New guidelines have been released for continuing professional development for surveyors in Victoria.

The CPD guidelines document, dated effective 1 January 2026, was launched at The Institution of Surveyors Victoria’s Summer Seminar earlier this month.

Publication of the new guidelines follows consultations with, and feedback from, individuals and organisations across the surveying sector.

The revised CPD program has been designed to align with similar programs in other jurisdictions around the country, with the aim of progressing towards a nationally consistent program to make it easier for surveyors to conduct work across state borders.

More choice

The document provides guidance for “practising licensed surveyors that describes the type and amount of CPD considered appropriate to support applications for annual renewal of their registration in Victoria”.

It also provides guidance for potential CPD providers regarding what constitutes acceptable forms of training activities.

The document points out that “While technical skills and knowledge is important, the Surveying Act 2004, refers to ‘in business as a Licensed Surveyor’. Therefore, the Board believes that the development of knowledge and skills in professionalism, ethics and operating a sustainable business are equally important areas of development.”

In addition, the Board makes the point that “as professionals, licensed surveyors are best placed to determine their own individual CPD needs in accordance with the types of services offered and undertaken by them, the expectations of their clients and the community and their ongoing professional development.”

“Hence the revised CPD Guidelines offer more choice to surveyors in the selection of their ongoing professional training.”

What’s expected

The guidelines state that surveyors are expected to gain experience in, and undertake CPD training that corresponds with, three general categories of activities:

• Cadastral survey practice
• Development planning
• Business management, ethics and professionalism

The guidelines document includes a long list of conditions, such as:

• The CPD period commences on 1 January and concludes on 31 December each year, during which licensed surveyors are required to gain a minimum of 15 CPD points.
• Excess points from a previous period cannot be carried over.
• At least 5 of the 15 points must be gained in the category of cadastral survey practice. The remaining 10 points can be gained in any category including additional cadastral survey practice points.
• Failure to comply with the CPD guidelines could amount to unprofessional conduct under the Surveying Act 2004.
• The Board will undertake a random audit of registered surveyors each year and reserves the right to audit those licensed surveyors where information is available indicating a possible lack of competence or failure to comply with CPD requirements.

Certain exemptions and cross-jurisdictional considerations can apply in some circumstances.

Types of CPD activities

The Board expects that CPD “should take the form of structured activity,” and that most activities conducted by professional bodies will meet that definition.

Such training can be in person or via online means such as webinars and Teams/Zoom event attendance.

However, half of all CPD points gained must be from in-person training.

That said, there is a wide variety of self-delivered activities that comply with the general requirements, such as:

• Membership of statutory or professional bodies of direct relevance to cadastral surveying (1 Cadastral Survey Practice point).
• Membership of a committee of a statutory, professional or industry body of direct relevance to cadastral surveying (1 Cadastral Survey Practice per committee).
• Supervision of a graduate surveyor under a professional training agreement or a candidate in the Licensing Pathways Program (2 Cadastral Survey Practice points per candidate).
• Examination of project on behalf of the Board (2 Cadastral Survey Practice per project).
• Writing a journal/magazine article and/or presenting a conference paper of direct relevance to the practices of a licensed surveyor (3 points in the appropriate category).
• Hosting a work experience student (up to a maximum of 4 Cadastral Survey Practice points).

The above is not an exhaustive list, and each point has additional requirements or restrictions that are explained in the guidelines.

The document also lists activities that will not attract CPD points, such as:

• Unstructured conversations with other surveyors or professionals.
• Meetings with clients, lawyers, public officers or similar.
• Unstructured learning of instrument operations or IT systems.
• Training of field assistants/technicians, calibration of equipment.
• Reading professional publications.
• Lodgement of documents.
• Service Club activities.
• Claiming points for each attendance at events/workshops that are presented as a series of events/workshops where the same content is covered at each event/workshop.

“The Board considers that licensed surveyors have a professional responsibility, not only to maintain their competence at the level established at initial registration, but also to expand and develop their knowledge, experience and skills,” the document says.

“How this maintenance and expansion are achieved is the responsibility and prerogative of each licensed surveyor — in line with these guidelines.”