Adding government reference layers to your map

Reference layers are government-published spatial datasets — such as vegetation maps, protected area boundaries, and land parcel (cadastre) data — that you can overlay on your survey map. They are sourced from state and federal agency WMS/WMTS services and load directly in TerraSitu without any external account or CORS configuration required.

What reference layers are

Reference layers differ from your imported GIS files in two key ways:

• They are read-only — you cannot edit the features.
• They are live-streamed from the source agency — the data updates when the agency updates it.

Reference layers are useful for providing spatial context during survey planning and QA: checking habitat extent against a vegetation map, verifying that a site boundary does not encroach on a protected area, or overlaying cadastre to identify landowner parcels.

Opening the Reference Layers panel

1. Open the map view for your project, site, or survey.
2. In the left sidebar, click Reference Layers.
3. The panel lists any reference layers already added to your workspace.

Adding a layer from the catalogue

1. Click Add layers at the top of the Reference Layers panel.
2. The layer catalogue opens. It lists all available layers with their name, source agency, and category.
3. Use the Region filter to narrow the list to a specific state or territory (NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT, ACT, or Federal).
4. Use the Category filter to narrow by topic — Vegetation, Protected Areas, Cadastre, Hydrology, Soils, Geology, and others.
5. Use the search box to find a layer by name or keyword.
6. Click Add next to the layer you want. It is added to your workspace immediately.

Adjusting opacity

Each layer in the panel has an opacity slider. Drag it left to make the layer more transparent, or right to make it fully opaque. This is useful when overlaying a reference layer on top of your survey data.

Toggling visibility

Click the eye icon next to a layer to show or hide it without removing it from your workspace. The layer remains in the panel for quick re-enabling.

Removing a layer

Click the kebab menu (three dots) next to a layer and select Remove. The layer is removed from your workspace but can be re-added from the catalogue at any time.

Custom WMS/WMTS URLs (admin only)

If your organisation uses a private or unlisted WMS/WMTS service, an admin user can add it manually:

1. Open the Reference Layers panel and click Add layers.
2. In the catalogue, click Add custom WMS/WMTS.
3. Enter the service URL, layer name, and optional display name.
4. Click Test connection to verify the URL is reachable.
5. Click Save — the layer appears in your workspace.

Custom WMS/WMTS layers added by admins are available to all team members in the tenant. This feature requires the Professional tier.

How tile loading works

Reference tiles load through TerraSitu's server-side proxy. You do not need to configure CORS or credentials — the proxy handles authentication and cross-origin requests on your behalf.

Offline availability

Note: Reference layers require an internet connection to display. They are not bundled into survey packages and are not available offline (Phase 1 limitation). When working in the field without connectivity, reference layers will not render.

Related Articles

• Working with the map — Map navigation, layers, and drawing tools
• Importing GIS data — Adding your own spatial data to a site