DOLA reforms will benefit private sector surveyors

19/5/94

Private sector surveyors would benefit from reforms in the Department of Land Administration (DOLA), Lands Minister George Cash said today.

Mr Cash said the reforms would result in the transfer of Government survey drafting to private surveyors as well as giving the industry more responsibility for quality assurance.

"The department has begun the first phase of contracting survey drafting to private sector surveyors," Mr Cash said.

"Until now surveyors would send in their field books and DOLA officers would draft the diagrams and plans for Crown land subdivisions."

Mr Cash said the Government's reforms also included a review by DOLA and the surveying profession of the department's procedures for plan registration and survey examination.

"We are giving surveyors greater participation in the quality insurance of survey documents by adopting a quality certification and accreditation process," the Minister said.

"These reforms will also provide the surveying profession with greater opportunity for self-regulation."

More than 250 surveyors are expected to be accredited to lodge all types of survey plans during a series of DOLA approved supplier workshops now under way.

A joint working group, through the Association of Consulting Surveyors (ACS), is co-ordinating the industry seminars.

Western Australia's ACS quality assurance co-ordinator John Higham said the workshops were designed to provide a practical background for the development of a formal quality assurance program to fit DOLA requirements.

"The DOLA supplier workshops are compatible with the ACS standards of quality system development," Mr Higham said.

"The ACS sees this course as part of our ongoing program in professional development for surveyors."

Mr Cash said the reforms were based on the concepts of self-regulation and user-pays which lessened the burden on taxpayers.

Regional surveyors would have the opportunity to participate in the accreditation program at workshops in Kalgoorlie and Port Hedland in June.  Surveyors in the Bunbury region attended a workshop in April.

Media contact: Caroline Lacy 222 9211 or Catherine Hesse-Swain - DOLA 273 7561