Narelle Underwood, first female Surveyor-General of NSW and the second youngest since the role was established more than 200 years ago, has left DCS Spatial Services to take up the role of Executive Director of Digital NSW.

Thomas Grinter, formerly Deputy Surveyor-General, has been appointed the new Surveyor-General of NSW.

Underwood joined Roads and Maritime Services (RMS, now Transport for NSW) in 2009 as part of its graduate program, completing her registration exams and becoming a Registered Land Surveyor in 2010.

During her time with RMS, she worked on a range of road infrastructure projects and held several senior roles, including Southern Region Survey Manager and Principal Surveyor. In October 2016 she left RMS to become Surveyor-General of NSW, and in May 2022 she was appointed Executive Director of NSW DCS Spatial Services.

“It’s been an honour to serve as Surveyor-General and Executive Director of Spatial Services, and I’m deeply proud of all that we’ve achieved together,” Underwood wrote on LinkedIn.

“From shaping spatial data policy across government to supporting emergency management response, transforming regulatory frameworks, and delivering major programs like Live NSW (Spatial Digital Twin), the journey has been both challenging and rewarding.”

To mark the milestone, the DCS Spatial Services team presented Underwood with a personalised survey mark, mounted on a miniature cairn built from Lego.

Underwood paid tribute to the team, writing that “your resilience, innovation, and unwavering dedication have been the backbone of every success. I’ve often said we’re held together by best intentions and sticky tape, and I mean that as a compliment. You consistently kick goals, going above and beyond, and I’m so proud of what we’ve built together.”