Early data release

Digitisation progress and early release of data

Land Use Victoria has completed the digitisation of over 1 million cadastral plans and surveys for current land parcels in Victoria as part of the Digital Cadastre Modernisation project. The digitisation process has captured essential cadastral surveying data according to a comprehensive data model that will be used to maintain and improve the digital cadastre.

Using this approach, digital cadastral surveying data can be accessed and re-used, eliminating the need for repeated manual data capture from plan and survey images.

There are approximately 3.6 million parcels in Victoria. Following the completion of the digitisation stage of the project, cadastral surveying data for over 4.1 million live and cancelled parcels have been digitised. Land Use Victoria is making this data available in digital format (LandXML) for early adoption and feedback.

What we are capturing in the digitisation process:

• land and road parcel dimensions (as bearings, distances, and areas)
• essential cadastral survey traverse measurements
• connections to cadastral reference marks and Permanent Marks
• bearing datum swings
• unique identifiers for all point, line, and polygon data
• administrative information, such as land parcel identifiers, Crown descriptions and local government, parish, surveyor and date of survey.

Information not being captured includes:

• easements
• location of fencing with respect to boundaries
• natural boundary dimensions
• surveyor or examiner notations.

Digitisation quality control

We have undertaken digitisation with an external supplier with quality control in two steps.

First, the data is verified by a robust, automatic validation procedure that checks the quality of data capture according to a suite of validation rules. This validation step is supplemented with random manual checking by Land Use Victoria staff to ensure overall quality standards are achieved over the course of the project.

Second, the data is subjected to an automated least squares procedure developed by the digital cadastre adjustment supplier. This step identifies any digitisation errors which cannot be identified by the first step validation procedure and isolates any inconsistencies between multiple plans and surveys.

The result of this two-step quality control procedure is a high-integrity dataset of increased spatial accuracy that will provide abiding value for the digital cadastre and the surveying profession. Although every effort is made to produce an error-free dataset, it is possible that some errors remain. For this reason, users are encouraged to apply normal quality control procedures when using this data.

Digitisation data statistics and data access via web map 

The interactive map provides access to the digitised data statistics by clicking on a highlighted Local Government Area (LGA).

• The darker the shade for each LGA area the more complete it is in terms of digitised land parcels. You can make the map larger or smaller by scrolling or using the minus or plus button in the top left corner.

To access the data please email digital.cadastre@transport.vic.gov.au and a zip file containing the LGA or specific plans required will be provided.

Disclaimer: This map may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other.

Land XML usage

To use LandXML files we recommend using the open-source QGIS package with the LandXML2plugin, or other software of your choice with LandXML-enabled plugins.

Early adoption and comment

Digitised data is being made available for early adoption and comment. When the digital cadastre modernisation project is complete, data will be made available via a new Vicmap product – Vicmap Survey. Until then, we are encouraging surveyors and spatial professionals to use this early-release data and welcome feedback on its quality and useability.

Want to know more or want to give us feedback?

You can contact us via the Digital Cadastre Modernisation project email at digital.cadastre@transport.vic.gov.au

Page last updated: 18/09/24