DEVELOPING GUIDANCE FOR THE CADASTRAL SURVEY RULES 2021 Géneviève Abrey, Licensed Cadastral Surveyor & Senior Survey Advisor, Office of the Surveyor-General – Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand
T
he Cadastral Survey Rules 2021 (CSR 2021) came into
material to create a new set of guidance curated for the
force in August 2021 and, since February 2022, new
CSR 2021.
cadastral survey datasets (CSDs) can only be lodged
The new guidance would combine all our guidance in
under them. These new rules replaced the Rules for Cadas-
one place, making it more easily accessible to everyone,
tral Survey 2010 (RCS 2010). The Surveyor-General, Anselm
and it needed to support surveyors undertaking cadastral
Haanen, has the authority and duty to set standards for
surveys and preparing CSDs. To do this, we needed to
the conduct of cadastral surveys under Section 7(1) of the
assess existing guidance related to the survey rules in
Cadastral Survey Act 2002.
the Knowledge Base on our website, and in our internal
The review of the RCS 2010 was started by then
Knowledge Portal. We wanted it to be more user focused,
Surveyor-General, Mark Dyer. The purpose of the review
easier to understand and to apply in practice. And it
was to ensure that the rules were able to be practically
needed to be written, reviewed, and available in time for
applied and were “fit-for-purpose.” The first consultation
the rules to be published in early 2021. The boundaries of
phase of three kicked off in August 2017 with an “Issues
the project had been defined (pun intended) and we were
and Opportunities” paper open for comment. We had 30
ready to get started.
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responses spanning several different areas of interest. In a
An analysis of more than 330 existing web pages was
high-level breakdown of the feedback, we found that 7%
done, along with considering possible gaps and opportu-
of the feedback on issues related to the guidance on the
nities in the existing material that could also accompany
rules .
the new guidance and benefit users. A final list of topics
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The “Interpretation guide to Rules for Cadastral Survey
was created, and these were then assigned to authors
2010” that accompanied the RCS 2010 intentionally took
in the team based on experience, availability, areas of
a different approach than previous guidance. They were
expertise and capabilities. We used Trello to manage the
written to “facilitate correct interpretation of the Rules”
project and had weekly online stand-ups to get together
and specifically clarified that they were not there to
and keep track of how we were doing.
provide guidance on survey practice, capturing cadastral
The authors also had support from a communications
survey datasets in Landonline or the pre-validation
team helping us manage the appearance of articles,
process. 3 The review of the RCS 2010 found that this level
creating a consistent look for diagrams and hosting writing
of support was lacking, and surveyors were seeking more
workshops to help guide us through the process. This
clarity and guidance on the rules and how to apply them.
ensured that the final guidance followed a similar theme
After two additional consultation phases in the review
of writing and appearance, while still sharing the appro-
process, the consultation on the Draft Cadastral Survey
priate level of technical guidance needed. This assisted us
Rules 2020 closed in April 2020. The 36 submissions
to achieve the main goal of the guidance: to help the users
received were carefully considered and applied to the
of the rules. The targeted users of the guidelines include
draft, producing a working copy which we could start using
licensed cadastral surveyors and staff under their supervi-
for the new Integrated Guidance Project.
sion, as well as Toitū Te Whenua LINZ survey staff.
The Integrated Guidance Project began in mid-2020. The
The guidelines have been written and designed with the
project was led by Assistant Surveyor-General Lloyd McGar-
customer at the heart. They boast a multitude of visual aids
vey. A team of 18 authors (with a collective experience in
including a series of diagrams, flowcharts, templates, and
surveying that would make you gasp) was assembled from
specific survey plan examples to support explanations. This
across Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand
is all in an effort to support the users of the rules in better
(LINZ). The purpose of the project was to update existing
understanding how to apply them.
38 SURVEYING+SPATIAL
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Issue 108 June 2022
