeting – 2nd November 2012


sUrveYor’s QUiz

A Quiz from the April 1913 Board of Surveyors Exam, compiled by Michael Spiteri

Thanks to Chris Hutchison we have a solution to the December Quiz. His solution involves three methods which are listed below for everyone’s interest:

Method 1This method was used during the 1980s, before correction was built into EDMs. The method involved subtracting 14” per

kilometre from the elevation angle to correct for curvature and refraction.In this case: 74,285 feet = 22.642068 kilometres Curvature/refraction = -0°05’17” Elevation A – Hill = +0°03’52” Depression A – Hill = -0°01’25” RL A = RL Hill + 74,285 Tan 0°01’25” = 2568 + 30.612 = 2598.6 ASLMethod 2Method 2 comes from H.G. Foxall’s ‘Handbook for Practising Land and Engineering Surveyors’ (page 170). In this method the

correction for curvature and refraction is equal to 0.59 n² feet, where n is the number of miles between the stations.In this case: n = 14.069129 miles Correction = 116.785 feet ΔH A-Hill = 74,285 Tan 0°03’53” = 83.553 feet True ΔH = 83.553 – 116.785 = -33.23 feet RL A = 2568 + 33.23 = 2601.2 ASL

AB is the terminus of a one chain road, and CD of a two chain road, and a traverse is run from C to B as per diagram.It is required to connect the surveys by a two chain road as shown, making the corners at A and C the angle points.Find bearings and distances AE, AF, and CE, and distances BF, FC, and DE.Solution next month.

soLUtion to tHe deCeMBer QUiz

t

the profession


sUrveYor’s QUiz

Method 3

The last method comes from Clark’s ‘Plane & Geodetic Surveying’ Vol II where the coefficient of refraction over land of 0.07. The correction for curvature and refraction works out to be 0.574 D² feet where D is in miles.

In this case: Correction = -113.618 feet

Using same equations from above: RL A = 2598.1 ASL

All three answers have slightly different answers due to the era they come from. The reason is that knowledge of the shape of the earth has been refined over the years with the introduction of new technology and range of geodetic measurements taken right across the globe.

solution to november’s QuizNovember’s quiz has seen a few emails come my way with different methods to solve the quiz. The emails received can be grouped into the two following methods.

First MethodLet the square widths of the lots be 2a, 2b and 2c respectively, therefore 2a + 2b + 2c = 1500 links or a + b + c = 750 links.The lot’s mean depths are 4a + 4b + 4c = 3000 links.

Using trigonometry, 4b = 4a + (a+b) Tan 15°39’,therefore b(4 – Tan 15°39’) = a(4 + Tan 15°39’)and so b = a(4 + Tan 15°39’) /(4 – Tan 15°39’).

Also 4c = 4a + (a+b) Tan 15°39’ + (b+c) Tan 15°39’,therefore c(4 – Tan 15°39’) = a(4 + Tan 15°39’) + 2b Tan 15°39’and so c = (a(4 + Tan 15°39’) + 2b Tan 15°39’) / (4 – Tan 15°39’)

Replacing b variable with equation above we get:c = (a(4 + Tan 15°39’) + [2{a(4 + Tan 15°39’) / (4 – Tan 15°39’)} Tan 15°39’]) / (4 – Tan 15°39’)

We know a + b + c = 750 links,Therefore a + 1.1506a + {(4.2801a + 0.64468a) / 3.7198} = 750 which makes a = 215.85 links.

We can now find b = 248.37 links and c = 285.78 links and the square widths of each lot are 431.71 links, 496.74 links and 571.56 links respectively.

Second MethodMake the intervening lot corners between A and B are E and F and between C and D are G and H.Assuming AE is 500 links and the mean depth of lot ACGE is 1000 links.Then AC = 929.964 and EG = 1070.036.

Now FH/EG = EG/AC, therefore FH = 1231.208, also EF/EG = AE/AC, therefore EF = 575.311.By similar ratios we get BD = 1416.654 and FB = 661.966.

Given AB is 1500 links then (AE + EF + FB) must also equal 1500 links but from the above calculations we have 1737.277 links. We therefore need to apply a scale factor of 0.863420 to get us back to 1500 links.

This therefore makes the square widths AE, EF & FB, 431.71, 496.735 and 571.555 respectively.

A big thank you to Chris Hutchison, Robert Monteath, Don Wood and Eric Maronese for sending their solutions in. z

michael spiteri

the profession


AZIMUTH JUNE 2009 19

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Currently 21 stations are operational and another threeare being built. These are expected to be operational by 1July 2009 or soon afterwards. A further 46 stations will beestablished over the next five years. LPI will spend $7.25

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inspection work, or surveying hard to reach areas such as pipelines, bridges, power lines and rail tracks. The Aibot X6 by Aibotix is one such system, with its unique hexagonal shape that includes six propellers, with a high-resolution camera underneath the blades that can rotate to film both vertically and horizontally (see figure 2).

how it woRks (on-boaRd CameRa, GPs, Radio Link)

Setting up for an aerial survey using a UAS begins with route planning via the desktop software that comes included with the system. To do this you will need to program in a takeoff and landing area (based on current/forecast wind and weather conditions), and outline the area you wish to map.

Once satisfied with your route, you then load this onto the UAV and go through the checklists provided with your kit to make sure all components are functional, that you have adequate battery power and so on.

The launch process for each UAV will be different based on the specific model you are using. The SIRIUS has the simplest launch technique available, as you simply stand in your desired takeoff location, with the nose of the plane pointed into the wind, and throw the UAV into the air!

To launch the Aibot X6 multi-copter, you have a choice of manual takeoff using the included tablet PC, or alternatively an automatic option.

Once airborne, both the SIRIUS and Aibot X6 will then fly your pre-planned route automatically, taking images at a rate of one image per second at 85% overlap (for a high accuracy, 2 cm result). The user can track the progress of the UAV via their tablet PC controller, with real-time status updates on position, GPS signal, radio link status and battery power.

In addition, the user of either the SIRIUS or Aibot is able to take manual control at any time, a feature that others

what is the diFFeRenCe between uavs and uass? Although the two terms are frequently intermixed, technically an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is the hardware, the plane itself, while an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) is the complete solution, including the camera(s), route planning software, GPS and so on. Usually the post processing software is sold separately, as this depends on the type of survey application and the results required by the customer.

There are many manufacturers and suppliers of UAVs around the world, as they have been used for some time in the military and are popular for a diverse range of non-survey related applications such as film-making, environmental work and even recreational use.

A UAS, in contrast, is designed around the application it is intended for – hence the emergence of new solutions engineered specifically for surveying pipelines, road corridors, mine sites and topographic surveying, amongst other survey work. These systems come complete with route planning software and high-resolution on-board cameras, as well as GPS to record and transmit position information.

diFFeRent tyPes oF uass

There are two main types of UAS available that are suitable for surveying work. The first is a fixed wing model such as the SIRIUS by MAVinci (see figure 1). These compact, lightweight units are built for one-man survey operation, with a 1.6 metre wingspan and weighing only 2.7 kilograms. They are ideal for aerial mapping and terrain modelling larger areas including mine sites and stockpiles, and undertaking topographic surveys.

The second style of UAS is a rotary blade, or propeller-based system. Unlike the fixed wing models, these mini-copters are able to fly in every direction, horizontally and vertically, as well as hover in a fixed position. This makes them the perfect instrument for detailed

UnMAnned AeriAL sYsteMs

Unmanned Aerial Systems Unmanned Aerial System surveying is really beginning to take off in Australia. Position Partners UAS Product Manager Gavin Docherty explains this new technology and what it means for the Australian survey industry.

Fig 1: Launching the sirius

PROUD SPONSOR OF THE SIR THOMAS MITCHELL AWARD 2013

Azimuth • February 2013 • 13

Both systems come with a number of safety features that enable the UAVs to land safely even if they fly out of range or lose battery power. SIRIUS utilises two wireless radio links with a range of up to 40 km line of sight and an additional manual RC transmitter link with a range of 3 km to minimise the risk of losing radio connectivity. However, if the UAV does lose all radio links it will still complete the flight as all route information is stored on-board the system.

Other safety features of the SIRIUS include: • If battery power is lost during flight,

the autopilot assist feature will still control the UAV’s descent and enable it to land safely.

• A ‘return home’ function that the user can activate at any time during a flight – this will direct the SIRIUS to return to the ground station.

• In the event of no GPS signal, the UAV will circle in the air until signal is regained.

oPeRatinG Conditions and saFety FeatuRes

One of the great advantages of aerial surveying via UAS is the ability to complete a flight despite dense cloud cover, wind and even rain. As manned aircraft are required to fly higher, they are often cancelled due to inclement weather, whereas a UAS will still be able to fly.

The SIRIUS specifies the ability to fly in winds up to 50 km/h, with gusts up to 65 km/h, while the Aibot X6 can fly in 43 km/h winds. A typical cruising height for generating high accuracy (<2 cm) orthophotos and terrain maps with 85% overlap is 400 feet, or 120 metres. The UAVs are capable of flying much higher than this, however accuracy decreases the higher you fly and at 500 feet you enter controlled air space.

on the market do not offer. Manual controls are useful for detailed inspection work using the Aibot, as the user is able to manoeuvre the UAV close to specific objects, whilst the built-in distance control will prevent any collisions. There is also the option of real-time viewing with the Aibot, using either a ground station or video display goggles, giving the user a first person view as though they were holding the camera.

Although manual controls are generally not required when mapping larger areas with a UAV like the SIRIUS, it is useful to have the option of landing manually in order to avoid any unforeseen obstacles. SIRIUS also features an ‘autopilot assist’ mode, that provides simple ‘up, down, left, right’ control over the UAV while stabilising the aircraft automatically.


Fig 2: aibot X6 by aibotix

below: sirius Flight Planning

t



making it an ideal option for those wanting to test the water or who are not ready to invest in owning their own system.

Position Partners also offers hire services across its product range, enabling customers to trial or rent a UAS solution when required, with no obligation to buy.

how wiLL uas beneFit the austRaLian suRvey industRy?

UAS mapping presents a viable alternative to costly and unreliable manned aerial surveys, giving the user greater control over what they map, when they map it and the accuracies they wish to achieve from a flight.

While the technology will not replace traditional land-based surveying methods, UAS can add another dimension to a surveyor’s tool kit and for some applications, such as stockpile volume measurements, provide a safer solution that removes survey crews from operating near heavy machinery and on hazardous terrain.

These systems also offer an easily deployable and cost effective solution for mapping and monitoring large areas quickly and efficiently, with a high level of accuracy. Propeller-based systems such as the Aibot X6 also enable detailed inspections of difficult to reach areas.

UAS technology is unquestionably a part of Australia’s surveying future. As we learn more about the huge range of applications it can be used for and become more efficient with processing the vast amount of data UAS products are capable of capturing, we will realise its full potential.

For more information visit www.positionpartners.com.au or call 1300 867 266.

Azimuth wishes to thank Gina Velde and Gavin Docherty from Position Partners for providing this article. Sales and hire of UAS hardware and technology is also available from other equipment suppliers. z

for the area represented by each pixel in a digital photo. The area covered and accuracy achieved during a single 40-minute flight ranges from 55 hectares at 2 cm GSD (with 75-85% overlap of images), to 670 hectares at 10 cm GSD (with 10% overlap of images). Although the physical area covered in these examples was larger, these figures show the area captured at full 3D quality.

When it comes to post processing software, there is a range of options available depending on the application and accuracy requirements for an orthophoto for GIS and CAD use or a 3D digital terrain model. Packages such as Agisoft, Pix4D and Enso Mosaic are some of the more popular choices for creating orthophotos and digital terrain maps.

Users can also opt to outsource this stage of the process to a post processing service provider. Processing the data, particularly for high accuracy digital terrain maps, requires large volumes of data and consequently sufficient processing power.

Cost savinGs

UAS aerial mapping can achieve significant cost savings over traditional survey methods and manned flyovers. Users are able to survey large areas with a one-man survey crew and have the flexibility to fly under cloud and despite wind and rain, avoiding costly time delays associated with manned flyovers.

For users that only require the occasional aerial survey, there is the option to outsource the process – from flight planning through to post processed results – to a UAS service provider. Increasingly, survey companies are broadening the scope of their services to include new technology such as mobile vehicle mapping and UAS surveying,

The Aibot X6 also features a ‘return home’ function that enables the user to safely return the Aibot to the controller at any time during the flight. The Aibot’s unique design also protects it from any damage during a flight, as with six propellers the UAV will remain airborne even if one or two of the propellers fail.

tRaininG and QuaLiFiCations ReQuiRed

Position Partners requires all customers that purchase a UAS to complete mandatory training before taking delivery of their system. The training covers route planning, safe handling of the UAV, troubleshooting and practical guidelines for safe flying.

Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) requires the chief controller of a UAV system to have passed the theory, but not the practical, component of a Private Pilot Licence. For more information about qualifications and guidelines published by CASA, visit their website www.casa.gov.au

Post PRoCessinG and aChieved aCCuRaCies

Once the UAV has successfully landed in the programmed area, the next task is to transfer the images from the UAV memory card to a PC for post processing.

