Administrative Boundaries theme
The Administrative Boundaries data theme provides boundaries for local government areas, suburbs, parishes, counties and electoral districts for planning, service delivery and analysis.
What is the Administrative Boundaries theme?
The Administrative Boundaries theme collects legislative, regulatory, political, maritime and general administrative boundaries from local and state boundary datasets.
The data brings together common boundaries used across government, including:
- parishes
- counties
- suburbs
- local government areas
- state electoral districts
- the NSW state border
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) geography.
The theme supports:
- voting districts and electoral redistributions
- zoning and regional planning
- local and state government service distribution
- change over time for socio-economic analysis
- emergency management.
The data also combines geographic addresses with demographic and business information for policy development and spatial analysis.
Data sourcing
Each dataset in this theme is updated at various intervals.
Information about how and when each dataset is updated is described in the dataset profiles below.
Technical information
Metadata for relevant DCS Spatial Services datasets complies with:
- AS/NZS ISO 19115 ANZLIC Metadata Profile v1.1
- ISO 19139.
Several administrative boundary datasets are:
- managed within the NSW Digital Cadastral Database (DCDB)
- maintained to align with cadastral boundaries where required.
Datasets in the theme
What’s in the dataset?
The Parish dataset depicts the boundaries of 7,377 areas formed by the division of 141 counties. It is a polygon dataset within the DCDB.
Parishes are divided into separately disposable parcels called ‘portions’. Other basic units include allotments in government towns and villages.
Dataset uses
Administrative boundary data underpins the economic, social and environmental fabric of NSW. Parish datasets are used to support:
- land tenure
- land use decisions
- conservation and heritage protection
- disaster management.
Sourcing and updates
Parish is a historical layer originally gathered from paper maps held by DCS Spatial Services. Although they are rare, updates to Parish datasets can be made provided a manual title inspection has been carried out.
Where it is needed, the cadastral fabric must coincide with Parish data. The Parish dataset should reflect spatial accuracy of the cadastral fabric.
Spatial Services
What’s in the dataset?
The County dataset shows the boundaries of 141 divisions of NSW created for management and disposal of Crown Lands. It is a polygon dataset within the DCDB.
Dataset uses
County boundaries support:
- land administration and analysis, including land tenure
- land use decisions
- conservation and heritage protection
- disaster management.
Sourcing and updates
County is a historical layer originally gathered from paper maps held by DCS Spatial Services. Although they are rare, updates to the county dataset can be made, provided a manual title inspection has been carried out.
Where it is needed, the cadastral fabric must coincide with county data. The County dataset should reflect the spatial accuracy of the cadastral fabric.
Spatial Services
What’s in the dataset?
The Suburb dataset represents the gazetted boundary of a suburb or locality. The Geographical Names Board (GNB) is responsible for new suburb names and amendments to suburb extents.
The dataset also includes postcodes matched from Australia Post. It is a polygon dataset within the DCDB.
Dataset uses
Suburb boundaries help define addresses and support:
- land and infrastructure planning
- native title and conservation work
- disaster management
- other analysis that relies on consistent place-based boundaries.
Sourcing and updates
The dataset is kept up to date with boundaries as determined and gazetted by the GNB.
Where it is needed, the cadastral fabric must coincide with suburb data. The Suburb dataset should reflect the spatial accuracy of the cadastral fabric.
What’s in the dataset?
Local Government Area (LGA) depicts gazetted boundaries under the Local Government Act 1993 of:
- shires
- municipalities
- cities
- unincorporated areas of NSW.
It includes cadastral line data or topographic features used to:
- define boundaries between adjoining LGAs
- council names
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) codes.
It is a dataset within the DCDB.
Dataset uses
LGA boundaries support:
- service planning and delivery
- policy and socio-economic analysis
- work that needs consistent local government extents across NSW.
Sourcing and updates
The LGA dataset is up to date, with boundaries gazetted by the NSW Office of Local Government. The dataset is updated to reflect gazetted changes.
Where it is needed, the cadastral fabric must coincide with Local Government Authority data. The LGS dataset should reflect the spatial accuracy of the cadastral fabric.
What’s in the dataset?
The State Electoral District dataset represents current NSW (or NSW federal) electoral boundaries. The dataset is developed with electoral authorities. It includes cadastral line and topographic features that form the boundaries between adjoining electorates. It is a polygon dataset within the DCDB.
Dataset uses
Electoral boundaries support elections, redistributions and planning activities that rely on consistent electorate extents and population breakdowns.
Sourcing and updates
The dataset is kept up to date with boundaries gazetted by the Electoral Commission of NSW (and, where relevant, the Australian Electoral Commission).
Where it is needed, the cadastral fabric must coincide with State Electoral District data. The State Electoral District dataset should reflect the spatial accuracy of the cadastral fabric
What’s in the dataset?
The State Border dataset is a product created from the Local Government Area dataset. The dataset depicts the extent of NSW, based on gazetted LGA boundaries.
Dataset uses
The State Border dataset is used for mapping and analysis that needs a consistent representation of the state’s extent, including:
- planning
- reporting
- cross-border coordination.
Sourcing and updates
The dataset is derived from LGA boundaries so it is maintained in line with changes gazetted by the NSW Office of Local Government.
Where it is needed, the cadastral fabric must coincide with state borders data. The state borders dataset should reflect the spatial accuracy of the cadastral fabric.
What’s in the dataset?
The ABS Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) divides NSW into a hierarchy of statistical areas used to collect and publish statistics under the Census and Statistics Act 1905 (Cth). It includes Statistical Areas Level 1-4 and regional boundaries.
Dataset uses
ABS geography is used to define areas for statistical and socio-economic analysis. It supports analysis by aggregating data consistently within standard statistical boundaries.
Sourcing and updates
ABS maintains ASGS and the pre-2011 Australian Standard Geographical Classification.
Data is provided by ABS via web services and download formats. Updates are typically aligned every five years with the census cycle.
View the datasets
The NSW Spatial Collaboration Portal (SCP) gives everyone the ability to search and discover spatial datasets.
It also allows local, state, and federal agencies to deliver spatial data, asset management and visualisation services securely.