Surveillance and Field Investigations
Licensed investigators on the ground — confirming occupancy, verifying a result in person, and gathering evidence that holds up.
- Licensed investigators — Australia-wide
- 20+ years locating people, debtors and businesses
- Verified results, not unconfirmed database matches
- Confidential handling on every matter
No obligation. We'll tell you honestly whether we can help before you commit.
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Licensed inquiry agent
Registered with the Private Agents Registry, Victoria Police
Ask any firm you are considering for their registration. An unlicensed trace is a risk you inherit.
- years
- 25+ Locating people, debtors and businesses
- law firms
- 500+ Trust us with their matters
- followers
- 1K On LinkedIn
- states & territories
- 8 Metro and regional, Australia-wide
What are surveillance and field investigations?
Surveillance and field work put a licensed investigator on the ground — attending an address to confirm occupancy, verifying a trace result in person, or gathering evidence for a legal or insurance matter.
Database work establishes where someone probably is. A field call establishes whether they are actually there. For matters where the next step is expensive — service of process, enforcement, a claim decision — that difference is worth confirming before the step is taken.
Field work is charged hourly, from $100 per hour, so scope and expected duration are agreed before an agent attends.
Who we do this for
Insurers and loss adjusters
Factual investigation and surveillance in support of claims assessment.
Law firms
Evidence gathering and occupancy confirmation in litigation and family law matters.
Debt collection and enforcement
Confirming residence or trading activity before enforcement action is taken.
Employers
Investigation of workplace matters where conduct needs to be established factually.
Businesses
Confirming whether a party is operating from a stated address.
Private clients
Field calls and factual confirmation in personal and family matters.
How it works
- 1
Scope and lawful basis
We establish what needs to be proven and confirm the engagement is lawful and proportionate before any attendance.
- 2
Planning
Timing, duration, access and approach are planned against the objective — and the realistic cost is confirmed with you.
- 3
Attendance
A licensed investigator attends. Field calls confirm occupancy directly; surveillance observes and records without contact.
- 4
Evidence handling
Observations are contemporaneously recorded, with continuity maintained so the material can be relied on later.
- 5
Reporting
You receive a factual report of what was observed, with supporting material where obtained.
Why it matters
Evidence is only useful if it holds up
Material gathered without regard to how it was obtained, by whom, or whether continuity was maintained is frequently worthless at the point it matters. Surveillance that cannot be explained by the person who conducted it is worse than no surveillance at all.
Our field work is carried out by licensed investigators, recorded contemporaneously, and reported factually — including what was not observed. We report what happened, not what the instructing party hoped would happen.
What you receive
- Factual report of attendance and observations
- Confirmation of occupancy or trading activity
- Photographic or video material where lawfully obtained
- Contemporaneous notes with times and locations
- Investigator details for evidentiary purposes
- Clear statement of what could not be established
Cost and turnaround
- Surveillance & Field Investigations from
- $100/hour
- Quoting
- Fixed fee, confirmed upfront
See full pricing
What we will not undertake
We do not accept surveillance instructions where the purpose appears to be harassment, stalking, or monitoring a person protected by a court order. We will decline matters where an intervention order may be in place, and we will not enter private property unlawfully or use recording methods that are not permitted.
Surveillance also does not always produce a result. A subject may not appear, may not engage in the relevant activity, or may be unobservable from any lawful position. That outcome is reported honestly, and we will advise when continued attendance is unlikely to be productive.
Lawful and compliant
All work is conducted in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles, and under the regulations applying to licensed inquiry agents in each state. We collect only information necessary for the engagement, use it only for that purpose, and hold all documentation securely.
For professional clients this matters commercially as well as ethically — engaging an unlicensed or non-compliant provider transfers risk onto your firm. Read how we operate lawfully →
Australia-wide coverage
We work in every state and territory, across metropolitan and regional areas — including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and Darwin.
Investigator licensing in Australia is administered state by state, and our work is carried out in accordance with the requirements applying in the relevant jurisdiction.
Surveillance & Field Investigations — frequently asked questions
How much does surveillance cost in Australia?
Surveillance and field work is charged hourly, from $100 per hour. Because duration drives cost, we agree scope and expected hours before an agent attends.
What is a field call?
A field call is a single attendance at an address to establish a specific fact — most often whether a person actually resides or trades there. It is substantially cheaper than surveillance and is often all a matter requires.
Is private surveillance legal in Australia?
Surveillance conducted by licensed investigators from lawful vantage points, for a legitimate purpose, is lawful. Surveillance device and listening device laws differ between states and restrict what may be recorded and how. We work within those requirements and will tell you where a proposed method is not permitted.
Can the footage be used in court or in a claim?
Where it has been lawfully obtained and properly recorded, yes. Continuity and contemporaneous notes matter as much as the material itself, which is why both are part of the engagement.
Will the subject know they are under surveillance?
Surveillance is conducted discreetly and without contact. A field call may involve direct enquiry at the address, which is a different approach — we will confirm which is appropriate for your matter.
How long does surveillance usually take?
It depends entirely on what needs to be established. Some matters resolve in a single attendance; others require several periods across different days. We will give you a realistic estimate and check in rather than accumulating hours silently.
Do you work in regional areas?
Yes. Field work is available across metropolitan and regional Australia. Travel time and distance are factored into the quote upfront.
Can you confirm someone lives at an address without surveillance?
Often, yes — a field call is usually sufficient to confirm occupancy, and it is the more proportionate and economical option. We will recommend it where surveillance is not warranted.
Related services
Process Serving
Process serving is the formal delivery of legal documents to a named party, carried out so that service can be proven to a court. We serve documents Australia-wide and provide an affidavit of service on completion.
Learn more →Skip Tracing
Skip tracing is the process of locating a person whose current address or contact details are unknown. Licensed investigators gather information from lawful sources — public records, registries, credit-header data and open-source intelligence — then verify each lead before reporting a confirmed result.
Learn more →Fraud & Catfish Investigations
A catfish or fraud investigation establishes whether the person you are dealing with online is who they claim to be. We verify identity, trace the real person behind an account, and provide a written report you can act on.
Learn more →Need to locate someone?
Tell us what you know and we'll tell you honestly whether we can help — before you commit to anything.
Licensed by Victoria Police · 20+ years' experience · Australia-wide