Although the flight time for the SIRIUS and Aibot X6 is 40 minutes and 30 minutes respectively, the area you can cover with a UAV depends upon the accuracy required for the finished product. To achieve greater accuracy there must be an increase in overlap of the images, and therefore multiple flights may be required if high accuracy is required over a large area.

As an example, SIRIUS accuracy specifications are based on Ground Sampling Distance (GSD), which stands

aibot 3d model of mine

www.positionpartners.com.au

www.casa.gov.au



including Chandler et al.(2005), Wackrow et al.(2007) and Thomas & Cantré (2009), have shown that sub-millimetre accuracies are easily obtainable (at very close ranges. i.e. <5m) using ‘off-the-shelf’ (non-metric) cameras.

Close-range photogrammetry utilizes multiple (unlimited) convergent images of the object or area to be measured. Three dimensional points are calculated using triangulation techniques. Camera positions and orientations (interior and exterior) are often unknown and are usually calculated, along with the object points, using a system of complex equations known as a bundle adjustment.

unmanned aeRiaL vehiCLe

The UAV (also known as a drone) used in this project was an md4-200 made by microdrones in Germany. It is a remote controlled helicopter using 4 carbon fibre rotor blades (quadrocopter), powered by 4 brushless electric motors. It carries a Pentax compact digital camera and has a flight time of just over 20 minutes. A complex system of sensors is used (including GPS, Accelerometers, Gyroscopes, Magnetometer, Barometric Altimeter, Humidity & Temperature) to help with navigation and to keep the UAV stable and at a constant heading – even during high winds. The remote control transmitter is also used to tilt the camera and snap the photos. The camera view

Photo control targets were investigated, resulting in high-contrast circular targets being precisely made for the photo surveys. By using high quality photo targets distributed throughout the survey area and using a camera network of good geometric quality, accuracies were achieved in a range of 10-15mm (total vector) from images taken from over 60m high.

intRoduCtion

The primary purpose of photogrammetry is to generate three-dimensional spatial information from two-dimensional imagery. The photograph or image represents a store of information which can be re-accessed at any time. Although there are no set rules, it is generally considered that close-range photogrammetry applies to images with an object distance of less than 300 metres and objects ranging from 1m to 200m in size (Luhmann et al., 2006, p4,5) (as opposed to the great heights of images for aerial photogrammetry). All of the images used in this project fit into this range. So whilst the photos for this study were taken from the air, their use should not be classified as aerial photogrammetry, but rather, close-range aerial photogrammetry.

Due to the rapid advance in the technology and the availability of low-cost digital cameras, studies by others,

abstRaCt

The objective of this project was to investigate and maximise the accuracy achievable using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in conjunction with a compact digital camera for close-range photogrammetric surveys and develop a feasible method for use in real world survey applications.

The internal stability of the camera was checked by performing several calibrations, and even though the variation in focal length was found to be only 0.05mm, the potential differences in the level of accuracy at the intended object distances were deemed significant. Self-calibrating the camera on each survey was found to produce the highest accuracies.

CLose rAnGe PHotoGrAMMetrY

CLOSE-RANGE PHOTOGRAMMETRYUSING AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLEUniversity of Newcastle student thesis by Troy Gore

t

Microdrone md4--200



0.2mm – highlighting the benefit of a larger sensor size and focal length.

bRiCkwoRks PaRk

The first survey attempted using the UAV was carried out at Brickworks Park at Wallsend. A few different target types were trialled for use as control points. Some natural points were also incorporated to see what accuracy could be achieved. High-contrast circular cardboard targets were used to take advantage of the auto-centroiding function within the photo software.

The survey area was approximately 22x22m. Around 60 photos were taken from 7 or 8 stations around and over the top of the survey area (providing a good ‘rigid’ network). 6 photos were then taken from each station. The best 12 images were selected for processing – 1 or 2 per station.

The photo targets were distributed well throughout the survey area for use as reference/tie points to allow accurate self-calibration. All points were also surveyed using a Trimble S6 total-station, allowing the accuracy of the photogrammetry coordinates to be quantified. Self-calibration was carried out during the image processing and the accuracy achieved by this exercise was generally 5-10mm, when compared to the survey by total-station. An excellent result considering the images were taken from an average height of 40m above the ground.

As a result of this survey, 4 permanent control targets were made using 2mm thick aluminium plate (350x350mm) with high-contrast circular vinyl stickers attached. The centres were then drilled precisely to fit a 5/8th witworth thread so it could be attached to a tribrach and set over control marks on a set of legs.

Live substation yaRd

The next survey carried out was of a live substation yard. The main advantage of surveying such a site by photogrammetry is that once a set of photos are taken, a 3D coordinate can be extracted from any point which can be distinguished in the images. The photo survey of the whole substation yard is completed in less than 2 hours (without the need to be walking under and around live electrical apparatus) and any points of interest can be processed on an ‘as needed’ basis. This is opposed to the many days it would take

object consisted of 10 retro-reflective targets. The targets on the object had already been precisely surveyed (by optical intersection techniques) to an accuracy 0.1mm. This provided the coordinates for the control points for this photogrammetric survey and allowed the accuracy to be quantified easily. These points had also been surveyed previously by close-range photogrammetry using a Canon EOS 10D (digital SLR) camera and shown to be to an accuracy of 0.1-0.2mm, providing a good comparison of the accuracy achieved by the Pentax compact digital camera to the accuracy of a digital SLR camera.

The image points were processed using the different sets of camera parameters from the calibrations to assess what impact the varying IOPs would have on the accuracy. They were also processed using a self-calibration. Where sufficient geometric configuration (camera stations and reference points) exists and quality reference points are used, multi-image configurations allow the simultaneous calibration of the camera within the bundle adjustment.

Self-calibrating the camera based on the 10 retro-reflective targets was found to give the best results with an accuracy of 0.2-0.7mm. The photos were taken from a range of 1.5m. It is worth noting that the DSLR camera (Canon EOS 10D) used previously was a 6 megapixel camera resulting in an accuracy of 0.1-

is transmitted in real time via a video transmitter to a base station on the ground. System and navigation details (such as altitude, attitude, position, battery state and flight time) are also transmitted to the base station.

The Compact Digital Camera employed by the UAV system and used throughout this study was a Pentax Optio A40. It is a 12 megapixel camera with a specified focal length of 7.9-23mm. It uses a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) sensor with a size of 7.6 x 5.7mm.

CameRa CaLibRations

Several calibrations were performed on the Pentax camera to determine the Interior Orientation Parameters (IOP) and to check the camera’s internal stability over a short-term period of time. The IOPs consist of focal length, principal point offset and lens distortion factors. The calibration feature within the iWitness photogrammetry software was used for the calibrations and also for the photo surveys throughout this study.

From the five calibrations carried out, the focal length was found to vary between 8.27-8.32mm - a minuscule 0.05mm.

industRiaL objeCt

The first photogrammetric survey completed with the Pentax camera was of a small industrial object in controlled conditions. The points surveyed on this

substation yard




access to this tower, some reflectorless shots were also taken to the top to determine the verticality and rotation.

Upon processing the image points the accuracy on the ground was found to be 5-10mm (with only one point outside of this range). Not surprisingly, most of this error was in the height component – due to the acute convergent angles of the camera rays at the ground. The easting and northing components were better than 5mm. This is an amazing result considering the average image height of just over 60m.

The accuracy of the points at the top of the tower were not so easy to quantify, but were also believed to be within 5-15mm and maybe as good as 5-10mm when compared with the centre and rotation at the top of the tower calculated from the total-station shots.

ConCLusion

It is widely known that the level of accuracy which can be achieved using consumer-grade digital cameras is limited due to the unstable internal geometry. This project has shown that with the use of quality photo control targets and careful planning the Pentax compact digital camera when combined with the UAV system, provide a feasible alternative for use in some real world survey applications where a medium level of accuracy is required. Accuracies as good as 10mm were achieved, from images taken at heights of over 60m, when combined with self-calibration techniques. ztroy Gore

with a fully automatic system of target referencing. Due to the manual point referencing involved in this project and the aim to develop a feasible method for use in ‘real world’ survey applications it was deemed unpractical to investigate the benefits of ‘hyper-redundancy’ and it was decided to keep the image sets at a manageable number of between 10-20.

tRansmission Line toweR

The last survey carried out over the course of this project was of a high-tension transmission line tower. Occasionally these towers need to be surveyed and sometimes monitored to determine or check their verticality and rotational distortion. Due to the height of these towers – around 35m – it sometimes proves difficult to survey them by conventional means (because of physical obstructions etc. nearby) and the UAV could provide an alternate method for survey and monitoring.

The 4 control targets were placed 5 metres diagonally from the feet of the tower with 4 cardboard targets placed in between these. Around 40 photos were taken from 5 camera stations and all of the best quality images were selected for processing – 17 in total. The 8 photo targets along with the 7 points of interest (bolts) at the top of the tower were referenced and included in the bundle adjustment. All of the ground points were surveyed using a Trimble S6 total-station (including the feet of the tower – allowing the centre of the tower to be calculated at ground level). Because of the ease of

to survey all of the components in the yard and potentially saving multiple site visits. Efficiencies can start to be seen in cost and time saving. The photos alone (without any photogrammetry processing) also provide a valuable detailed record. This survey area was approx. 30x35m. The 4 control targets were placed at the outside corners of the survey area with 5 of the cardboard targets distributed internally to assist with the camera orientation and self-calibration. Around 30 photos were taken from 4 camera stations over the middle of the 4 fence lines with 12 photos selected for the processing – 3 from each station.

The accuracy achieved by the photo coordinates was generally 10-20mm. The average height from which the images were taken was nearly 60m above the ground. Although the survey area and subsequently the image heights were greater than that of the brickworks park survey, it should be noted that the network geometry of camera stations was not as ‘rigid’ here and due to the reduced number of photos taken of the substation some of the images which had to be used were not of desirable quality (some blurring existed which appeared as ‘ghosting’ around the photo targets – potentially affecting the accuracy of the point referenced).

From the substation survey it was concluded that more camera stations should be used to create a stronger network and a greater number of images taken to be assured of a quality set of photos. It has been shown in the past that the level of accuracy improves by increasing the number of images used. Fraser et al. (2005) introduced a concept known as ‘hyper-redundancy’ whereby 10 to 20 images or more are taken from each station and used in the processing. In reality, this application is only possible

ReFeRenCes

Chandler, J.H., Fryer, J.G. and Jack, A., 2005. Metric capabilities of low-cost digital cameras for close range surface measurement. The Photogrammetric Record, 20(109): 12-26.

Fraser, C.S., Woods, A. and Brizzi, D., 2005. Hyper redundancy for accuracy enhancement in automated close range photogrammetry. The Photogrammetric Record, 20(111): 205-217

Luhmann, T, Robson, S., Kyle, S. and Harley, I., 2006. Close Range Photogrammetry: Principles, Methods and Applications. Whittles Publishing. 510 pages.

Thomas, H. and Cantré, S., 2009. Applications of low-budget photogrammetry in the geotechnical laboratory. The Photogrammetric Record, 24(128): 332-350.

Wackrow, R., Chandler, J.H., Bryan, P., 2007. Geometric consistency and stability of consumer-grade digital cameras for accurate spatial measurement. The Photogrammetric Record, 22(118): 121-134.

transmission Line tower


eissi AWArds 2012

To start with, I’d like to thank all of those involved in nominating and subsequently selecting me for Young Professional Surveyor of the year for 2012. I am fortunate to have had so many opportunities in my career already and to have been guided by many talented surveyors. It’s a great honour to win the award and given the opportunity to write this article I thought I would focus on how I came to join the profession and make some reflections on what works and what doesn’t. With the profession grappling with the diminishing number of graduates each year, I hope that sharing my experiences might assist in turning this trend around.

I was one of those school kids

who didn’t really know what I

wanted to do after year 12.

University was pretty much a certainty but the preferred subject area was vague and along the lines of engineering or science. It wasn’t until a family friend handed my parents a newspaper article on Geomatic Engineering, that she had found two years earlier as an option for her son, that I became aware of Surveying. I liked the outdoors and maps so the degree seemed to fit me perfectly.

From there everything sort of fell into place. I listed Surveying and Spatial Information Systems at UNSW as my first preference in UAC and applied for a

EISSI AWARDS 2012Adrian White - Young Professional of the Year



eissi AWArds 2012

I’ve been very fortunate so far in my career to have had so many opportunities and valuable experiences. But I imagine this isn’t typical for school leavers, entering the ‘real world’. So how do we make everything fall into place for more school leavers and steer them into a career in surveying?

Publicity – Getting our message across to school leavers is key. Fortunately steps are already being taken here with the Martin Place Surveying and Mapping Industry Day and I hear the latest careers day at UNSW was a great success for the School of Surveying and Geospatial Engineering.

Make them part of it – Very early on in my studies I felt like I was part of the profession. It was probably a combination of studying with a great group of students but also because I was working right from the start. Industry links with university students really do make a difference.

Support – Scholarships are great but there are many ways to provide support to young students. Flexible working arrangements, work/life balance, interesting (and challenging) work tasks and relating things back to what they are studying all help.

Be Adaptive – Young people are going to perform much better doing something they are interested in. The same mundane tasks again and again will make them question whether this is the profession for them. Find out what their interests are and support them. This is something that I have found particularly well done at LPI and produces great results.

