David Job

EISSI Professional Surveyor of the Year 2019

Current role
Director of Cadastral Integrity at the Office of the Registrar General

Additional positions
Member of the Board of Surveying and Spatial Information (BOSSI)
Chief Examiner for the BOSSI candidate exams

Introducing David Job, the 2019 EISSI Professional of the Year

When David Job was announced as the 2019 EISSI Professional of the Year, his reaction was multifaceted.

First came shock. “Anyone who knows me would say that I’m not usually lost for words, but I was that night,” David recounts. “I had no idea I was even nominated.”

Next came the moment when it began to sink in: “Humbling would probably be the word that comes to mind,” he admits. “I would certainly like to thank the industry for receiving this most prestigious award, essentially for doing something I love.”

It wasn’t before long that his wry humour came to the fore though. “I found it ironic that I received an award from an industry that I audit and help regulate!”

What exactly does David do?

It becomes clear quickly that David Job received his Professional of the Year award with good reason.

His current position in the industry is a key one. “My role is to provide expert and authoritative advice on all matters relating to boundary surveying within New South Wales, on behalf of the Registrar General, Surveyor General and BOSSI,”  he explains, “to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the NSW State cadastre and maintain public confidence in the Torrens Title register.”

While he has worked for the Register General close to 30 years, his early experience in the industry was of a very different complexion. Travelling all around New South Wales and out to Norfolk Island, his responsibilities during that period ran the gamut from supervising railway construction, to conducting surveys in rural and urban areas through to terrestrial photogrammetry for the Heritage Commission.

Back to the beginning… how did David’s surveying career start?

David’s introduction to surveying came from a familial source.

“When I was at school, my older cousin was a technical surveyor, and he would tell me about the variety of work surveyors were involved in,” David recalls. “The combination of being outdoors at varying locations appealed to me, so I thought I would give it a go and have never regretted making that choice.”

Nowadays, he is one of the most recognisable figures in the New South Wales surveying community. As part of his role in the government, David speaks with cadastral surveyors across the state about everything from the state of the industry to workplace and field work standards.

“There are less than 1,000 registered land surveyors in NSW and I like to think that I know or have had some contact with most of those surveyors,” David confides.

“What I find rewarding is the fact that I am involved with the profession, from a cadastral point of view, for the whole of their career.”

How much has the profession changed since David joined it?

As with any profession on the cutting edge, it all comes down to technology.

David remembers how things were when he first started out. “I learnt to measure distances using a steel band, and electronic distance measuring (EDM) was just evolving. Technology has exploded in my time, allowing surveyors to collect huge amounts of data from total stations, GNSS, laser scanners and Lidar.

“Surveyors have embraced this technology and are at the forefront.”

David is quick to note however, that while technology has become more advanced, the fundamentals underpinning surveying work is the same.

Another undeniably positive shift in the surveying world also stands out to David.

“One of the best changes to the profession has been the increase in women taking up surveying. We have the first female Surveyor General of NSW, Narelle Underwood, who is doing an outstanding job leading the profession.”

What does David see are some of the challenges ahead for the surveying profession?

For all the good that developing tech has provided the surveying profession, it offers some challenges too. David reasons that the digitisation of survey plans is amongst them.

“We all know that society is demanding more and more digital information,” he points out.

“Already the Office of the Registrar General has embarked on that path with the successful implementation of electronic conveyancing. The next part of the land titling system to evolve are the survey plans. The Registrar General, Surveyor General, NSW Land Registry Services and the surveying industry are all working together to bring about this important reform.”

David also sees surveyors being undervalued as a potential hurdle for the future.

“From establishing the boundaries of people’s land so they can build their home, to working on any infrastructure project, surveyors help underpin the economy,” he says.

“Most development doesn’t occur without surveyors and they contribute so much to the fabric of society.”

And David’s advice for anyone considering studying for a career in surveying?

“If you like the outdoors, technology and employment, go for it,” David advises. “Surveying can create so many opportunities to work in different industries and it is so portable.”

On top of that, he argues, “Surveying qualifications from Australia allow you to travel anywhere in the world, and within Australia, you are virtually guaranteed employment. It is a profession that allows you to work in many different fields using your skills and experience to better society.

“In all the offices I have worked at, whenever anyone goes out in the field with a surveyor for the day, they all come back and rave about how good it is.”