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Survey Assistant

Survey assistants help a land surveyor or survey technician with the practical tasks involved in measuring land for maps and plans.

 

Tasks & duties

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Survey assistants may do some or all of the following:

  • help maintain survey equipment, including keeping batteries charged
  • make sure correct survey equipment is safely loaded into vehicles and trucks
  • carry and help set up survey equipment and road signs
  • cut paths through scrub and gorse to areas that are being surveyed
  • place survey marks for the surveyor
  • find old survey marks
  • set up measurement equipment
  • help measure distances, heights or contours
  • input survey data into a computer system and use basic computer-aided design (CAD) software
  • help obtain titles and plans from Land Information New Zealand – Landonline
  • drive vehicles to survey jobs
  • deliver plans to councils, local bodies or other clients

 

Skills & knowledge

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Survey assistants need to have:

  • knowledge of how to use and care for survey equipment such as theodolites (small, tripod-mounted telescopes that measure horizontal and vertical angles)
  • the ability to read survey maps and plans
  • skills using computers and survey data-recording software
  • practical skills
  • good communication skills
  • organisational skills

 

Entry requirements

While there are no specific requirements to become a survey assistant, some employers prefer that survey assistants have a driver's licence.

Survey assistants may also work towards a National Certificate in Surveying (Level 3), which can be gained through full-time, part-time or on-the-job study, and typically takes 12 to 18 months to complete.

 

Secondary education

School Certificate or NCEA equivalent maths is useful.

 

Tertiary education

In 2009, InfraTrain New Zealand (the industry training organisation for the infrastructure industry) and the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors launched a National Certificate in Surveying (Level 3). Survey assistants can now study towards this qualification while they work, no matter where in New Zealand they are based. 

 

Training on the job

Survey assistants gain many skills on the job.

 

Useful experience

Useful experience for survey assistants includes:

  • any work using hand tools
  • experience drawing plans or measuring distances
  • experience driving four-wheel-drives or motorbikes

 

Related courses

Surveying

 

For more information, please refer to Career Services.

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