Building up the reputation – Changing the perception of surveying is not something that will happen overnight. It relies on the right messages getting sent time and time again about the achievements and impact that our profession has on society as a whole. We can and need to do a lot better promoting ourselves to build up a reputation of being innovative and highly skilled.

I’m not going to pretend that I have the answers to getting surveying graduate numbers back on track. But perhaps the experiences from my relatively short time in the profession can spur ideas from others. One way or another we all have an interest in maintaining a strong surveying profession – and it will take all of us to achieve it. z

adrian white

This is not only great for taking advantage of technological improvement, but also helps with staff morale. I saw that having a highly skilled team of staff and providing them with the best tools really does produce great results.

Soon after finishing University a job came up with Land and Property Information in Sydney as a Geodetic Technical Surveyor for which I applied and was offered the position. Given that the focus would be primarily on GNSS this was an offer too good to refuse. This then led me to my current role of Product Manager for CORSnet-NSW. It is a pleasure to work with such great people, particularly on the CORSnet-NSW project, and I feel the work we are doing does, and will continue to, make a difference for surveyors and many others in NSW.

A lot of work goes on behind the scenes that I believe makes LPI’s CORSnet-NSW the best performing network in Australia. LPI has developed specialist skills for installing CORS, from the design of the antenna mount to the ancillary equipment included with the sites to keep them online around the clock. This means users get a better service and when there are issues, they are addressed with less downtime. Having developed these specialist skills, LPI published a best practice guideline for building CORS to help others achieve the same high standards.

We have not simply installed off the shelf software to run the network, but instead tested its performance and features piece by piece to ensure that it delivers the right solution to our users. In a number of cases we have identified shortcomings which have since been addressed by the software vendor, benefiting users not just in NSW but around the world. Furthermore, the network is continually scrutinised for spatial continuity, and we detect and publish any discrepancies between the CORS network and local survey control as well as any gradual or sudden movement identified at sites.

Performing these tasks for a network now numbering 111 (as at October 2012) is no simple task. If it wasn’t for the exceptionally talented people I work with, it just wouldn’t get done. We’re also very fortunate to have had strong leadership from LPI’s executive, who have continued to back the roll-out of the network through some difficult times.

Cooperative Scholarship jointly sponsored by Frank Mason & Co, Geoscience Australia and Land and Property Information.

Interestingly I then enquired with a number of surveying companies about working over the summer holidays before university started but did not have any success. I know the work experience kid can (sometimes) be a pain, but maybe this is an area that the profession as a whole could help by doing their bit.

In any case I was able to enrol in the degree and was lucky enough to be awarded a Cooperative Scholarship. As part of the scholarship I worked for all three sponsor organisations for a total of 18 months during summer holidays and a working gap year prior to my final year of study. The scholarship provided me with a modest allowance every fortnight over the 5 years which meant I had a steady income and didn’t have to work during semester. I also managed to fit in a six month exchange to Sweden as part of my studies. I know a number of UNSW surveying students have gone on exchange in recent years and I think it’s a real selling point for studying at UNSW.

The best thing that the scholarship provided me with was experience working for a diverse group of surveying related organisations. I did everything from high rise construction set out to boundary surveys to static GNSS control surveys in western NSW to analytical programming for evaluating spatial data sets.

Having the opportunity to experience such a wide range of surveying and spatial information disciplines was very helpful. I found my niche in GNSS and chose a thesis topic to suit on Virtual RINEX files which was jointly supervised by Doug Kinlyside and Greg Dickson at LPI as well as Prof. Chris Rizos and Thomas Yan (now working for LPI) at UNSW.

Back at University in my final year of study I managed to find work for one day a week plus semester breaks with Sinclair Knight Merz which moved to full time once I finished studying. SKM was a great place to work and I was able to take part in major infrastructure projects like the Pacific Highway upgrade and power line construction. SKM also kept their technology up to date with the latest total stations and GNSS receivers but also took on new technology like laser scanning and, since I left, mobile laser scanning.


the profession

tunnel or the city centre where you are surrounded by sky scrapers that obstruct your sky view.

LPI was recently involved in the Sydney Satellites project to investigate an alternative positioning technology, Locata, which is intended to compliment GPS (or even replace it in the most difficult environments).

The test took place at Farm Cove, in Sydney Harbour and compared RTK GPS to Locata on a Sydney Ports Corporation survey vessel moving around the Cove.

A temporary Locata network of eight LocataLites was deployed for the test with five sites situated along the shore of the Royal Botanic Gardens, and the other three on the Sydney Opera House forecourt, the south-east pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Kurraba Point on the north side of Sydney Harbour. Fort Denison CORS was used to determine the location of all of these sites.

The preliminary results were impressive, with RTK GPS and Locata agreeing to within 4.4cm (2D at 95%) for the first three loops analysed.

With Locata now being used at Newmont’s Boddington Gold Mine in Western Australia and by the US Airforce, there is much potential for its use in other positioning applications. LPI aims to be involved in future opportunities to both test and evaluate this technology. We’ll keep you posted.

2012 harvest - tipping the usage scales

The seasonality of activity in agriculture is demonstrated in the usage of CORS: West Wyalong was the third most used CORSnet-NSW site for November 2012. With agriculture now the fastest growing user group for CORSnet-NSW, this trend of higher use in regional areas looks set to continue.

Other high usage sites in regional NSW for November include Moree, Walgett, Warren, Dubbo, Orange, West Wyalong, Lockhart and Wagga Wagga as part of almost 10,000 individual user connections to the network.

Each new site helps to fill gaps in the network, expanding the network RTK service at a record rate.

Network RTK allows users to roam CORSnet-NSW and access data tailored to their current location, based on up to six of the closest CORS.

LPI testing has shown that Network RTK achieves higher accuracy, faster time to first fix and a more consistent solution than single base RTK.

To connect to Network RTK, users should choose VRS (GPS + GLONASS) or MAC (GPS only) from the mount point list.

To view the latest coverage map go to www.corsnet.com.au and click on Network information.

CoRsnet-nsw used to benchmark new positioning technologyDo you have trouble getting a GPS fix due to trees, buildings or even radio interference? What about your car’s sat-nav system or your mobile phone? They work perfectly fine until you go into a

north star and the 12 CoRs of Christmas

Since the last CORSnet news update, we have brought 12 new CORS online.

The latest additions to the network include Yass, Yeoval, Warren, Cootamundra, Cordeaux, Holbrook, Gilgandra, Coonamble, Mount Thorley, Wakool and Temora.

Our newest CORS is North Star, which represents our ninth AuScope CORS and was a particularly tricky installation as the site is located on extremely rocky ground.

Thank you to our builders and all those who have helped with the construction of this site and many others throughout the year.

network Rtk reaches a third of the stateIn a bumper five months, CORSnet-NSW has extended its Network RTK service dramatically from 18.8% of the state to 33.6% with the following new areas now able to access these improved services:• North of Newcastle up to Macksville • From Coffs Harbour to Ballina • Further west from Tamworth and

Gunnedah and north to Moree, North Star and Glen Innes

• North from Parkes and Mudgee to Warren, Coonamble and Coonabarabran

• Southern areas from Yass to Temora; and additions around Holbrook and Wakool.

CORSnet News

merry Christmas from north star CoRs

LPi’s doug kinlyside and adrian white at the sydney satellites Locata network

t25

www.corsnet.com.au



the profession

ARE YOU A POTENTIAL SPONSOR?NSw ExcELLENcE IN SURvEYINg & SPATIAL INfORmATION AwARdS 2013

In 2012 the “NSW Excellence in Surveying and Spatial Information Awards” at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth attracted 420 delegates including invited guests such as the Governor of NSW Professor Marie Bashir and Sir Nicholas Shehadie.

This was the fifteenth year that the Awards have been held and it has become the major event on the Surveying and Spatial Information calendar. Events such as this are only possible with the support of our sponsors and we extend an invitation to all prospective sponsors to be part of the 2013 EISSI Awards to be held this year on the 7 September at the Hilton Hotel Sydney.

The EISSI Committee would like to thank its 2012 sponsors

A “Sponsorship Prospectus” detailing sponsor entitlements is available at the following websites home page: www.acsnsw.com.au or www.surveyors.org.au

If you are interested in being part of this highly successful event please contact Susie Zhong or Veronica Bondarew from ACS NSW office at 02 9267 9728.

Platinum

Gold

Silver

Bronze

BURTON & FIELDs u r v e y i n g & l a n d d e v e l o p m e n t

w a t e r s e r v i c i n g c o o r d i n a t o r s


FootPrints

Footprints Send in your photos to [email protected]

Far Right: Peter howie thought it just couldn’t get any better than this when doing a survey on Lord howe island for the bureau of meteorology.

Right: Carrying out a lease survey on the Marina at Woolwich, by Michael Trifiro of SDG Land development solutions

below: navigation beacon survey at Paraburdoo, wa, by Peter nancarrow.

mailto:azimuth%40surveyors.org.au?subject=



FootPrints

surveying in the south australian outback, 1981, by Peter hurcombe.

Left: When it’s this flat, any elevation is an advantage.

below: noting data, Lake Frome.


the profession

Las Vegas MGM Grand, 3-6 June 2013

Find Leica Geosystems at

HEXAGON 2013 CONFERENCE

HIGHLIGHTS

HDS User Conference: see why attendees have been raving about this event for years; what’s really going on in this hot technology area with the latest Leica Geosystems 3D scanners

Leading edge Total Station, GNSS & GIS: find out where Leica Geosystems are at with these “bread and butter” survey tools

Latest solutions for BIM: beyond the buzz: how real users are taking advantage of Leica Geosystems’ full range of tools for this high growth area

Monitoring: learn first-hand how major projects are benefitting from the latest solutions

SmartNet Reference Networks: find out why this is being called “The Next Positioning Utility” and how your organization can take full advantage of it

The surveying, mapping and positioning industries are in the midst of significant change. New partnerships and players are emerging. Technology is racing forward. New opportunities are appearing. Business models are adapting to provide exciting, new solutions. How are you preparing yourself?

At the centre of these changes is the “HxGN LIVE” international conference – the must-attend event for Leica Geosystems customers and other progressive mapping and positioning professionals.

This event offers unmatched scope and value to the survey and broad spatial industry. You’ll learn from fellow users and experts about an unprecedented breadth of new technologies and solutions all under one roof to gain insight into the latest trends that will greatly impact the way you do business and network like never before.

Around 100 Australian visitors were part of the 3400 people at last year’s Hexagon 2012 event, including a number of C.R.Kennedy hosts, and the following comments are typical examples of the feedback we received:

It was an excellent event with great networking, technical demonstrations and presentations. It was exhausting and seemed too short considering the content and information that was on offer . Mark Mayers, Fyfe Pty Ltd

What an experience.... Very well organized and complimented by your team of experts who were available not just during the track sessions and technical display areas but also in an informal social environment. It was very educational and provided an open look into how others in the world operate with the most up to date modern technology and practices . Robert Cornish, JBW Surveyors Pty Ltd

An excellent event that allowed our company to look at trends in the industry and catch up with latest technology. We will definitely attend next year . Malcolm McCoy, Vekta Pty Ltd

For more information contact your local C.R.Kennedy office.survey.crkennedy.com.au or conference.hexagon.com

Leica at Hexagon Las Vegas A4 Advert.indd 1 11/01/2013 11:28:11 AM



the profession

CoRsnet-nsw: now on twitter

Our status messages, which are available on the web portal and via RSS feed, will also be posted on Twitter. Following us on Twitter is a quick and easy way to be kept up-date with the latest information about the network when you’re on the move.

We will ‘tweet’ about new stations, scheduled maintenance, outages, milestones and other information that may be of interest to you as a member of the CORSnet-NSW community. Our Twitter account is @CORSnetNSW.

Twitter can be accessed on smart phones such as iPhone and Android which may be useful when you’re working out in the field. If you would like more information about how to access CORSnet-NSW’s Twitter feed, please contact us and we will be more than happy to help. z

T: 02 8258 7545E: [email protected].

gov.au

How far will you go to find your reference mark?

Glendyn Groves, from Esler and Associates in Wagga Wagga, was recently working on the survey for the upgrade and re-alignment of the Hume Highway around Tarcutta. However, the earthmoving contractors got in first, and had dumped and compacted 2 metres of soil directly over the position of a GI pipe

reference mark. This particular GI

pipe was critical for the boundary definition, and, as a good country surveyor, Glendyn wasn’t about to give up and show it as ‘not found’ on his DP. So he convinced the site foreman to have a backhoe do some excavating. About 2 metres later, he had his GI pipe. Good work, Glendyn, on your perseverance! Note: the shovel in the hole is for dramatic effect only! z

The Association is entirely dependent upon voluntary financial contributions to cover the cost of operating. These contributions have to date come primarily from the Institution, together with several small grants, donations and legacies from members and the estates of members. Any donation would be gratefully received.The objects of the Association include:• To counsel, help and advise any member of the

Institution of Surveyors New South Wales Inc. in need or distress to overcome health and/or professional problems.

