Quick Start — Australian Ecology & Heritage Consultants
This guide gets you from signup to your first field survey in under 10 minutes. There are two parallel tracks depending on your discipline — follow the one that matches your work.
Ecology / Flora & Fauna Track
Step 1 — Sign Up
On the signup page, select Ecology / Flora & Fauna as your primary discipline and choose your state(s). TerraSitu uses this to configure your compliance context, surface relevant species reference data, and pre-filter GIS reference layers.
Step 2 — Complete the Compliance Wizard
After signing in for the first time, the onboarding wizard walks you through your state's compliance context:
- BioNet (NSW) — required survey method, effort hours, and observer qualifications
- VBA (VIC) — DELWP survey standards and submission format
- NatureMap (WA) — Biodiversity Conservation Act survey requirements
- WildNet (QLD) — Nature Conservation Act recording requirements
You can update this at any time under Settings → Compliance Context.
Step 3 — Explore the Sample Project
Your account is pre-loaded with a sample project: "Mulgrave Road Fauna Assessment". Open it from the Projects list to see how a real flora and fauna survey is structured:
- Multiple sites with defined boundaries
- Surveys using Transect, Point Count, and Pitfall Trap methods
- Observations with species records, conservation status alerts, and photo documentation
- A draft report ready for review
Browse the sample data to get familiar with the platform before creating your own data.
Step 4 — Create Your First Real Project
Navigate to Projects → New Project. Fill in:
- Client name (select an existing customer or create a new one)
- Project name, start date, and timezone
- State(s) — carried through to compliance context
Step 5 — Set Up Your First Survey
Within your project, add a site and create a survey. The First Survey Setup wizard guides you through:
- Defining the site boundary on the map
- Selecting a survey method (Transect, Point Count, Quadrat, etc.)
- Choosing or customising a form template
- Configuring required fields for your state's submission format
Step 6 — Push to Device and Collect Data
Once the survey is configured, tap Prepare Package to bundle the survey for mobile. On your device, open TerraSitu Mobile, tap Sync, and the survey appears ready for offline use. You can collect observations, photos, and GPS data without any connectivity.
Cultural Heritage / Archaeology Track
Step 1 — Sign Up
Select Cultural Heritage or Archaeology as your primary discipline and choose your state(s). This determines which heritage registers appear in your reference layers and which compliance obligations are surfaced.
Step 2 — Complete the Compliance Wizard
The wizard configures your state's heritage context:
- AHIMS (NSW) — Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System submission fields
- VAHR (VIC) — Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register, Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006
- DPLH Register (WA) — Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 and Heritage Act 2018
- QHR (QLD) — Queensland Heritage Register and SARA referral requirements
Heritage register reference layers are automatically enabled for your state(s). You can add additional states under Settings → Reference Layers.
Step 3 — Explore the Sample Project
Your account includes "Balmoral Heritage Survey" — a realistic cultural heritage project with:
- A pedestrian survey across a greenfield corridor
- AHIMS/heritage register site proximity alerts on the map
- Cultural heritage observations including site type, condition, and significance
- Chance find records and a watching brief log
- A report section with the heritage register table
Step 4 — Create Your First Real Project
Navigate to Projects → New Project and fill in the project details including client, project type (Heritage Assessment, Archaeological Excavation, Watching Brief, etc.), and applicable state.
Step 5 — Set Up Your First Survey
The First Survey Setup wizard for cultural heritage guides you through:
- Defining your survey corridor or study area
- Selecting a method: Pedestrian Survey, Test Pit, or Watching Brief
- Choosing a form template — pre-configured for your state's recording requirements
- Enabling heritage register reference layers for the project area
Step 6 — Push to Device and Begin Field Recording
Prepare and sync the survey package to your device. The mobile app works fully offline — you can record heritage sites, photograph fabric and condition, capture GPS coordinates, and flag proximity to registered sites without connectivity.
Australian Compliance Overview
TerraSitu uses the state(s) you select at signup (and on each project) to:
- Filter reference layers — only AHIMS, BioNet, VBA, NatureMap, and similar layers relevant to your state(s) appear by default
- Surface relevant registers — heritage register proximity alerts fire based on your state's register, not a generic national dataset
- Pre-configure observation form fields — fields required for state-specific submissions (e.g., BioNet effort hours, AHIMS site type codes) are included in the default templates
- Format exports correctly — report templates and data exports use the column names and field order expected by your state's submission portal
None of this locks you in — you can add reference layers from other states, customise every form field, and export in any format at any time.
Per-State Compliance Detail
For a detailed breakdown of obligations and how TerraSitu maps to each register: