Hello from Australia

Oye oye oye!

Welcome to the forum.?ÿ Many on this site are lurkers, reading posts but rarely commenting.?ÿ I encourage interaction with the rest of the group.?ÿ We won't bite off your head, but will give varied and honest opinions for most topics.

You'll do fine as long as you follow the rules of the board. Basically leave politics, religion, and profanity out of the conversations.

Welcome to the group!

Youngest daughter worked as an intern in the Summer of 2003 in Sydney.?ÿ She did travel some while there.?ÿ Her first mistake came on her first day there.?ÿ She was sharing an apartment with two other women, one being from Brazil.?ÿ They went to a nearby deli to get some meat of various sorts.?ÿ She wanted some shaved ham for sandwiches.?ÿ When asked how much she wanted, she said, "Oh, about a half a pound."

Good time to start a surveying career down there.?ÿ We are having to send staff from the states to work for our Australian subsidiary because they have so much work and can't find enough employees.

Welcome, don't be shy! ?????ÿ

Posted by: @hawko

I'm mainly just here to browse since I'm a recent graduate surveyor from TAFE

What is a graduate surveyor?

?ÿ

@micheal-daubyn-2?ÿ it means I've just left TAFE

@hawko?ÿ

You may need to explain what TAFE is as not sure anyone outside of AU will know what it is.

https://www.tafensw.edu.au/courses/civil-construction-and-surveying-courses

@lukenz

I know what TAFE is. I did my surveying diploma at NSW TAFE (Ultimo campus) back in 2004/05, then went on to Uni.

@hawko

Mate, I don't know which state you are in, but if your state is NSW (or anything like it, such as QLD) then you really need to be careful using terms like "graduate surveyor" in public. BOSSI (the Board of Surveyors in NSW) have been sniffing out guys who are claiming to be surveyors when they are not, and taking to them court. Essentially (and again, I'm only speaking on behalf of NSW and possibly QLD) a graduate surveyor is someone who has graduated from a course that is considered to be a pathway course to becoming a surveyor. TAFE does offer a surveying course, but it does not offer a surveying course that allows someone to become a surveyor. Essentially, you've studied surveying, but you are not a surveyor. You are a "survey technician". Under NSW law, a surveyor is someone who is legally allowed to make recommendations as to the location of a property boundary (only a judge can make it legally binding technically). This is something that a survey technician is not allowed to do.

I know full well how my comment comes across. I have spoken plainly, which means I sound rude. Please believe me when I tell you that I am only trying to stop you from getting sued. This is not the way to start a career. And unfortunately, I was not exaggerating. BOSSI are actively hunting people like you.

Best of luck.

Mick.

Welcome onboard. I've learnt a lot been in this board for few years and it'll would be the same for you.?ÿ?ÿ

@micheal-daubyn-2

Iƒ??m?ÿgoing to be picky here too.?ÿ

I think you should be using the terms ƒ??licensed surveyorƒ? (or the terms used by NSW - ƒ??land surveyor, and mining surveyorƒ?, rather than just ƒ??surveyorƒ?. Not too familiar with NSW, but the title ƒ??surveyorƒ? doesnƒ??t appear to be regulated by BOSSI. Likewise ƒ??engineering surveyorƒ?, ƒ??hydrographic surveyorƒ?, etc.?ÿ

Having said that, Hawko, he is correct in that the best term for your current education and experience is ƒ??survey technicianƒ?. It takes a while before others will consider you a surveyor. That comes with experience and continued learning. Thereƒ??s an award that is pretty good at defining the various levels - https://awardviewer.fwo.gov.au/award/show/MA000066#P717_62640

@martin_au?ÿ

With all due respect, you are leading people astray with this info. The term "surveyor" is absolutely covered under the Act, and only somebody registered as a surveyor is allowed to use it. Similarly, only a surveying graduate who has sat the mining exams can call themselves a Mining Surveyor. In NSW, a person who is not registered with BOSSI is not entitled to refer to themselves as a surveyor. At all.

The link you shared above pertains to the award levels associated with each level of "surveyor". It is talking about pay grades- and only pay grades. The definition of a surveyor on that page is also erroneous from a legal standpoint, as they neglect to mention that by law a surveyor is someone who locates and fixes your boundary. The levels mentioned on that webpage in no way reflect legal standings within the profession and should be taken to mean anything at all.

It has always been my understanding that someone with a certificate from TAFE can call themselves a surveyor's assistant, while a diploma graduate can call themselves a survey technician. A survey technician, after industry experience, is entitled to apply to BOSSI to become an engineering surveyor (there are some formalities around that. Testing, interviews, etc.). But surveyor on its own? Nope. Only someone who is registered can call themselves a surveyor without having some sort of distinguishing word attached to it. Similarly, only a surveyor can perform a survey, due to a survey involving the act of locating the boundary of a parcel of land.