• To offer advice, guidance and, in circumstances considered by the Directors to be special, financial assistance by way of grants, loans or payments:

(i) to the family, surviving spouse and/or dependants of any

member of the Institution of Surveyors, New South Wales who dies;

(ii) to the family, spouse and/or dependants of any member of the Institution of Surveyors, New South Wales, who is incapacitated and who, as a result, is incapable in the opinion of the Directors, or managing the affairs and welfare of himself or herself or his or her family, surviving spouse or dependants.

In order for the Benevolent Association to provide assistance when needed, the Benevolent Association needs to be informed of the circumstances that may warrant such assistance. In this regard ISNSW members are asked to provide such information to:- ISNSW Benevolent Association Ltd, SecretaryPhone (02) 9264 2076 or [email protected]

The Institution of Surveyors NSW Benevolent Association Ltd

(A Company Limited by Guarantee Formed for Charitable Purposes)

t 20

Las Vegas MGM Grand, 3-6 June 2013

Find Leica Geosystems at

HEXAGON 2013 CONFERENCE

HIGHLIGHTS

HDS User Conference: see why attendees have been raving about this event for years; what’s really going on in this hot technology area with the latest Leica Geosystems 3D scanners

Leading edge Total Station, GNSS & GIS: find out where Leica Geosystems are at with these “bread and butter” survey tools

Latest solutions for BIM: beyond the buzz: how real users are taking advantage of Leica Geosystems’ full range of tools for this high growth area

Monitoring: learn first-hand how major projects are benefitting from the latest solutions

SmartNet Reference Networks: find out why this is being called “The Next Positioning Utility” and how your organization can take full advantage of it

The surveying, mapping and positioning industries are in the midst of significant change. New partnerships and players are emerging. Technology is racing forward. New opportunities are appearing. Business models are adapting to provide exciting, new solutions. How are you preparing yourself?

At the centre of these changes is the “HxGN LIVE” international conference – the must-attend event for Leica Geosystems customers and other progressive mapping and positioning professionals.

This event offers unmatched scope and value to the survey and broad spatial industry. You’ll learn from fellow users and experts about an unprecedented breadth of new technologies and solutions all under one roof to gain insight into the latest trends that will greatly impact the way you do business and network like never before.

Around 100 Australian visitors were part of the 3400 people at last year’s Hexagon 2012 event, including a number of C.R.Kennedy hosts, and the following comments are typical examples of the feedback we received:

It was an excellent event with great networking, technical demonstrations and presentations. It was exhausting and seemed too short considering the content and information that was on offer . Mark Mayers, Fyfe Pty Ltd

What an experience.... Very well organized and complimented by your team of experts who were available not just during the track sessions and technical display areas but also in an informal social environment. It was very educational and provided an open look into how others in the world operate with the most up to date modern technology and practices . Robert Cornish, JBW Surveyors Pty Ltd

An excellent event that allowed our company to look at trends in the industry and catch up with latest technology. We will definitely attend next year . Malcolm McCoy, Vekta Pty Ltd

For more information contact your local C.R.Kennedy office.survey.crkennedy.com.au or conference.hexagon.com

Leica at Hexagon Las Vegas A4 Advert.indd 1 11/01/2013 11:28:11 AM

@CORSnetNSW

mailto:CORSnetCustomerSupport%40lpi.nsw.gov.au?subject=Twitter%20help

mailto:CORSnetCustomerSupport%40lpi.nsw.gov.au?subject=Twitter%20help

mailto:isnsw%40surveyors.org.au?subject=


strAtA & CoMMUnitY titLe LAW reForM

The Institution of Surveyors NSW Inc. has reviewed the ‘Strata and Community Title Law Reform Discussion Paper’ and would like to comment on the following items:

Question 22 - should the meaning of common property be changed? If so, what approach do you favour?

The definition of common property should not be changed. It would appear that the main reason why the definition of common property is being reviewed is not an issue with how the boundaries of strata lots are defined (surfaces of walls, floors and ceilings) but an issue regarding who has responsibility for maintaining the components and features within a strata building. The determination of who is responsible for maintaining a part of a lot should not be made by reference to the strata plan (whose primary function is to create the boundaries of strata lots) but by statutory strata management means such

as appropriate clauses in a Strata Management Act and by-laws.

Question 23 – Should owners be responsible for all internal repairs within their lot and / or work which only benefits or affects them?

Before addressing actual repair works it is worth commenting that the strata legislation is too precious about the control of common property by of the owners corporation. As an example, under the current model by-laws an owner or occupier of a lot must obtain written approval from the owners corporation before driving a nail into a common property wall in order to support a wall hanging. It is contended that the by-law is very rarely, if ever obeyed. This by-law has been in the statutory by-laws for nearly 40 years and is an example of the re-think that needs to occur regarding the management of common property within a lot. Building matters which do not directly impact on:-

• the structural integrity of the building,

• the building’s appearance or

• the integrity of the waterproofing of the building

should not directly involve the owners corporation. For example if an owner wants put a nail in the wall, change the balcony doors or renovate a kitchen the owners corporation should not be involved with such works.

An owner should be responsible for the internal repairs of a lot. At present, there is a great emphasis on the maintenance of common property by the owners corporation. A lot owner should be responsible for the maintenance of all non-structural walls, ceilings and floors, as well as fixtures such as baths, shower recesses, etc. It would appear that this is how the South Australian legislation deals with maintenance within the lots. An extension to this concept is that an item such as a hot water service which is not within a lot but sitting

on common property which serves only one lot is to be maintained by that lot owner.

Section 54 of the SSMA allows for an owner to be responsible for the maintenance of common property which is exclusively used by that lot. This principle should apply to all items in a lot (subject to the 3 dot points above) and to parts of the common property which are exclusively used by or benefit one lot.

Here are two suggested concepts of determining the responsibility of maintenance:

1. The concept of ‘implied exclusive use’ could be integrated into the strata legislation. This term could apply to fixtures and parts of the building within a lot but also fixtures which are on common property but service only one lot. Examples include an external hot water service for a lot which is situated on common property and an air conditioner which is situated on a roof but servicing only one lot. If such components of a building

Strata and Community Title Law ReformAs part of the State Government’s review of the Strata and Community Title legislation, NSW Fair Trading prepared a discussion paper ‘Strata & Community Title Law Reform Discussion Paper’ and called for comment from stakeholders.

The Surveying Practice and Legislative Sub-Committee made the following submission prepared by Robert Monteath on behalf of ISNSW.



could be classified as ‘implied exclusive use’ (which meant that the lot owner benefiting from exclusive use is to maintain that component), then it would resolve many disputes which occur on a daily basis. It is suggested that the legislation could be amended so that the lot owner is responsible for the common property which is occupied by a component that exclusively services that lot. Furthermore items such a bath tiles on common property walls and floors could also come under the term of ‘implied exclusive use’.

2. Alternatively or complementary to that above is the concept of ‘maintenance by-laws’. Recently two memoranda have been registered at LPI that stipulate whether an owner or the owners corporation is responsible for maintaining a component of the building. It has been recommended that these memoranda can be adopted by an owners corporation by the said memorandum being referred to in a by-law. It could be a logical progression that the matters addressed in the memoranda are addressed in a set of ‘model maintenance by-laws’, which are incorporated into the strata management regulations and are applicable to existing and future strata plans. Provisions could be made that if an owners corporation does not agree with the allocation of maintenance responsibility on a particular matter then, by special resolution it could change the party who has the maintenance responsibility. It could be mandated that a maintenance by-law cannot be repealed without another by-law being made, which addresses the responsibility of maintenance.

The potential use and

authority of a by-law should not be under estimated. It is worth remembering that Section 58 of the then Strata Titles Act 1973 stated that a by-law could be created “for the purpose of the control, management, administration, use or enjoyment of the lots and common property …”. Maybe the current legislation should be amended to reflect these words as it would provide by-laws with more management authority which is their purpose.

As quoted in the discussion paper, LPI and the Office of Fair Trading receive over 500 calls each week regarding the maintenance of items within a strata scheme. It is essential that the legislation is more definitive as to who has responsibility of maintaining the various parts of a strata building. The two above suggested concepts could dramatically help resolve the many maintenance inquiries and disputes which occur are on a daily basis and are very costly and time consuming to the government and the general public.

Question 26 – should the law about common property for pre-1974 schemes be changed?

This law should be changed so that walls and doors between a strata lot and its balcony be entirely common property, with the surface being the boundary of the lot, not the centreline of the wall or glass.

Question 36 – should a mechanism be introduced to enable amalgamation of subsidiary neighbourhood schemes with a Community Scheme? If so, what kind of resolution should be required?

The proliferation of Neighbourhood Schemes

within some Community Schemes has come about because it is difficult to stage subdivide a Community Scheme and create additional association property with each stage. Therefore, large staged Community Schemes have been developed by each new stage being subdivided by a Neighbourhood Scheme and creating neighbourhood property and a Neighbourhood Association. Sometimes the only Neighbourhood Association property created is a strip of grass. The way to prevent such occurrences in the future is to allow Community Schemes to be subdivided by stages similar to the statutory method of staged strata subdivision.

There should be a mechanism to either amalgamate neighbourhood schemes together to form a larger neighbourhood scheme or for neighbourhood schemes to be amalgamated and to become part of the community scheme. To do such an amalgamation should only require a special resolution.

The manner in which neighbourhood schemes could be amalgamated to form a larger neighbourhood scheme could follow the same scenario (in reverse) when there is a subdivision of a strata lot. When a strata lot is subdivided, a new strata plan number is created, however new strata lots are not part of their own owners corporation but are still part of the original owners corporation.

It could be possible to amalgamate several neighbourhood schemes by creating a new neighbourhood scheme where each of the existing neighbourhood lots would retain their existing title and lot and DP number. All that would be required is for the Certificates of Title for

the neighbourhood property to be amalgamated into a new neighbourhood association property title and the neighbourhood schemes being amalgamated would need to agree on a new neighbourhood management statement. It is suggested that to carry out the above amalgamation that only special resolutions would be required.

There would need to be a plan of consolidation registered to consolidate the neighbourhood association property from the existing neighbourhood schemes into one lot. This plan could be given a new neighbourhood DP number, as well as include a schedule of unit entitlements for all of the existing neighbourhood lots which would be based on the relative current Valuer General’s value for each of the lots. The new Neighbourhood Management Statement could be registered with this plan.

A neighbourhood strata contract could still remain applicable to the neighbourhood lots to which it applies.

It may be possible for a similar consolidation/amalgamation strategy to be used to convert neighbourhood schemes into community schemes. There would need to be a consolidation plan to consolidate the neighbourhood association property to become part of the community association property. The unit entitlement of the neighbourhood and community lots would need to be revised based on the Valuer General’s evaluations. So that each Neighbourhood Certificate of Title does not have to change, would it be possible that a neighbourhood lot could become a member of a Community Association without changing its Certificate of Title. t



Question 37 – should initial unit entitlements for strata schemes be based upon a valuation from a qualified valuer as it is for community and staged strata schemes?

It is apparent that the current requirements for the initial unit entitlements for a strata scheme are not satisfactory. Apparently on average the CTTT issues an order once a fortnight to re-allocate the unit entitlements for a strata scheme. Under the current Strata Management Act, the CTTT is obliged to re-allocate the unit entitlements based on their relative real estate value.

It is most appropriate that the legislation be changed so that the initial unit entitlements for a strata scheme are certified by a qualified valuer.

Question 87 – do you have any other suggestions for how the existing laws regulating strata and community schemes could be improved?

staGe deveLoPment undeR Community LeGisLationA significant hindrance to the development of land estates of community legislation is the restrictive legislation of staging a development. As mentioned in the response to Question 36, the reason why there are so many neighbourhood schemes (and hence the attempt to be able to amalgamate neighbourhood schemes) is because this is one of the only possible ways for a developer to stage develop a community scheme. The significant issue

under the current community legislation is that it is not possible to create additional association property in a staged subdivision without obtaining the unanimous approval for the relevant association. This means that new community roads in a staged development cannot automatically become community property.

As a comparison, since 1985, the strata legislation has had a staged strata development process which works very well and had stood the test of time. It is recommended that the community legislation adopts a similar staged development legislative framework which exists within the strata legislation. This would allow staged community schemes to be developed in an orderly and transparent manner.

abiLity to add adjoininG Land to a Community sCheme.At present, after a precinct or community scheme is created it is not possible to add adjoining land to that scheme. To be able to add adjoining land to a scheme would provide more flexibility in the development. Under the existing strata legislation it is possible to add additional land to a strata scheme, so it is recommended that a similar legislative framework is included in the community legislation.

inabiLity to subdivide Community oR PReCinCt assoCiation PRoPeRty.At present, land which becomes community or

precinct association property (being Lot 1) cannot be subdivided under the current community legislation. This is a hindrance as there are circumstances where the association would like to divest itself of some of its property and/or an owner within the scheme would like to acquire some of the association property.

The strata legislation allows for common property to be subdivided and acquired by a strata lot owner. It is recommended that the community legislation adopts the same provisions.

