Australia · South Australia · October 24, 2026

Location SA Map Viewer and SAPPA: Free SA Property Maps

How to see South Australian property boundaries, title references and planning zones free with the Location SA Map Viewer and SAPPA.

South Australia has two free government map viewers that, used together, answer most questions about a property: the Location SA Map Viewer and SAPPA, the South Australian Property and Planning Atlas. Location SA is the general-purpose government map. SAPPA is built around property and planning, and it is usually the quicker way to get a title reference.

Location SA Map Viewer ↗

SA Property and Planning Atlas (SAPPA) ↗

Both opened with no login when we checked on October 24, 2026.

Location SA Map Viewer

Location SA is the state's catalogue of spatial data on a map. For property work:

1. Search an address or place.
2. Add the cadastre or property boundaries dataset from the data search if it is not on.
3. Click a parcel to see its details.
4. Add other datasets such as imagery, roads, water and environmental layers.

Because it carries so many government datasets, it is a good place to look at a rural block's surroundings: watercourses, native vegetation and nearby infrastructure.

SAPPA

SAPPA puts property and planning information together:

1. Find the property by address, or click it on the map.
2. Open the land information for the parcel (right-click on desktop, or long-press on a phone). It shows the title reference and parcel details.
3. Turn on Planning and Design Code layers to see the zone, subzone and overlays.

South Australia's planning system uses a single statewide Planning and Design Code. SAPPA shows which zone and overlays apply, which is the first thing to check if you want to subdivide, build a second dwelling or run a business from home.

Reading South Australian land descriptions

SA titles are identified by a title reference, such as CT 5000/123: the register type (CT for Certificate of Title), then the volume and folio. You will also see Crown records and other register types for some land. Parcels sit on plans (deposited plans, filed plans, strata and community plans), and rural land is also described by section within a Hundred, the old cadastral division of rural South Australia.

Write down the title reference exactly. It is what you need to order a title search.

Getting the title

A title search is ordered through SAILIS (South Australian Integrated Land Information System), run by Land Services SA, or through a broker. Search by address, title reference, plan and parcel, or valuation number. The register search shows the owner, mortgages, easements and other interests. It is a paid product; check the current fee when you order.

Limits

• Not a survey. The cadastre is compiled from plans. Use a licensed surveyor for boundary work.
• Overlays need reading. An overlay tells you a control applies. The Code's policy text says what it means.
• Community and strata titles. The base parcel is the whole scheme. Individual lots are on the community or strata plan.

A worked example: a rural block in the Adelaide Hills

1. Open SAPPA, search the address and click the property. Open the land information and note the title reference and plan parcel.
2. Turn on the Planning and Design Code layers. Note the zone and any overlays, such as hazards (bushfire) or water-related overlays in the Mount Lofty Ranges watershed.
3. Switch to the Location SA Map Viewer and add imagery and watercourse layers to see the land around the block.
4. Check whether the block is one title or several by clicking each part.
5. Order the title search through SAILIS or a broker, using the title reference.

Hundreds and sections

Rural South Australia was surveyed into Hundreds, each divided into numbered sections. You may see a parcel described as "Section 123, Hundred of X". Many sections have since been divided into allotments on plans, but the Hundred is still used, especially in older documents and on farm properties. The Northern Territory also has Hundreds near Darwin.

Why SAPPA is often faster

Location SA is a general data catalogue: excellent for exploring, but you need to add the right datasets. SAPPA is built for one job, property and planning, so it opens with what you need and puts the title reference and planning zones a click away. Use SAPPA for a property check, and Location SA for the wider context.

Using the viewers on a phone

SAPPA is designed to work on phones as well as desktops: long-press a property to open its land information. That makes it practical at an inspection, where you can check the title reference and zone without waiting to get home.

Common questions

Are SAPPA and Location SA free? Yes, both are free to use with no login for viewing.

Where do I get the owner's name? From a title search through SAILIS or a broker. It is a paid product.

What does CT mean? Certificate of Title. The numbers after it are the volume and folio.

Does SAPPA show the Planning and Design Code? Yes. It shows the zone, subzone and overlays that apply to a property.

Related guides

• How to find a lot and plan number in Australia
• What is Torrens title? (it started in South Australia)
• South Australia parcel map page

Sources

• Location SA Map Viewer and SAPPA opened and checked October 24, 2026.
• Land Services SA: get a copy of your title.
• SA Government: researching a property.