Spatial Services for local councils

Resources and services to help local council staff use
authoritative spatial data and mapping.

Not in local council? See our other industry pages

How Spatial Services works with local councils

Spatial Services works closely with local councils to provide the data, tools and services needed to plan, build and manage communities across NSW.

Our spatial data is used in local government systems to support development applications and speed up housing and infrastructure delivery.

We support councils by:

  • providing authoritative spatial data for planning and decision-making
  • helping councils share and reuse data across government systems
  • delivering platforms and services that improve collaboration and reduce duplication
  • supporting emergency response and resilience planning across communities.

We also work directly with councils through partnerships, programs and engagement to improve the quality, consistency and use of spatial data across NSW.

Case studies

Busby street showing an aerial view with planned development.

Spatial Digital Twin: visualising the Busby Street planning proposals

Bathurst Regional Council worked with us to visualise proposed housing developments using a detailed 3D digital twin.

LiDAR imagery which uses colour to highlight land and waterways

Using LiDAR to protect water supply in the Tweed Shire

After major flooding in 2022, Tweed Shire Council needed up‑to‑date LiDAR and imagery of Clarrie Hall Dam to see flood damage and plan a future dam wall raise.

The Foundation Spatial Data Framework (FSDF)

About the FSDF
  • The FSDF is part of a national framework. It is a set of core spatial data sets.
  • It makes spatial data easy to find, use and share, and ensures everyone has access to the same core foundation data.
  • The FSDF has about 300 datasets grouped into 10 themes and 2 additional categories. Learn more.
Using the FSDF

The datasets are the standard for NSW and can be used to make decisions about safety, development and the environment.

See a listing of datasets, products and services by searching the NSW Foundation Spatial Data Framework Catalogue within the Spatial Collaboration Portal.

How to view the data
  • The Spatial Collaboration Portal is the primary way to access NSW FSDF data.
  • You don't need a login to view FSDF data in the Spatial Collaboration Portal.

Spatial Collaboration Portal

Use the Spatial Collaboration Portal (SCP) to access FSDF data and search other Local, State and Federal datasets.

Local councils can use the portal to upload, manage and share their own spatial data, and create maps and visualisations for planning and collaboration.

There are three tiers of user access.

  1. View open data without registering an account.
  2. Become a registered user to access groups, secured data and saved content.
  3. Become a data custodian by contacting Spatial Services to upload and share your data.

Access the SCP

Contact us

Image showing housing as represented in the SCP.
Exporting FSDF data

Do you have a query about accessing or exporting FSDF data?

Lodge an enquiry or data request via the Spatial Services Customer Hub.

More land and property information

Information for naming authorities

Local government staff undertaking naming activities can find helpful links on road and place naming, addressing policies in NSW and more.

Land Subdivision Pipeline

Find out about the process for digitising subdivisions and strata plans, and how to view digitised plans.

Place naming in NSW

Find out about how places are named in NSW, how addresses and road names are decided, how suburbs and localities are determined, and more.

History of the NSW Spatial Cadastre

Learn about how the NSW Spatial Cadastre has been transformed into an essential component of the state's digital infrastructure.

Key resources

NSW Surveyor-General's Directions

The Surveyor-General's Directions provide information about survey practice in NSW. 

Access Spatial Services hubs

Access the hubs and portals that NSW Spatial Services manages.

Spatial Digital Twin

Learn about how the Spatial Digital Twin (SDT) and how it helps organisations manage assets and respond quickly in emergencies.

Publications and reports

Use our resource finder to access publications and reports from NSW Spatial Services.

Imagery

Aerial view of a land area which includes urban and rural areas.

Do you need support from Spatial Services?

Submit and track your enquiries through the Spatial Services Customer Hub.

Access the hub

Related information

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