ReQuiRements FoR unanimous ResoLutions.In the community legislation nearly all dealings with community/precinct/ neighbourhood association property require a unanimous resolution from the relevant association. Achieving a unanimous resolution is most difficult and very impractical. Since 1997, the strata legislation has required that only a special resolution be passed in dealing with matters relating to strata common property, such as creating easements or subdividing common property. It is recommended that the community legislation be aligned with the strata legislation so that a special resolution is required for matters dealing with association property.

initiaL PeRiodThe current definition of initial period requires that a third of either community or precinct development

lots need to be subdivided by either a neighbourhood scheme or a strata scheme before the initial period will expire for the relevant scheme. There are very few community or precinct schemes for which the initial period has automatically expired. This means that the restrictions placed on an association during an initial period last indefinitely. It is recommended that the initial period for community and precinct schemes be similar to that for a strata scheme.

stRata subdivision oF a neiGhbouRhood LotUnder the current legislation it is not possible to subdivide a neighbourhood lot by a strata plan. There does not appear to be any valid reason for this prohibition. It is recommended that a neighbourhood lot (similar to a community lot or precinct lot) can be subdivided by a strata plan.

ConCLusionThe issues detailed above are ones which surveyors deal with on a daily basis. Often confusion generated by strata plans for strata managers stems not only from flaws in the plans and management statements but more from shortcomings in the underlying regulation.

The Institution considers that the recommendations herein, if acted upon would go a long way to ameliorate the problems which currently exist. z

Graeme stewart,

President,

institution of surveyors nsw inc.

Link to website:

http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/about_us/have_your_say/Review_of_strata_and_community_scheme_laws.html

http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/About_us/Have_your_say/Review_of_strata_and_community_scheme_laws.html

the profession

proUD sponsor of the sir thoMAs MitCheLL AWArD 2013


teCHnoLoGY

to the adoption of Cloud services is the concern of security. The ‘where and who’ has our private, company information is something we’ll need to get our heads around before this fully takes root, but it will happen, just like when we got over introducing the internet, email, and internet commerce into our homes and businesses. Hint - just ask any hacker which would be easier to ‘break’, a poorly managed suburban business server or a well managed one at an IT company.

So here are some things we might consider this year:-• Smart device ownership is expected to

double – they aren’t going to go away anytime soon.

• Re-negotiating your mobile data plans.• Consider off-site, on-line, out-sourced

backup for your business or personal data.

• Synchronize your web calendar (and web mail) with your mobile and desktop PC computers. You will be blown away by how productive this is.

• Reconsider the effect the NBN will have on the data economy, and why the experts are shouting out for it. (Data is the new raw commodity of the age)

• Using free Wi-Fi and Personal Hotspots where possible as ‘Connectivity is King’.On that last point and before I sign off,

if you purchased a tablet for Christmas without 3G, and you have a smart phone, it is real easy to connect that tablet (or iPad or Laptop) to the internet through your Smartphone’s 3G internet connection if Wi-Fi isn’t available. This process is called ‘Tethering’ and it’s easy. A quick check of two other people in my office (a Galaxy user and a HTC user) verified that this facility is available on their phones too. I’ll step through how to turn your iPhone into a Wi-Fi modem, and broadcast your 3G internet to your non 3G devices.

account (web mail) is one. Note that other than a web browser and a web connection, you don’t need any other installations to access your emails, and that you can do it from any smart device, laptop, or a PC in an internet café. It’s a ‘connection and access only’ model and it makes for very productive computing. What if your office documents could be created and maintained within a model like this?

Another layer of the Cloud is online back-up. At present, we do this by painstakingly plugging and unplugging USB drives into our servers and rotating them off-site to an external location. Meanwhile, our server hard drives have to keep getting bigger and better. Cloud backup services by-pass this tedium by performing data duplication over high speed internet connections. This is a good ‘lead-in technology’ for those trying to lure businesses towards enterprise cloud computing as it easy to justify. Back-up is just not back-up unless it is off-site back-up.

When you consider how many of us properly manage and maintain our own servers, it would be valid to question why our servers are in our offices at all. In the cloud computing model the server infrastructure in the office is all or partially replaced by virtual servers somewhere else. Cloud plans are already on the market - visit https://cloud.telstra.com.

On the subject of bushfires and floods, there are many net based personal backups you can try, such as Google Picasa, Face Book or Apple iCloud, and they all offer the first five gig or so for free. Take advantage of these services and you will have all your photos in one place and available to you on your smart phone, smart TV, iPad, Android Tablet or desk top PC, where ever, when ever.

For business, the biggest obstacle

It’s been a few years since we started hearing about the ‘Cloud’, or ‘Cloud Computing’. I usually ignore computing ‘buzz’ for a while until the IT business world settles down and works out how we can commercially benefit from the ‘new thing’. This year though, should be the year that we begin to take the cloudy computer future seriously.

The reason why this month’s article is about ‘the Cloud’ rather than an App is because ‘the Cloud’ is the arena where most of the data and functionality of smart devices (and apps) is and will be. This is not a prediction; it is where computing is going and where the efforts of the big players have been directed for some time. You may ask, why is my calorie count online and not on my iPhone? The simple answer is, so that next time you open ‘MyFitnessPal’ on a different device, such as a laptop or tablet, or a cloud connected spin bike at the gym, your data is there.

My first goal is to provide a non-cloudy definition of cloud computing from a business perspective, rather than a technical one. If I had to use one word to do it, that word would be ‘outsourcing’. Imagine an office computing system where you didn’t have to worry about backups, installations, updates, licensing or server administration, and you could access your emails and business applications on any device, anywhere. This paints the picture of future computing or ‘cloud computing’, where your Apps, your data and whole chunks of your computing concern is offsite somewhere and in the hands of experts who can look after it better and cheaper than you’ll ever be able to.

I mentioned that 2013 would be the year to sit up and take notice of ‘the Cloud’, but in some way we have already utilized some aspects of the Cloud’s definitive layers. A Hotmail or Gmail

App of the monthWith David Lofberg

t

https://cloud.telstra.com

https://cloud.telstra.com


1. Upgrade the iPhone to iOS6 (must do).

2. On the iPhone go to settings – Personal hotspot

3. Turn personal hotspot on and note the password it suggests.

4. On your Tablet (or iPad or laptop) go to Wi-Fi connections and you should see your iPhone’s name in the list of available Wi-Fi sources. Connect to it by entering the password you noted in step 3.

5. Surf the net on the Tablet (or iPad or laptop)

6. BE CAREFUL OF YOUR DATA USAGE – you are using 3G phone data here!

7. When you finish turn the hot-spot off in you iPhone settings. z

teCHnoLoGY

Figure 2: Galaxy hotspot settings panelFigure 1: iPhone hotspot settings panel

For further information please contactGraham Hunt

Phone (02) 9524 4679 [email protected]

www.surveyors.org.au/Groups/Seniors

SYDNEY SURVEY PRACTICE

FOR SALEteam includes 7 skilled survey staff

Why you should consider buying this business:

• $1 million - $1.5 million consistent fee base

• Specialise in construction and engineering surveying but also provide cadastral and drafting services

• Large project contracted for next 2.5 years

• Team of 10+ employees

• Very central metropolitan location

• Owner will stay on for an agreed period of time

• Office presence but not locked into a lease

We can structure sale to suit both parties Price $250k - $300k (incl. goodwill, plant and equipment)

Contact Sean Wolrige for an information brochure0405 784 132 or [email protected]

mailto:seanw%40linkbusiness.com.au?subject=



the profession

7. Confidentiality is not compromised8. Clear transition and integration plan

of the new acquisition

now what shouLd you Look FoR?

From our experiences we see the following as a compelling check list you should use if contemplating growth by acquisition of another practice.• Longstanding client relationships• There is a genuine reason for sale by

vendor• A stable team• A clean transparent simple business• A strong brand name• Possible vendor finance• Acceptable return on investment• History of positive revenue, net profit

and cash flow• A good infrastructure i.e. a non

reliance on the owner• Good potential for increased

profitability, fees and productivityFor those professionals who are

entrepreneurially minded, I hope this provides the nucleus of an idea to accelerate growth by acquisition.

Let me know what you think.sean wolrige

Sean is a senior licensed broker with LinK Business Brokers – the largest business brokerage firm in the southern hemisphere. he has helped many survey practice owners grow, value and sell their businesses over the last 8 years. if you are interested in acquiring a survey practice give me a call on (02) 9899 1999 as i have a number of survey practices for sale on my books at present. z

line net profit of the buyer. A clear example of how to accelerate the growth of a company rather than through a longer internal organic process.

strategic Acquisitions - Buy a practice with a complimentary service/product line to diversify and expand current business services and particularly leveraging off the new business through your current client base which costs you nothing.

Geographic Acquisition – By purchasing a business in one or more geographic locations this allows you to expand the market in which you can promote your services thus increasing the number of opportunities whilst enhancing the image of your firm.

resources Acquisition – Allows you to acquire employees, equipment, skill sets, systems, experience etc. which may be missing or lacking within both your firm and/or the industry as a whole. In particular quality licensed surveyors which are hard to come by.

These acquisition strategies, however, are centered on two main premises; Risk and Return on Investment.

so what aRe the keys FoR a suCCessFuL aCQuisition?

1. Having a clear reason for acquiring – financial, geographic, strategic etc

2. Strong preparation and the timing is correct

3. The acquisition is priced and structured right

4. Do your proper due diligence5. Heed professional advice from

accountants and solicitors6. Understand the tax implications

During previous articles I’ve talked about the changing demographics of the aging surveyor population and ostensibly a smaller replacement group of professionals graduating to come through as replacements.

As a consequence we should see, as it’s already happening from our experiences, more exits by principals, further poor succession planning to employees or competitors, uncommercial sales of practices leaving less wealth for the owner to retire on.

Not exactly a win-win.Over the years sales and acquisitions

have failed 75% of the time for two main reasons:

1. Unprofessional buyers and sellers or 2. There is a cultural mismatch. One client, upon first meeting him, said quite openly, “Sean, we have a 100% record when it comes to acquiring businesses, we have bought 3 businesses previously ……. and we have stuffed it up 3 times previously!”

Having said that, I think for the few surveyor/owners who are entrepreneurially minded there is going to be significant opportunities for growth by acquisition if done right.

so why wouLd you ConsideR aCQuisitions?

Financial Acquisitions - Buy a practice at the right price, discard any C or D class clients, team members, practises and systems- and possibly incorporate the remaining infrastructure into current operations where the majority of retained revenue and profitability goes through to the bottom

Growing your PracticeWith Sean WolrigeGrow In 2013 through Acquisition

the profession


in its asset lifecycle can significantly reduce the occurrence of interference and conflict with valuable subsurface utility infrastructure. The application of this Standard is intended to improve public safety and reduce costly property damage and to provide much more accurate information on the location, type and condition of subsurface utilities than has been available in the past.

It is anticipated that the final Standard will be published in March 2013.Time: This webinar is available to all across Australia. Times for your State and Territory are: 1 to 2pm AEDT (NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS)12 to 1pm AEST (QLD)12:30 to 1:30pm ACDT (SA)11:30 to 12:30pm ACST (NT)10 to 11am AWST (WA)Where: Webinar, OnlineCost: SSSI Members $35, ISNSW Members (Alliance Rate) $35, SSSI Student FREE, Non-Members $55CPD: 1 SSSI CPD Points, 1 Survey Practice CPD Points (BOSSI), event Code: sssinsW067

Registration: Please visit http://www.sssi.org.au/Events/2/calender-view.html for more information and details on how to register

nsw newssssi nsW Gis App solutions in design and Construction Webinar

Martin Russell, Senior GIS Consultant and the NSW GIS Regional Manager, Aurecon, presented this lunchtime webinar which was held on the 4th December 2012.

The presentation showcased how over the last 2 years GIS has progressively moved from a mapping analysis and asset tool into an Information Management solution for Design & Construction projects. Martin showed attendees web-based and mobile GIS app solutions that have enabled once laborious and cumbersome field procedures to be integrated and streamlined live to the cloud and consumed into web-based GIS. He demonstrated this exciting technology by using an Ipad remotely and then sending information straight back to his desktop showcasing how teams can have the latest data at their fingertips instantly.

The webinar was very well received,

aim

The aim of the workshop is twofold: Discuss the concept of spatial databases, outlining the issues and solutions these provide.

Provide participants with practical, hands-on exposure to spatial databases.

Participants will leave with data and example queries to fuel their interest in spatial even further.Time: 9am to 5pm Where: Australian Technology Park, SydneyCost: GeoNext Conference: Standard rate - $350 plus GST, SSSI Member - $262.50 plus GSTSpatial Database Workshop: Standard rate - $250 plus GST, SSSI Member - $187.50 plus GSTSpatial Database Workshop & GeoNext Conference: Standard rate -$545 plus GST, SSSI Member - $408.75 plus GSTCPd: tBC

Registration: Please visit http://www.sssi.org.au/Events/2/calender-view.html for more information and details on how to register

tuesday, 12th March 2013: Webinar – The New Australian Standard and its Application in Underground service Location

This webinar will showcase the NEW Australian Standard, AS 5488—201X, Classification of Subsurface Utility Information (SUI), which has been prepared by Standards Australia Committee IT-036, Subsurface Utility Engineering Information.

The objective of this Standard is to provide utility owners, operators and locators with a framework for the consistent classification of information to manage subsurface utilities. While the depiction and location of subsurface utilities and related asset information may appear in as-built records, due to the lack of historical evidence utility information and locations may not be exactly as shown or the records may not fully account for all the buried utility systems. This lack of reliable information during design and construction activities can result in costly conflicts, delays, utility service disruptions, redesigns, personal injuries and lost lives.

