Amendments to Land Surveyors Act Introduced

Proposed amendments to the Land Surveyors Act introduced today, April 25, will mean better monitoring and enforcement of the standards governing professional land surveyors.

"Nova Scotians rely on land surveyors to provide accurate and timely information for mapping, land sales and many other property transactions," David Morse, Minister of Natural Resources, said. "The Association of Nova Scotia Land Surveyors has requested these changes so that land surveyors can be better seen to be fully accountable to the public they serve."

The proposed changes will allow:

• members of the association's council to be elected as representatives in areas in which they normally work, not just the areas in which they reside
• the association to revoke an individual's membership after two months of nonpayment of annual dues or other assessments (instead of current three)
• the association's discipline committee to bill someone found guilty of an infraction for disciplinary action costs of up to $15,000 (instead of current $2,000), and
• the association's discipline committee to charge someone found guilty of an infraction a penalty of up to $5,000.

Amendments to sections on disciplinary actions will make members more accountable for their actions and give the association a greater financial ability to carefully pursue disciplinary cases when needed.

"The Association of Nova Scotia Land Surveyors is pleased to have this support for revisions to the Land Surveyors Act," said Fred Hutchinson, the association's executive director. "This co-operation allows our self-governing group and the government to ensure that qualified land surveyors continue to be available for the orderly development of the province."

The Association of Nova Scotia Land Surveyors is a self-governing professional association.