Australia · Viewer comparison · October 24, 2026

Queensland Globe vs NSW SDT Explorer: Free Parcel Maps

Queensland Globe and NSW SDT Explorer compared: layers, lot labels, search and planning data in Australia's two biggest free parcel viewers.

Queensland and New South Wales run the two most-used free parcel viewers in Australia. If you are looking at land on the Gold Coast, the Tweed or anywhere along the border, you will probably end up using both. They show the same kind of data in quite different ways, and knowing which one is good at what saves time.

A note on names first. NSW's old viewer, SIX Maps, was retired in May 2025. Its replacement is SDT Explorer (Spatial Digital Twin Explorer), run by NSW Spatial Services. You will still see SIX Maps mentioned on older forum posts and council pages.

Queensland Globe ↗

SDT Explorer (NSW Spatial Services) ↗

Both buttons opened a working map with no login when we checked on October 24, 2026.

At a glance

	Queensland Globe	NSW SDT Explorer
Run by	Queensland Government	NSW Spatial Services
Account needed?	No. "Login or Sign Up" is optional and only saves work	No
Parcel label	Lot on plan (e.g. Lot 3 on RP123456)	Lot/DP (e.g. Lot 12 DP 123456)
Strength	Huge topical layer catalogue: tenure, planning, environment, imagery	Fast lookups, lot labels as you zoom, 3D and imagery tools
Planning zones	Some state planning layers in the viewer	Use the NSW Planning Portal Spatial Viewer
Best for	Rural, acreage and tenure research	Quick lot reads along a street, imagery checks

Queensland Globe

Queensland Globe opens as a guest. The login button in the corner is optional. Once the map loads:

Search by address, place name or lot on plan.
Layers is where Globe shines. Cadastre, tenure, state planning layers, environment and flood layers, mining and exploration permits and historical imagery are all in one catalogue. Search the layer list by keyword rather than scrolling.
Identify a parcel to see its lot on plan, area and tenure. Tenure matters in Queensland: a parcel can be freehold, leasehold or other state land, and that changes what you can do with it.
Imagery includes current and historical aerial photos, which help when you want to see how a block looked before clearing or building.

Globe can feel heavy on a slow connection because of how many layers it offers. Turn off what you don't need.

NSW SDT Explorer

SDT Explorer took over from SIX Maps and adds 3D and digital twin features. For parcel work:

Search by address or lot/DP.
Lot/DP labels draw on the map as you zoom in, so you can read the lot numbers along a whole street without clicking each one.
Imagery and comparison tools let you look at the cadastre over recent aerial photos and measure distances and areas.
Planning zones are not the focus here. For zoning, heritage and hazard overlays, use the NSW Planning Portal Spatial Viewer, which is free and also opened without a login when we checked.

NSW Planning Portal Spatial Viewer ↗

Border properties

The cadastre in each viewer stops at the state line. A property near Tweed Heads or Coolangatta will show on one map and be blank on the other. If you are unsure which side a block is on, find it in either viewer's imagery first, then switch.

Plan numbering is different on each side too. A Queensland "SP" is a survey plan; a NSW "SP" is a strata plan. Don't carry a plan number across the border.

Which one should you use?

Use the viewer for the state the land is in. Beyond that:

Researching acreage or a rural block in Queensland? Queensland Globe's tenure and environment layers are hard to beat.
Reading lot numbers for a street in NSW? SDT Explorer's on-map labels are faster.
Checking zoning? In NSW, add the Planning Portal Spatial Viewer. In Queensland, start with Globe, then check the council's planning scheme map.

What neither map does

Neither viewer shows the owner's name or guarantees the boundary position. Ownership is on the title: order a title search from Titles Queensland or NSW Land Registry Services (or a licensed broker). For a fence or a building close to the line, use a registered surveyor. Both cadastres are compiled from survey plans and can be off by metres in rural areas.

A worked example: checking a block on the border

Say you are looking at an acreage listing near the Tweed River and the agent's description is vague about which side of the border it is on.

Open SDT Explorer, search the nearest town, and switch to imagery. Find the house and driveway from the listing photos.
Zoom in until lot/DP labels appear. If the parcel has a label, it is in New South Wales: note the lot and DP.
If the parcel area is blank, open Queensland Globe, search the same town, and find the same spot. Click the parcel to get its lot on plan and tenure.
Check the zoning in the right system: the NSW Planning Portal Spatial Viewer for NSW land, or the Queensland council's planning scheme map for Queensland land.
Order the title search from the registry for that state.

The same approach works anywhere along the border, from the Gold Coast hinterland west to Goondiwindi.

Layers worth knowing in Queensland Globe

Tenure. Shows freehold, leasehold and other state land. Essential on rural listings.
State planning layers. Some state-level planning information, such as areas of state interest. Local zoning is in the council scheme.
Environment. Including mapped vegetation and other environmental layers that can affect clearing and development.
Historical imagery. Compare years to see when a block was cleared or built on.

Tips for SDT Explorer

Zoom in for labels. Lot/DP labels only draw at street scale.
Use the measure tool to check frontage and area against a listing.
Use the Planning Portal for zoning, not SDT Explorer.
Look for the strata lot. In an apartment building, the parcel you click is the strata common property; the unit is on the strata plan.

Getting the most from each viewer on a phone

Both viewers work in a mobile browser, which is useful when you're standing at a property:

Turn on location to see where you are relative to the boundary. Remember that phone GPS can be several metres out, and the cadastre can be too.
Keep layers to a minimum on Queensland Globe to save data and battery.
Use imagery as your reference. Match the fence, shed or driveway in the photo to what's in front of you, rather than trusting the blue dot alone.

What each viewer is not

Neither viewer is the planning scheme, the title register or a survey. Queensland Globe can show state planning layers, but local zoning comes from the council's planning scheme. SDT Explorer can measure distances, but a measurement on a compiled cadastre is not a survey. And neither shows who owns the land. Use them to understand a property quickly, then go to the source documents.

Common questions

Do I need to log in to Queensland Globe? No. Login only saves your work and settings.

Is SDT Explorer the same as SIX Maps? It replaced SIX Maps, which was retired in May 2025, and has more tools.

Can I see owners in either viewer? No. Ownership is on the title, a paid search.

Which is more accurate? Both use their state's official cadastre. Accuracy depends on the age and quality of the survey plans in an area, not on the viewer.

Related guides

Sources

Viewers opened and checked October 24, 2026.
NSW Government: SDT Explorer replacing SIX Maps.