Knowing where and what a subsurface utility is, its condition and its status

rePorts

nsw Chair ReportAs the New Year starts taking shape, it has taken me a few days to shake off the cobwebs accumulated over the break. With half my mind somewhere along the Central Coast of New South Wales, I start going through the accumulation of emails. Nothing sparks much of an interest, because it is mostly same old, same old...

Then I get this email about GeoNext 2013. Although I have been fully aware of the conference coming up and have seen the preliminary programs, something catches my eye. Something about online wallets – interesting... I start reading with more attention. GPS is broken, but someone is fixing it. I wonder what that is all about. The more I read the more excited I get. Wow, this IS an exciting program. Not the ordinary stuff, but new stuff, relevant stuff. Not just for the spatial community, but for a wider, more mainstream audience.

Looking at some of the other events being planned, I get even more excited. This IS going to be an interesting year, if we make use of our opportunities. Otherwise, it will just be same old, same old.

Have an exciting 2013!

Gaby van wyk

sssi nsw Region Chair

Contact: nsW regional executiveofficer, Kelly rischmiller at [email protected] Chair, Gabriel van Wyk at [email protected]

upcoming eventstuesday, 26th February 2013: Joint sssi & Geonext spatial database Workshop

This joint SSSI / GeoNext Spatial Database Workshop is run in conjunction with the GeoNext Conference being held on the 27th February 2013.

sssi MeMBers reCeive A 25% disCoUnt

http://www.sssi.org.au/Events/2/calender-view.html





mailto:chair.nsw%40sssi.org.au?subject=

the profession



advised the upcoming dates for some 2013 events including the Australia Day Seminar at the Four Points by Sheraton, Darling Harbour and the EISSI Awards at the Hilton Hotel, Sydney (7th September 2013), the latter to be compered by Peter Berner, host of ABC TV’s The Einstein Factor.

Bob Hanna provided a report on the activities of the Seniors Group of ISNSW including the successful unveiling of a monument and an information board at Camden commemorating the bicentenary of the arrival in the colony of John Oxley to take up his position as the third Surveyor-General of NSW (see a full report in the December 2012 Azimuth). Bob also advised members of the upcoming Seniors Group Parliamentary Luncheon to be held on 5th February 2013.

Keith Cadogan was next to the microphone to outline his recent work in writing an addendum to his earlier book, “Men, Marks and Monuments” , to record the more human story of the permanent mark and alignment control surveys within the City of Sydney.

The main presentation for the evening was by David Job, Principal Cadastral Surveyor at LPI, who led an invigorating dissection of the new Surveying & Spatial Information Regulation 2012 and what it means for the practising surveyor.

David Job (LPI) presents to the Cumberland Group Christmas meeting

The new Regulation commenced on 1st September 2012. David outlined many of the matters that had been cause for comment from surveyors, including the following: • The surveyor must endorse a survey

certificate for a survey plan or a compiled plan.

• The position of a bench mark must be determined by survey technique to a standard equal to or better than that derived from using a hand held GNSS.

beetroot, salt and pepper squid, anchovies, aioli.

Dessert was the choice of baked lemon tart or vanilla pannacotta with strawberries.

We were served ample drinks through the night followed by tea / coffee to finish off the evening.

One of our lovely comments from the evening:

“Thank you for organising such a great event. I really enjoyed the night, the food, networking, every part of it. And it’s a great pleasure talking with you too.” X LiSSSI NSW will be holding more networking events for this year. Please email Kelly Rischmiller on [email protected] if you have any ideas / suggestions for the next one.

Cumberland Group news

The Cumberland Group completed its 2012 calendar of events with a Christmas themed dinner and meeting at the Parramatta Workers Club on 12 December 2012. It was encouraging for the Committee to see an endorsement of its decision to replace the Cumberland Group Christmas Party by this meeting through the attendance of 85 surveyors at a traditionally very busy time of year. Members enjoyed a festive spread of Christmas eats and an open bar. Chair of the Cumberland Group, Mark Gordon, commenced proceedings by welcoming attendees and outlining the many successes of the Group throughout 2012. Mark thanked the Committee for its dedicated work and thanked the members for showing such strong support for Group events throughout the year.

Mark invited Narelle Underwood, Cumberland Group representative on the ISNSW Board, to address the meeting. Narelle provided a report on the recent happenings at the Institution including a successful joint meeting at the Institution offices in November of the Young Surveyors Group and the SSSI Young Professionals. Narelle also

here are some of the great comments:“Excellent webinar – thanks. The

mobile GIS in Christchurch was fantastic and even the simple car park survey in Kingston was impressive. The whole concept blows me away actually. Pass on my thanks to Martin.” T Proust

“Kelly, I thought the webinar was excellent. Martin and Aurecon are utilising GIS in ways that we in Government can only dream about. It was a fine example of what can be achieved provided you can convince management to fund the exercise, and as Martin alluded to, this is done by presenting a solid business case. The examples that Martin showed throughout the webinar were easy to understand and were relevant to the audience.” - A Martin

Webinar Recording: This webinar was recorded so if you would like to receive the recording, you can register for the event by contacting Kelly Rischmiller at email: [email protected]

SSSI NSW Networking DinnerOn Thursday, 22nd November, SSSI

NSW held their first networking dinner event for the year at William Blue Dining in North Sydney. A great night was had by all and it was a good opportunity for attendees to network with our special guests:

Bruce Douglas, Director, Corporate GIS Consultants

Dr Craig Roberts, Senior Lecturer in Surveying/ GPS/ Geodesy, UNSW

Milton Lofberg, Technical Consultant, Autodesk

Tim Goring, Director, Enterprise Solutions, IFM

After each course we waited for Gaby Van Wyk to click his glass as the signal and we would move around the tables so we were seated with someone new for the evening. This gave us ample opportunity to meet with most of the attendees on the night.

The food and service was amazing from the students at William Blue College of Hospitality Management. We could see why the restaurant has won so many awards. Entree was the choice of Tiger prawn, green mango, papaya and soft Asian herb salad with chilli and lime dressing, or Charcuterie plate-cured meats, wood fired bread.

Main was the choice of roasted rack of lamb, herb gnocchi, baby vegetables, mint jus or chargrilled kingfish, roasted

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t

mailto:reo.nsw%40sssi.org.au?subject=

mailto:reo.nsw%40sssi.org.au?subject=


the profession


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a redraft of the Standard ready for the Committee’s endorsement prior to release.

Rick Bartholomew has made contact with the Department of Education regarding the concept of a “virtual classroom” and how it may be employed in the surveying and spatial information sector.

The meeting spent time discussing the ongoing role of SMIC, given the changes to our sector’s composition and institutional arrangements. Members agreed that SMIC has, and continues to play, a leading role as an independent ‘whole of industry’ reference group. It was agreed to reduce the number of meetings per year by one and also to investigate the use of social media like LinkedIn and Facebook.

The following information should be of interest to members of our constituent organisations and the general public. Full reports by the representatives on SMIC can be obtained on request by e-mailing [email protected] or by contacting the SMIC Chairman, Mark Gordon. Acronyms are explained on the SMIC website at www.smicnsw.org.au. Links to our member organisations are on the SMIC website.

ACS: The Industry Day promotional DVD has been placed on YouTube. The Skills Shortage questionnaire is being distributed on Monday after the receipt of over $100,000 in industry support. Results will be made available at the Australia Day Seminar. The regional Webinars continue their success. ACS made submissions on the review of ‘Strata and Community Title’ laws in NSW as well as lobbying for changes to the Standard Instrument LEP.

AHS: Professor Christina Hulbe has been appointed as Professor and Dean of Surveying at the University of Otago. The Cat A Hydrographic Surveying Course will re-commence at Otago in 2013. The University of Tasmania has not supported the Australian Maritime College’s proposal to run a hydrographic course in 2013. Commodore Rod Nairn’s term as the RAN Hydrographer ends in January 2013, and Brett Bruce will be the new RAN Hydrographer. The SSSI Hydrography Commission will be producing a DVD for Hydrographic Surveying. At the last AHS EAR meeting Sydney Water gave a very interesting presentation on how

provide good value for money and 52% consider that the ISNSW President should be a paid position. The Committee will examine the written comments for continuous improvement in service delivery to members.

The Cumberland Group thanks all presenters at this meeting and all presenters from our previous meetings for their contributions throughout 2012. We look forward to another successful year in 2013, the 50th anniversary of the Cumberland Group.

Please add the following 2013 meeting dates to your calendar. • 20 February 2013 (General Meeting)• 8 May 2013 (General Meeting)• 19 July 2013 (Land Development

Seminar)• 9 October 2013 (General Meeting)• 2-3 November 2013 (Special 50th

Anniversary Event)The last of these events will be held

at the Carrington Hotel, Katoomba, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Group and the 200th anniversary of Surveyor George Evans passing by the site of the future town of Katoomba on his survey traverse to the Western Plains. More details will be provided in a future edition of Azimuth.warren thomas

Publicity Officer

Cumberland Group of surveyors

newsThe 139th General Meeting of the

Surveying & Mapping Industry Council of NSW was held on Friday 16 November 2012 at the RMS office at Parramatta.

The Chairman, Mark Gordon, was please to announce that over 200 public comments were received on the draft Standard AS 5488 Classification of Subsurface Utility Information (SUI) by the due date of 22 October. Standards Australia was very pleased with this result as it demonstrated that the industry was interested and active. The IT-036 Committee met to discuss the comments and either accept or reject them for the next stage, which involves

• In carrying out a survey a surveyor must disclose on the plan or in an accompanying report a discrepancy in excess of 40mm + 200 parts per million.

• Street addresses - David stated that it was not the intention that the unavailability of street addresses should delay plan registration. Where street addresses were unavailable David recommended a statement to that effect be placed on the plan.

• The Surveyor Identification No. required on the Survey Certificate on a plan can be found on the card issued to each Registered Land Surveyor by BOSSI.

The final presenter of the evening was “Mr History” John Brock with his video presentation of “Surveyors and Surveying on Television”. If you have not seen any of John’s presentations on surveyors in the movies or in TV shows then you should try to attend a showing in the future. You will be entertained and amused as we were at this meeting.

The highlight of John’s presentation was his new find of an old Elmer Fudd cartoon, “The Unruly Hare”, where Elmer plays a railway surveyor to be, of course, eventually outsmarted by that “wascally wabbit”.

The members were then entertained by 15 short clips of surveyors in TV shows with John providing additional commentary. We saw surveyors bashed with their tripod in The Sopranos; surveyors as the villains in Kung Fu (1972) and Bonanza (1959); surveyors as alien fodder in The X-Files and Stargate SG1 (which was set in the future but showed the surveyor using a 1950s Kern theodolite); and in Green Acres the surveyor bamboozles farm owner Oliver Douglas. But it was not hard to see why John regards one of the best of the TV episodes to be MacGyver where Mac makes a ‘theodolite’ from two straight branches, string, a pair of earrings and the compulsory gaffer tape!

John’s presentation was certainly a fun way to end the year.

During the evening, an ISNSW questionnaire was handed to members and we had a 76% return rate. Amongst the results were that 73% of members wanted to continue to receive Azimuth in hard copy; 93% believe that the Cumberland Group and ISNSW continue to serve their membership needs and

the profession



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future development will affect water quality/flows of the Hawkesbury – Nepean river system.

AIMS: The Singleton seminar will be held on 5th December 2012 with a Candidate workshop to be held in the morning. The Mudgee seminar will be held in February 2013. The 2013 Annual Conference will be held in Adelaide, South Australia. 9 candidates passed their oral exams and will receive their mining surveying certificates of competency in November 2012.

GITA: The AGM and Board Meeting are scheduled for 30th November 2012 in Brisbane. PSMA Australia is the winner of the 2012 GITA Excellence Award with Essential Energy awarded the 2012 GITA ANZ Dial Before You Dig Performance Award.

ISNSW: The Institution’s new President is Graeme Stewart with Phillip Hayward President Elect. Membership has increased from the previous year. The Australia Day Seminar 2013 will be held on 24-25 January 2013. ISNSW Young Surveyors and SSSI Young Professionals held a very successful CPD event on 9th November 2012. ISNSW and the Seniors Group attended the bicentenary celebration of the arrival of John Oxley (3rd Surveyor General of NSW) in the colony. The FIG 2016 Working Week will be held in Christchurch, New Zealand.

MSIA: The annual MSIA seminar “Utilising Contemporary Mapping” was held on 25 October 2012. Speakers were from ESRI Australia; LPI NSW; Spatial Policy (Depot Resources Energy & Tourism); Intergraph; the AGs Dept;

Bureau of Transport Statistics and the Dept of Trade & Investment.

SSSI: The Young Professionals held a free CPD conference at the Sydney Brewhouse on 9th November 2012. GIS Day was held on 14th November 2012. The Institute will hold a networking dinner on 22nd November 2012 at the William Blue Dining Restaurant. The Mapping and Standards in Underground Services Twilight Seminar has been postponed until March 2013.

