Engineering and Mining Surveyors Group

History

The Engineering & Mining Surveyors Group of ISNSW was formed in early 2009, following the integration of the NSW Institution of Engineering & Mining Surveyors (NSWIEMS) with ISNSW in 2008.

This integration was the culmination of a long struggle for recognition of the skills and knowledge of TAFE and otherwise qualified surveyors working in fields other than cadastral surveying, and began in the early 1970s with the submission of a proposal to the Institution of Surveyors Australia (ISA) for the creation of a grade of membership of Technical Associate. This was rejected at the ISA Annual General Meeting in Newcastle in April 1972 and as a result, the Association of Technician Surveyors NSW was formed in August, 1973. Similar bodies were formed in other states and in December, 1974 a National Association of Technician Surveyors was formed catering for members in NSW, ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

Negotiations were carried out with similar long established bodies in Queensland and Western Australia, culminating with the formation of the Institution of Engineering & Mining Surveyors Australia in January, 1986, which catered for all non-degree qualified surveyors in Australia and overseas. It also attracted quite a number of university graduates whose interests were in engineering and mining fields.

As the objects of the National body included amalgamation with a like body to cater for all surveyors, dialogue continued with ISA for integration of IEMSA members. This resulted in a motion to the ISA Annual General Meeting in Newcastle in April, 1997, which was supported by most divisions except NSW which favoured a slightly different proposal; nevertheless both were rejected by the voting.

Thereafter , the leadership of ISNSW and NSWIEMS continued discussions and ways were found by changes to constitutions and membership requirements to provide for integration of NSWIEMS members into ISNSW to occur in 2008. Similar actions took place in Western Australia, where amalgamation was achieved in 2006.

The integration in NSW has resulted in an influx of members to ISNSW of surveyors of  long experience in the industry, in the grades of Associate Member and Member, according to  experience.

The Engineering & Mining Surveyors Group was formed to provide for the special interests not only of ex-IEMS members, but also those other ISNSW members whose work and interests involve engineering design, major infrastructure projects, set out and monitoring of major structures or mining projects. The Group plans to run CPD events covering a range of interesting subjects and provides the opportunity for members to network with other members regarding experience and advice.

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