This is where BOSSI have been working lately. There have been too many survey technicians passing off their services to clients as surveyors and locating boundaries on plans. Some of the smarter ones are writing in the fine print that the boundary has not been fixed (or words to that effect), but clients were starting legal disputes regardless. "My surveyor said my boundary is here." But then upon inspection, it turns out the "surveyor" is not a surveyor at all.

The definitive information regarding what constitutes a surveyor is found on BOSSI's website:

https://www.bossi.nsw.gov.au/candidates/candidate_land_surveyors/pathway_to_registration

As you can see, the wording used in that first sentence is quite specific:

"A person is eligible to be registered as a surveyor if the person fulfils all of the following requirements:

• holds a recognised qualification
• has recognised practical experience
• has passed the Board's examinations
• is of good character."

Put bluntly; you are not a surveyor - at all - until you are registered as being one. To become a candidate surveyor (someone who has begun their training under a mentoring surveyor who has been registered for a minimum of 3 years), you need to hold a recognised qualification. This is what a graduate surveyor is. As the website states:

"The following current Australian and New Zealand qualifications are recognised by the Board for registration as a surveyor* in NSW:

• Curtin University ƒ?? Bachelor of Science (Mine and Engineering Surveying) ƒ?? recognised for mining surveying registration only
• Curtin University ƒ?? Bachelor of Surveying
• RMIT University ƒ?? Bachelor of Applied Science (Surveying)
• University of Melbourne ƒ?? Master of Engineering (Spatial) depending on subject and prerequisite requirements as noted on the Surveyors Registration Board of Victoria website.
• University of Newcastle ƒ?? Bachelor of Surveying (Honours)
• University of NSW - Bachelor of Engineering (Surveying)
• University of NSW -?ÿBachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering & Bachelor of Surveying in Surveying (Double Degree)
• University of Otago ƒ?? Bachelor of Surveying
• University of South Australia ƒ?? Bachelor of Geospatial Science ƒ?? recognised for mining surveying registration only, for land surveying registration you must also complete the Master of Surveying
• University of Southern Queensland ƒ?? Bachelor of Spatial Science Technology (Surveying) ƒ?? recognised for mining surveying registration only
• University of Southern Queensland ƒ?? Bachelor of Spatial Science (Honours) (Surveying)
• University of Tasmania ƒ?? Bachelor of Surveying and Spatial Sciences ƒ?? recognised for mining surveying registration only, for land surveying registration you must also complete the Graduate Diploma in Land Surveying

If you hold an Australian or New Zealand three year or four year surveying degree not stated in the above list please contact the BOSSI office to have your qualification assess (sic).

Holders of overseas qualifications need to have their qualifications assess by the Bureau for Assessment of Overseas Qualifications (Reciprocating Surveyors Boards of Australia and New Zealand)."

*It is worth noting that BOSSI considers a surveyor to be a registered surveyor / land surveyor / cadastral surveyor. They are synonymous.

As you can see, nothing from TAFE is on that list. There are actually no colleges/institutes on that list. It is my understanding that TAFE no longer offer a diploma/advanced diploma anymore, which used to be their longest surveying course and ran for 2 years full-time. This was the course that I did, and I was given 14 exemptions out of 38 subjects at Uni. But I was never a surveyor straight out of TAFE. Nobody is. As such, you cannot be a graduate surveyor out of TAFE. Only Uni, and only one of the Unis on that list (or similar with approval).

I'd like to stress (again) that I am not trying to have a crack at anyone. As I said, BOSSI are really coming down hard on guys and are checking qualifications. Those who do not have them are being told to have an actual surveyor sign up to supervise technicians who are surveying on their own.

And be warned- if you are in NSW, there is a surveyor working for one of the councils (I won't name the council) who, probably due to some sort of fetish, spends his days going through survey plans looking for guys who are trying to pass themselves off as being surveyors. He then reports them to BOSSI, who then start legal action.

Sorry for the verbose diatribe. I genuinely am interested in stopping young people from getting sued. Honestly.

Mick.

@micheal-daubyn-2?ÿ

Also from BOSSI, where they break down the distinctions, demonstrate that they recognise other, non regulated types of surveyors, and define which categories do require registration.

https://www.bossi.nsw.gov.au/candidates/disciplines_of_surveying

And for a pretty definitive statement from BOSSI

In response to the people talking about BOSSI I'm from WA and have no licenses.?ÿ What I meant is I have graduated from TAFE nothing else

Don't get discouraged. I found this site because I was being heckled. Everyone is deserving of a little heckling. Lots of good info and big egos here.?ÿ

@jed I wasn't discouraged just setting the record straight.?ÿ Thanks for saying that though

All good, Hawko. Don't mind us. 😀

WA seems like a pretty good spot to start. Seems like there is lots of opportunities over there.?ÿ