Surveyor General: There are now 110 stations forming CORSnet NSW. LPI held a ‘New Generation Datum’ workshop on 23-24 October 2012. The Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2012 commenced on 1st September 2012. A new version of SCIMS Online has been released. On the 3rd November 2012 the Minister for Finance and Services announced a scoping study to examine the viability of private sector investment into the services provided by LPI including land titling and registration, property information, valuations, mapping and surveying.

TAFE: The ‘Smart and Skilled’ report was released by the Government in October 2012. A skills list based on industry consultation will define which courses will be subsidised by the NSW Government. Potential student numbers for the Sydney Institute are looking sound for 2013. Hunter Institute will see over 20 students progressing into the second year of the Diploma. There is a lot of interest for the Cert. III course in 2013. Every teaching section in TAFE is undergoing a review to justify its continuance.

University of Newcastle: From 2013 the Bachelor of Surveying degree will be known as the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Surveying). The position of Professor/Associate Professor in Surveying will be re-advertised. The Annual Discipline Dinner incorporating the presentation of student prizes was held on 15 September 2012. The Annual Surveying Seminars were held on 26 October 2012.

University of New South Wales: An education forum involving 5 Deans from 3 Chinese Universities will take place on 19 November 2012. A GPS/GNSS for the modern surveyor workshop is scheduled for 14-15 February 2013. A short

course on Airborne Lidar Data Acquisition and Processing will be held 18-19 February 2013. Kurt Lambeck, 1963 university medallist, has won the Balzan prize for his work on climate change. Over 200 delegates attended the 3rd International Conference on Indoor Positioning and Indoor Navigation (IPIN) at the University on 13-15 November 2012. The School is supporting the surveying spectacular at Bicentennial Park on 16 November 2012

The next meeting of the NSW Surveying & Mapping Industry Council will be held at the offices of Roads & Maritime Services in Parramatta on Friday 8 March 2013. z

mark t Gordon

Chairman

Engineering Survey Business for Sale

• Engineering survey business for sale in thriving

Mackay• Established for 6 years with a varied client

portfolio• Preferred supplier to the Council• high profile office. Easy access to highways• Ideal opportunity for qualified surveyor or

survey Company to expand into the Mackay region and reap the benefits of the mining sector

Contact: E: [email protected] M: 0429 400 425

the profession


outside of the UAV frame, a wide range of options is available to suit the purpose of the flight, from thermographic to DSLR cameras and also video cameras. There is even the option to transmit a live video broadcast to a ground station or video display goggles to enable real-time viewing.

For more information about the Aibot X6 multicopter, visit www.positionpartners.com.au or call 1300 867 266 z

mechanism includes automated pitch and roll compensation as well as the option to switch between vertical and horizontal camera positions during flight for multiple-perspective image capture.

The Aibot X6 can fly autonomously to a pre-programmed flight path, or alternatively it can be controlled manually via a tablet PC or remote control unit. It comes with built-in collision avoidance and automatic distance control, with on-board sensors that enable the user to fly close to a surface without bumping into it. As the on-board camera is mounted

Following a recent announcement of the fixed wing SIRIUS Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Position Partners has extended its aerial mapping range with a complimentary new rotary-blade UAv for Australia, the Aibot X6 by Aibotix.

“The Aibot X6 offers an ideal solution for detailed inspections or aerial surveys of hard to reach areas such as bridges, pipelines, power lines and rail tracks,” said Garry MacPhail, Survey Business Manager at Position Partners.

“We are pleased to offer our customers a UAV solution for any application and the Aibot X6 is a very flexible, robust option that can be used for aerial mapping, imaging, filming, asset inspection and even thermography.”

Unlike fixed-wing UAVs, the Aibot X6 operates via six propellers, which are positioned in a hexagonal shape above the camera and are protected by a unique lightweight yet robust carbon fibre housing.

The propellers enable movement in every direction, vertically and horizontally, allowing for greater flexibility during flight and the ability to hover in a fixed position when required.

In addition, the camera mount

ProdUCt neWs

Aibot X6 muliticopter lands in Australia with Position Partners

BUsiness For sALe

survey firm based in strathfield offered for sale. Business would suit principal plus one or two technicians. Wide variety of work from loyal client base built since 1972. Most of our work is from repeat clients. Long lease on office is available. Owner is selling the business and equipment separately. Robotic total stations and other equipment are also for sale.

Current owner has a young family and seeks a tree change. This is a great opportunity for a young surveyor(s) to take on a well established practice.Contact Mike 0418 770 565 or email [email protected]

WAnted

one or more ProMArK 2 GPs UnitsContact: Jim noad, Inverell. 0428 418 052

WorK eXPerienCe WAnted

UK student, Graduate in Bsc Geography on a working holiday visa is looking for work experience in Surveying /GIS. Contact: Adam Johnson at [email protected]

Many Surveyors use BricsCAD. Download a free trial at www.bricsys.com

Classifieds

http://www.positionpartners.com.au

mailto:mike%40citisurv.com.au?subject=

mailto:adam-jz%40hotmail.com?subject=

www.bricsys.com


Global mining

technology

company, Maptek,

is launching a new

customer portal to

better serve more

than 6500 Vulcan

users, in January

2013.

The online tool allows customers to track and manage their support cases, search a knowledge base of FAQs, solutions and ‘how-to’ videos, and learn from tips and tricks. A users forum will offer a channel to comment and share information with global peers.

In addition to personal support cases, customers have access to a repository of more than 400 solution articles. Vulcan downloads will also be accessible via the portal.

‘We want customers to be able to easily access information,’ said Stewart Maurer, Director of Global

Marketing. ‘This is something they have asked for, and it will be an essential tool in our Maptek customer service matrix.’

new tooLs in maPtek vuLCan™ 8.2 ReLease taRGet sPeed and eFFiCienCy

Maptek™, leading software provider to the mining industry, has released Vulcan 8.2 to a global license base of more than 6,000 users.

The new tools, updates and features in Vulcan 8.2 provide the increased speed, efficiency and usability that modern mining demands. An improved software

experience complemented by a walk-through document, release notes and tutorials has been rolled out.

A customer request for generating strategic pit and dump designs prompted development of the new Rapid Pit Design tool, which has been released in Vulcan 8.2. Mine planning engineers can quickly create mid-bench based designs, and generate phases and reserve reports. With this tool users can evaluate multiple designs in the same amount of time they would traditionally create a single design.

‘The new tool helps engineers to quickly create and analyse different pit designs, allowing them to look at many more alternative designs, prior to producing a final design,’ said Steve Uecker, Vulcan Client Experience Manager. z

ProdUCt neWs

MeMBersHiP ConneCt

Maptek to launch new online user’s area in 2013

membership ConnectThe Institution of Surveyors NSW is pleased to welcome and congratulate the following members admitted on 7th December 2012:-

stUdent MeMBersHiP

We congratulate and welcome Timothy Burchell, Jacky Chan, Jonathan Clancy, Ching ng and Hoang nguyen to student Membership.

James HordAge: 22Comments: Am about to commence my 5th and final year of a Bachelor of Civil engineering/Bachelor of surveying degree at Newcastle University. over the last couple of years i have been working part-time within the coal mining industry as a survey Assistant/trainee, as

well as spending 3 summer vacation periods working for Xstrata Coal NSW. Future: My long-term goal is to become a registered Mine Surveyor, while at the moment I hope to finish university and become a graduate within the Mining Industry.

Geoffrey WardAge: 24Career: Now entering my third year of studying surveying at UnsW, after having completed a science honours degree in GIS. I enjoy new challenges, and am keen to explore the opportunities that a career in spatial present.Interests: Aside from studying, my activities

include leading a Scout Troop (1st East Ryde), play French horn, bugle for the local RSL, and was awarded Ryde Young Citizen of the Year in 2012.

CorPorAte MeMBersHiP

We congratulate and welcome Peter Enright, Rientz Inglis and Matthew Smithto Corporate Membership.

http://www.maptek.com/vulcan8.2/index.html

http://www.maptek.com/vulcan8.2/index.html


tHe ProFession

G.G. 9Th NOVEMBER 2012The following instruments were officially notified on the NSW legislation website:• Environmental Planning and

Assessment Amendment (Fees) regulation 2012

• Western Sydney Parklands Amendment order 2012

• Work health and Safety Amendment (Miscellaneous) Regulation 2012

The following address locality boundaries are proposed to be amended:• Locality boundaries in the Penrith

Local Government Area resulting in the extension of Glenmore Park into Mulgoa.

• Locality boundaries in the Newcastle Local Government Area resulting in the extension of New Lambton into Kotara.

• Address locality boundaries of Dinoga, Keera and Bingara in the Gwydir Local Government Area.

G.G. 16Th NOVEMBER 2012The following instruments were officially notified on the NSW legislation website:• Albury Local Environmental Plan 2010

(Amendment No 7)• Burwood Local Environmental Plan 2012

• Gosford Local Environmental Plan no 475

• Queanbeyan Local Environmental Plan (South Tralee) 2012

• Sutherland Shire Local Environmental Plan 2006 (Amendment No 12)

• Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2005 (Amendment No 5)

• Upper Lachlan Local Environmental Plan 2010 (Amendment No 1)

• Wagga Wagga Local Environmental Plan 2010 (Amendment No 5)

The following populations and species have been listed as an endangered under the threatened species Conservation Act 1995:

• Stringybark She-Oak population in the Clarence Valley local government area.

• Craven Grey Box.• Genoplesium baueri R. Br.• Calystegia affinia Endl.G.G. 23RD NOVEMBER 2012The following instruments were officially notified on the NSW legislation website:• Camden Local Environmental Plan

2010 (Amendment No 6)• Moree Plains Local Environmental Plan

2011 (Amendment No 1)

• Tweed Local Environmental Plan 2000 (Amendment No 93)

G.G. 30Th NOVEMBER 2012The following instruments were officially notified on the NSW legislation website:• Building Professionals Amendment

(Accreditation) Regulation 2012• Blayney Local Environmental Plan 2012• Coonabarabran Local Environmental

Plan 1990 (Amendment No 3)• Liverpool Local Environmental Plan

2008 (Amendment No 23)• Queanbeyan Local Environmental Plan

2012• Upper Lachlan Local Environmental

Plan 2010 (Amendment No 2)• Wellington Local Environmental Plan

2012G.G. 7Th DECEMBER 2012The following instruments were officially notified on the NSW legislation website:• Armidale Dumaresq Local

environmental Plan 2012• Gosford Local Environmental Plan 476• Guyra Local Environmental Plan 2012• Young Local Environmental Plan 2010

(Amendment No 4)

From the NSW Government Gazette

Pursuant to the provisions of the surveying and spatial information Act 2002, the undermentioned persons have been registered as Land Surveyors in New South Wales from the dates shown.

Pursuant to the provisions of the surveying and spatial information Act 2002, the undermentioned persons have been registered as Mining Surveyors (Unrestricted) in New South Wales from the dates shown.

name Address effective date

BorGers,sebastian

Po Box 363Fyshwick 2609 1 nov 2012

sinGH,dharmendra

suite 317/5Celebration driveBella vista 2153

9 nov 2012

sMitH,Anthony Patrick

6 Herb elliot Aveolympic Park 2127 23 nov 2012

sMitH,Matthew Graham

19 Massey streetGladesville 2111 19 nov 2012

stevenson,Matthew Dean

Po Box 363Fyshwick 2609 1 nov 2012

steWArt,Peter James

Po Box 491Chatswood 2057 28 nov 2012

tAYLor,scott daniel

186 Fisher roadMaraylya 2765 31 oct 2012

triFiro,Michael Murray

7/1B Kleins roadnorthmead 2152 23 oct 2012


BAiLLieU,nicholas James

PMB 9Muswellbrook 2333 15 nov 2012

CHisHoLM,timothy robert

Po Box 86Lambton 2287 1 nov 2012

deAves,Michael Geoffrey

Po Box 320singleton 2330 12 nov 2012

HAddon,Brett Charles

Bells Line of roadClarence 2790 21 nov 2012

MACPHerson,John Bernard

76 Bells roadLithgow 2790 5 nov 2012

niCHoLs,Brendan Luke

Hunter valley operationssingleton 2330 21 nov 2012

tUCKer,nicolas James

Po Box 402Helensburgh 2508 5 nov 2012

WooBY,Joel sang soo

14/55 Auburn streetsutherland 2232 31 oct 2012

tHe ProFession

Azimuth • February 2013 • 39 ProUd sPonsor oF tHe sir tHoMAs MitCHeLL AWArd 2012

Pursuant to the provisions of the surveying and spatial information Act 2002, the undermentioned persons have been registered as a Land Surveyor in New South Wales under the

G.G. 14Th DECEMBER 2012The following items have been listed on the State heritage register:• Toongabbie Government Farm Archaeological Site, Goliath

Avenue, Winston Hills and oakes road, old toongabbieThe following instruments were officially notified on the NSW legislation website:• Brewarrina Local Environmental Plan 2012• Dubbo Local Environmental Plan 2011 (Amendment No 1)• hurstville Local Environmental Plan 2012• Inverell Local Environmental Plan 2012• Parkes Local Environmental Plan 2012The following address locality boundaries have been amended:• Address locality boundaries of Glenmore Park and Mulgoa in

the Penrith Local Government Area.• Address locality boundaries of New Lambton and Kotara in

the Newcastle Local Government Area.• Address locality boundaries of Dinoga, Keera and Bingara in

the Gwydir Local Government Area.G.G. 21ST DECEMBER 2012The following instruments were officially notified on the NSW legislation website:• Growth Centres (Development Corporations) Amendment

