Surveyors keen to discuss working in non-SDC areas
Nearly 180 surveyors were keen to share with LINZ the issues they are having when working in non-SDC (Survey-accurate Digital Cadastre) areas.
Graeme Blick, team manager specialist processing, was pleased with the response. "It was good to see that so many people have taken the time to comment and offer suggestions on how we might tackle the various issues."
We asked surveyors to help us confirm what causes them to use the exception process. The four main causes presented were:
- Underlying cadastral parcel shapes in Landonline are incorrect
- Natural boundaries are causing linking issues
- Nodes are missing or there are additional/duplicate nodes
- Cadastral parcels are out of position.
The responses are displayed in the following graph:
Graeme says, "It was interesting that out of the four we selected as potential problem areas, no single area stood out."
Surveyors were asked to outline other situations that were causing problems when linking new surveys to underlying data in Landonline but most of the responses related in some way to the four main causes above.
A large percentage of respondents were happy to be contacted for further clarification and this will form part of the follow up work by LINZ.
"During the next few months, we will evaluate the issues and consider possible solutions," says Graeme. "Unfortunately, there's no one simple fix and we will have to tackle them on different levels."
We will keep you informed of progress in future issues of Landwrap.
New risk-based acceptance process has positive impact
In place for nearly two months, the new risk-based acceptance process for cadastral survey datasets has already helped to improve the standardisation of dataset processing. During this period, the requisition rate has reduced from 28% to 18%.
Feedback on the new process
We appreciate the range of feedback that surveyors have provided. As a result, we have refined the Dataset Profile Lodgement Form (DPLF) and surveyors can now add their own comments as part of the QA process. Please keep providing us with feedback so we can make ongoing improvements.
Survey Report template
We have not yet received any advice from you on how we can improve the Survey Report template. If you do have any suggestions for improvement, please email them to us at info@linz.govt.nz with 'Surveyor Report template' in the subject line.
Your surveyor profile
During the next few months, we will be analysing individual surveyor profiles and will provide you with an updated profile from October. If you have any queries about your profile, please email info@linz.govt.nz with 'Surveyor Profile query' in the subject line.
Updated FAQs
We have used your feedback to update the list of risk-based acceptance framework FAQs on this website.
Geodetic control and maintenance prioritisation
Last month, LINZ requested feedback from surveyors and other interested parties on areas where additional survey control and maintenance is required. Each year, feedback received is combined with analysis of Landonline data to determine where the Geodetic Survey and Maintenance Programme is best directed.
Control analysis
In planning for the survey programme, details of Cadastral Survey Datasets (CSDs) lodged in the past four years are extracted and categorised based on the datum used. They are plotted spatially to determine where there are clusters of non-NZGD2000 CSDs.
Recommendations received from surveyors and others are also plotted spatially, along with the locations of existing control marks, so that an overall picture of the state of geodetic control in an area is obtained.
Maintenance analysis
In planning for the maintenance programme, details of the number of connections to each beaconed trig are extracted from Landonline. This is combined with details of when the beacon was last maintained (the most frequently used trigs are maintained every five years).
This information is also plotted spatially, as are the maintenance recommendations received.
Prioritisation
The recommended areas for survey control areas are ranked using a formula that takes into account the density of:
- existing control in the area
- Old Cadastral CSDs
- New Zealand Geodetic Datum 1949 (NZGD1949) CSDs
- New Zealand Geodetic Datum 2000 (NZGD2000) CSDs
The formula is designed so that Old Cadastral CSDs are given greater weight than NZGD1949 CSDs, which in turn are given greater weight than NZGD2000 CSDs.
The results of this initial prioritisation are then correlated with the detail provided in the recommendation. Some recommendations provide information such as details of expected development, land usage changes and problems with existing control, which the formula does not take into account. As a consequence, some rankings are altered to produce a final list.
Suggested areas are then grouped spatially. This means that some lower priority areas may get added to the final programme because it is more efficient to survey adjacent areas at the same time, avoiding the need to return to the general area within a short period of time.
A similar process is followed to prioritise maintenance, the main criterion being the number of CSDs that have used the trig.
Suggestions not included
Suggestions not able to be incorporated into the current Geodetic Programme remain in a planning database for reconsideration as part of future programmes.
Suggestions for 2008/09 Geodetic Programme
Suggestions can be submitted for the 2008/09 Geodetic Programme until Friday 13 June (extended from 30 May) by emailing info@linz.govt.nz with 'Geodetic Programme Recommendations' in the subject line. Information about submissions can be obtained on the LINZ website.
New e-survey tips and hints
The e-survey Tips and Hints on this website are continually being refined and added to.
How to use the Exception Process screen
When raising an Exception request, a common error is to press 'Enter' after typing comments in the New Comment (A) field:
- 'Enter' has the same result as selecting 'OK' (C), i.e. it saves and closes the window and doesn't send to Exception.
- You need to select 'Send Request' (B) for the request to be sent to LINZ for processing.
Note: If you wish to type a line of comments down the page, use 'Ctrl-Enter'.
- The icon next to plan in Workspace will then change from
to 
(Plan is with LINZ).
- Then open the plan from Workspace to confirm that the plan is in 'view mode' only (i.e. Capture, Prevalidate and Exception buttons are greyed out).
- When LINZ has completed the Exception request, the icon next to the plan in Workspace changes from to
(Exception complete, awaiting surveyor's action).
When you receive the plan back from Exception, you need to:
- open the plan in Workspace
- open the 'Prevalidation' tab
- click on the 'Exception' button and read the comments from LINZ
- press the 'Continue Capture' button.
These actions take the plan off 'view mode' to allow the capture to continue.
Replacing signed TA e-certification packages
If a new TA e-certification package is required, a Territorial Authority (TA) can create one after the survey is submitted:
- A certificate cannot be altered within a signed package and a signed package cannot be deleted. The TA can create a new package and add the certificates relevant to the survey.
- LINZ can set the old package to 'Internal Only' as a supporting document. This means that it can only be searched by LINZ, will only be used for audit purposes, and will not form part of the public dataset.
If a surveyor wants to create a new TA e-certification package, they can only do so at the pre-allocation stage i.e. before the survey is submitted:
- The superseded package remains and a new package is added. The old package will be regarded as historical and cannot be deleted (it will be kept as a record).
- No. 2 above also applies.
- Surveyors are advised to mention in their Survey Report that there is a new package if they wish to avoid confusion and delay, and notify the TA.
Reminder about supporting documents
LINZ is still issuing requisitions for supporting documents (SUDs) that are attached to a dataset but are unreadable. Surveyors are reminded to always check – just before submitting – that they can read all attached SUDs.
Are you using the e-survey best practice tools and tips?
The self-help information in the e-survey section is ordered by the experience level of the surveyor – novice, experienced and advanced.
Spanning a wide range of topics, the best practice section includes the tips and hints full index.
The e-survey training resources section has all the links and background on training materials provided by LINZ such as the user guide, computer based training (CBT) DVD and the support available to surveyors.
