Brook and Marsh have a varied and growing experience in Surveying gained over many years. Brook and Marsh have grown as has its employees and management in many areas realising diversification has been its key to its history and success in professional services to its clients. The philosophy of Brook and Marsh is simply to serve with the client’s needs as a top priority. Brook and Marsh also treat their client’s information with security and hence their names are missing from the following project descriptions and localities however some of the projects past and present are as follows:
Land Subdivisions are the main projects of Licensed Surveyors. Brook and Marsh have been the consulting and project surveyors on small two lot green title battle axe projects to large scale multistage developments. It all starts with the planning and subsequent application to the Western Australian planning Commission. Large subdivisions are guided by professional planners and Brook and Marsh step in to make the concept plans a reality by completing surround surveys of the project, then pre-calculating plans finalizing dimensions and areas for design work and sales brochures.
One such large scale project was the Riverland Ramble estate, Ravenswood. Another of our clients have developed in excess of 250 lots in Geraldton and Brook and Marsh were heavily involved from the initial level and feature survey, set out and as constructed surveys, then finally lot pegging for land titles. Brook and Marsh have completed surveys for a proposed industrial development on Christmas Island. Many medium size subdivisions of between twenty and one hundred lots have also been completed. Locations also varied from Landsdale, Darch, Tapping and Ridgewood in the north Metropolitan area, Seville Grove, Westfield, Bedfordale and Maddington in the East and finally Hammond Park, Success and Mandurah to the South. In addition to the small residential subdivisions, broad acre development surveys have been completed. Typically these are a few lots dividing farmland into smaller lots for family distribution or liquidating assets attained over many years. A few projects have been completed for the creation of two hectare or five acre lifestyle lots. The surveying projects have been widely distributed throughout the regional areas but have been mainly around Wandering, Brookton, Beverley, York, Northam and Muchea. Brook and Marsh have also completed regional development surveys in areas such as Kelleberrin, Gnowangerup, Donnybrook, Cunderdin, Kellerberrin, Bencubbin, Moora, Badgingarra, Dalwallinu, Beverley, Lake Grace and Newdegate.
Another main aspect of a Licensed Surveyor’s work is the subdivision of Strata Title Units. Brook and Marsh have been and are presently involved in many strata title projects. The strata title method of subdivision was created in some aspects to relieve the uncertainty in the old practice of shares in land and the holding of a purple land title. Having a purple title enabled you to hold shares but there was no distinct part of the lot that the title was issued for. The strata process gave a distinct area or areas that a certificate of title could quantify.
Strata titles can be split into two methods. The first is a Built Strata where the buildings and additional yards, carports and balconies are measured, calculated and drawn into a strata plan on which certificates of titles are based. Brook and Marsh have been involved in many small two lot duplex and battle-axe stratas as well as large developments such as the old Pioneer Village theme park in Armadale, Short term accommodation development in The Vines and multistorey stringline stratas in St Georges Terrace Perth. Brook and Marsh have travelled as far as Kununurra to complete survey works on a multi-staged short and long stay motel accommodation project.
The second type of strata development is the Survey Strata. Brook and Marsh have completed many developments under this type of strata where the project only shows the ground subdivision as in a green title subdivision and roads are typical corridors of common property owned by all of the lots in proportion in their value to the overall project value. This is represented by their unit entitlement determined by a Licensed Valuer. Again Brook and Marsh have completed projects in all areas of Western Australia and in many lot configurations. The largest of the projects have been traditionally completed for retirement estates.
During subdivisions and survey strata subdivisions, other surveying tasks are completed. Brook and Marsh complete level and feature surveys over the development area. These surveys are submitted to the Western Australian Planning Commission for the determination of the subdivision. Another reason for the Level and Feature Survey or Road casement survey is to gain information for the design and upgrade of roads. Projects have been completed for many Local Authorities such as Gosnells, Armadale, Serpentine Jarrahdale, Mandurah, Cockburn and Wandering. Some of these also involve the sub surface scanning of underground services. Architects also utilise level and feature surveys for their design requirements and plan submissions to local councils. Brook and Marsh have worked closely with many architects to achieve their common client’s needs.
Building managers require Licensed Surveyors to prepare plans and sketches for lease documents. This has been achieved with the guidance or regulations of the Building Owners Management Authority (BOMA) now called the Property Council of Australia (PCA). Most leases for shops, offices and warehouses have been regulated utilizing this standard. The Retail Tenancies Act has been used occasionally and suitable advice has been sought from Brook and Marsh regarding this standard. Brook and Marsh have been doing these surveys since 1985 and have measured and are continually updating information for many shopping centres large and small, large office towers and small professional developments throughout the metropolitan area as well as industrial developments in many areas of the state. Brook and Marsh have completed many surveys in regional areas as well for large clients.
Another aspect of surveying is the precise measurement and monitoring of projects. Many surveys are undertaken for As-Constructed survey information. This performs an audit of construction and typically is for services to make sure pipe work is not flowing in the wrong direction or is too flat for adequate flow rates. The Water Corporation requires Licensed Surveyors to certify the as constructed surveys for water and sewer construction and many local authorities or councils require certification for drainage. Road audits are also performed for councils for cross falls and water dispersion off the road surface for public safety.
Brook and Marsh have and are working with large construction companies on major engineering projects. One such project was the refurbishment of the Rockingham Hospital. This is a multi-storey building and is a mix of new and refurbishment of existing wards. The advantage of modern surveying techniques is the ability to locate any item of the construction such as pipe work or electrical ducting without having to run string lines off grids. This has been found to have significant savings on not only at the start of construction but also at the end when ducting has to be in a minimum space with little tolerance. Other projects have been the upgrading of the Moora Hospital, construction of two large Aged Care developments and the construction of sea slipways for Austal Shipyards. Some projects entail the surveying and creation of architectural plans for the redevelopment of buildings such as the Grove shopping centre (Cottesloe Central) in Peppermint Grove and the refurbishment of a well-known arcade in central Perth.
Brook and Marsh have experience in large international projects such as the Ballast Nedam Causeway project in Bahrain. This project was to construct five large bridges spanning the Persian Gulf from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia. Alcoa of Australia is another project that Brook and Marsh have an intimate knowledge of having been involved in the initial stages of development. The experience gained was of all aspects of large heavy industrial construction.