(UrbanGrowth NSW Development Corporation) Order 2012• holroyd Local Environmental Plan 1991 (Amendment No 54)• Nambucca Local Environmental Plan 2010 (Amendment No 8)• Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012The following species have been listed as an endangered under the threatened species Conservation Act 1995:• Ozothamnus vagans (C.T. White) Anderb.The following Urban Place Names were assigned:

• Civic and honeysuckle in the Newcastle Local Government Area

G.G. 28Th DECEMBER 2012The following instruments were officially notified on the NSW legislation website:• Coastal Protection Amendment Act 2012• Electronic Conveyancing (Adoption of National Law) Act 2012• Forestry Act 2012• Rail Safety (Adoption of National Law) Act 2012• Coastal Protection Amendment (Code of Practice) Regulation

2012• Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Fire

sprinkler systems) regulation 2012• Forestry Regulation 2012• Rail Safety (Adoption of National Law) Regulation 2012• Work health and Safety Amendment (Dangerous Goods at

Ports) regulation 2012• Work health and Safety Amendment (Transitional) Regulation

2012• Camden Local Environmental Plan Amendment (Sydney

Region Growth Centres – Turner Road Precinct) 2010• Canterbury Local Environmental Plan 2012• Gosford Local Environmental Plan No 478• Junee Local Environmental Plan 2012• Leichhardt Local Environmental Plan 2000 (Amendment

no 19)• Lockhart Local Environmental Plan 2012• Narrabri Local Environmental Plan 2012• Port Macquarie-hastings Local Environmental Plan 2011

(Amendment No 17)• State Environmental Planning Policy (Major Development)

Amendment (UTS Ku-ring-gai Campus and Wahroonga estate) 2012

• State Environmental Planning Policy Amendment (Fire sprinkler systems) 2012

• Tumut Local Environmental Plan 2012• Tweed Local Environmental Plan 2000 (Amendment No 35)• Warren Local Environmental Plan 2012• Willoughby Local Environmental Plan 2012 z


orr,derek ryan

4/18 George streetMudgee 2850 18 oct 2012

ConFerenCes And seMinArs

internAtionAL LidAr MAPPinG ForUM11-13 February 2013denver, Colorado, UsAhttp://www.lidarmap.org/ILMF.aspx

ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC AUThORITY SURVEYORS (APAS)18th Annual Conference13-14 March 2013rex HotelCanberra, ACtContact: Geoff Lenton, secretaryEmail: [email protected]

sUrveYinG And sPAtiAL sCienCes ConFerenCe 2013national Convention Centre, Canberra15-19 April [email protected]

HeXAGon 2013 ConFerenCe MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, Las vegas, nevada 3 - 6 June 2013 Contact: Your local C.R.Kennedy office http://conference.hexagon.com

APAs 2014 ConFerenCe1 – 2 April 2014Pokolbin, Hunter valley, nsW


LooKinG BACK

The following are extracts from the February 1913 edition of The Surveyor:

Right of RoadIn our days of local government, with Councils always aware to the possibility of encroachments on public thoroughfares, there is very little chance of such an encroachment being erected, and still less of it being allowed to stand; but in the old days it was not so, and sometimes the public itself had to take action in order to preserve the right of road. One such case happened on the North Shore, and shows how residents resented any act which they considered deprived them of their rights to thoroughfares.An agitation was started at North Sydney in the early eighties with regard to the alleged closing of Whaling Road, a thoroughfare running east from Alfred Street in the direction of the waters of Neutral Bay. It was claimed, on behalf of the public, that this roadway, shown on early plans as running unobstructed to the water of the bay, had been closed by the erection of a wall enclosing certain premises.It appears from the public records that in the years 1830-31, the Crown, by Mr. James Larmer, a licensed surveyor, subdivided the peninsula of land between Neutral Bay and Careening Cove into eight allotments. A road running down the middle of this peninsula, and

known as the Whaling Road, was laid out on Mr. Larmer’s plan and marked out by him on the ground dividing the allotments fronting Neutral Bay from those fronting Careening Cove. Allotment No. 7 was granted originally to Messrs. Mitchell and How, but in 1846 was owned by Mrs. Loxton. This lady enclosed her grounds with a stone wall, and she claimed the whole area enclosed by her as part of lot 7, on the ground that the length of lines given in that grant from the water to the road would include the road. Subsequent surveys, however, went to show her contention was doubtful, as without the encroachment on the road, Mrs. Loxton had the full area comprised in her grant.On July 18, 1873, by “Gazette” notice, the road was proclaimed as of a width of 60 feet to the western boundaries of the Whaling allotments, near Mrs. Loxton’s wall, and thence of the width of 40 feet to the waters of Port Jackson, as the full width of 60 feet in that place would have interfered with Mrs. Loxton’s house.Feeling ran very high, and it was no unusual thing to see hostile forces gathered in the vicinity of the wall, one party attacking the obstruction with axes and other implements of destruction, and another party putting up a stubborn defence. Other complications followed, as land adjoining Mrs. Loxton’s premises was sold to the North Shore Gas Company by the Government, creating a further obstruction. As a result, litigation followed, and several injunctions were secured by Mrs. Loxton restraining anyone from destroying her property. In addition, select committees of the Legislative Assembly were appointed to inquire into the whole matter, the first being appointed during the session 1883-84, and the second and last during December, 1891.The Committee held an exhaustive

enquiry, during which a large number of witnesses were examined. It was shown that the roadway was constantly used as the only access to the water before the wall was built.According to the records, this roadway was vested in the Municipal Council of East St. Leonards, but when the question arose in the council in connection with the alleged obstruction, the borough solicitors expressed the opinion that though the road was vested in the council, the council would not be justified in spending the money of the ratepayers in testing a right of road which, comparatively speaking, affected a small minority of the persons from whom such money was derived. On the other hand, an opinion was given to the effect that the Whaling Road, 40 feet wide, had never been vested in the municipality. Further, that, according to Mr. Larmer’s evidence before the select committee, he only marked out a 66 feet road, consequently the 40 feet road had no existence, but existed merely as unalienated Crown land.Later the North Sydney Council requested the Minister for Lands to proceed against Mrs. Loxton for an intrusion upon Crown lands, and to cause the land to be properly laid out and dedicated to the public as a road – the lands being described on the map of East St. Leonards as Whaling Road. But a reply was received to the effect that the department was not satisfied that there had been any encroachment, or that sufficient grounds existed to take action as requested.The select committee in its report expressed the opinion that the road which was shown on the plans and known as Whaling Road was a public thoroughfare, and recommended that it be at once opened by the Government for public use. This recommendation, however, was never given effect to, and to this day no further steps

have apparently been taken in the matter. The result is that the thoroughfare is still obstructed, but the inconvenience to the public desiring access to Neutral Bay has been minimized by the construction of High Street.

Personal NotesWe read in the “Daily Telegraph” of the 13th February:- “A commission is being appointed to advise the Government on all railway matters affecting the Northern Territory. The commission will report upon the adequacy of the present lines, upon the necessity for developmental work, and particularly upon the prospects of linking up the Territory railways with the systems of the other States. The Minister for External Affairs today announced that Mr. Frank Clarke, surveyor, of New South Wales, has been appointed chairman of the commission. There are still two other members to be appointed before the commission commences its tour of inspection of the Territory. Mr. Clarke was a member of the House of Representatives in the first Federal Parliament, representing the Cowper electorate of New South Wales. He is at present practicing at Kempsey. The commission will also report upon a site for the capital of the Territory, taking into consideration the Administrator’s suggestion that a more favourable position might be found for the capital than Darwin, and with an even more salubrious climate. The commission will commence taking evidence about the last week in March, and if possible it is intended to arrange that representatives of the Defence Department shall give evidence from the standpoint of the defence of the Northern Territory.”We are glad to congratulate Mr. Clarke (one of our members, and a Past-President) upon his selection for this high appointment. z

100 YEARS AGO



2013 CALendAr oF events

DATE EVENT CODE ORGANISATION ACTIVITY/FUNCTION/MEETING LOCATION

CPD POINTSMINING CAD SUR Total

February 20131 The Institution of Surveyors NSW Committee Meeting L4, 162 Goulburn St Surry Hills

2 The Institution of Surveyors NSW BoSSI Candidate Workshop - Instructional L4, 162 Goulburn St Surry Hills

3 The Institution of Surveyors NSW BoSSI Candidate Workshop - Instructional L4, 162 Goulburn St Surry Hills

5 Seniors Group Parliamentary Luncheon Parliament House SYDNEY TBA

23 The Institution of Surveyors NSW BoSSI Candidate Workshop - Assessment Workshop L4, 162 Goulburn St Surry Hills

28 Murray Group Seminar Willow Bank Albury TBA

March 20131 The Institution of Surveyors NSW Committee Meeting L4, 162 Goulburn St Surry Hills

20 The Institution of Surveyors NSW Twilight Seminar L4, 162 Goulburn St Surry Hills TBA

21 St George/Sutherland Group Meeting Sutherland United Services Club, Sutherland TBA

April 20135 The Institution of Surveyors NSW Committee Meeting L4, 162 Goulburn St Surry Hills


May 20133 The Institution of Surveyors NSW Committee Meeting L4, 162 Goulburn St Surry Hills

7 Seniors Group Lunch 12:00pm Quarterly Meeting 1pm

Lunch: Crown Hotel Sydney Corner of

Goulburn St & Elizabeth St, Meeting:

L4, 162 Goulburn St Surry Hills


June 20137 The Institution of Surveyors NSW Committee Meeting L4, 162 Goulburn St Surry Hills


21 Southern Group Seminar Canberra

July 20135 The Institution of Surveyors NSW Committee Meeting L4, 162 Goulburn St Surry Hills


THE INSTITUTION OFSURVEYORS NSW INC

Head OfficeLevel 4, 162 Goulburn street, surry Hills, nsW 2000Po Box 104, darlinghurst nsW 1300Phone: (02) 9264 2076Fax: (02) 9261 [email protected] www.surveyors.org.au

PatronHer ExcellencyProfessor Marie Bashir AC CVOGovernor of New South Wales

PresidentGraeme StewartPhone: (02) 9264 [email protected]

President ElectPhilip haywardPhone: 0418 416 [email protected]

Past PresidentGrahame WallisPhone: (02) 9264 [email protected]

Honorary Secretaryvictoria testerPhone: (02) 9264 [email protected]

Honorary TreasurerMatt HynesPhone: 0408 084 [email protected]

Administration ManagerTerina Sawyer(02) 9264 [email protected]

Elected ISNSW DirectorsMichael LockleyPhone: (02) 9879 [email protected]

Dr. Bill Kearsley Phone: (02) 9385 4188 [email protected]

Jonathan KeenPhone (02) 9544 [email protected]

John BrockPhone: 02 9633 [email protected]

GROUP REPRESENTATIVESCumberlandNarelle UnderwoodPhone: (02) 8837 0897 [email protected] Southernrobert van der zypen(02) 4296 [email protected]

North CoastMichael Lamont Phone: (02) 6651 [email protected]

Sydney NorthVictoria TesterPhone: (02) 9630 7955 [email protected]

MurrayJason Hay Phone: (02) 6051 1300 [email protected]

Hunter Manningtony ProustPhone: (02) 4940 4200 [email protected]

Central WesternMark ButtsworthPhone: 02 6331 [email protected]

St George SutherlandPeter vandergraafPhone: 02 8234 8300 [email protected]

Senior SurveyorsMichael rutlidgePhone: 0410 770 [email protected]

Young SurveyorsMatt HynesPhone: 0408 084 [email protected]

Engineering and Mining Surveyorsnorm MannPhone: (02) 8808 [email protected]

CO-OPERATING ASSOCIATIONS REPRESENTATIVESAssociation of Public Authority surveyors and staff surveyors Association – Graeme StewartAssociation of Consulting surveyors – Murray LearmontMain roads surveyors Association – Narelle UnderwoodCountry surveyors Association – Paul RowlandsonProfessional surveyors occupational Association – Michael Lamontsurveying and spatial sciences institute – Gaby van Wyk

University RepresentativeKarl BretregerPhone: (02) 4921 6051 [email protected]

TAFE Representative Paul Swan Phone: (02) 9217 5161 [email protected]

Nominees to the Board ofSurveying & Spatial InformationMark GordonPat McnamaraBob Harrison

Azimuth MagazineEditorPaul davis-raissPhone: (02) 4296 [email protected]

AdvertisingTerina Sawyer(02) 9264 [email protected]

Art Directoreli Kitcheneclair MarketingPhone: 0419 489 [email protected]

PrinterJon GallimoreBee PrintmailPhone: (02) 9437 [email protected]

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PositionPartners_IBC_AzimuthFeb2013.indd 1 11/01/13 12:50 PM

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THE NSW SURVEYORS’ MONTHLY MAGAZINE • … Computing Strata and Community Title Law Reform isnsW recommendations Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Modern day Plane surveying EISSI Young