Highlights from ANZLIC's August 2023 meeting

New ANZLIC Executive Office

The new team at Geoscience Australia now managing the ANZLIC Executive Office was welcomed and the Department of Industry, Resources and Science were thanked for their excellent work in executing the secretariat function to date. Geoscience Australia will be building a multi-faceted team to support a range of committees and groups to achieve greater strategic alignment and efficiencies. This includes ANZLIC, the Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping (ICSM), the Australian Public Service Location Inter-Departmental Committee (Location-IDC) and Australian representation in the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information management (UN-GGIM).

Geospatial Council of Australia's economic impact assessment

Tony Wheeler, CEO of the Geospatial Council of Australia shared information about their upcoming project to undertake an economic impact assessment of geospatial data in Australia, commencing September 2023.This project will be completed by ACIL Allen. ANZLIC members noted the importance of this work to assess the value of Geospatial Data in Australia, its impact on lifting productivity and its potential to drive economic growth; and considered avenues to support the study. 

Findings from research report on Demand, Supply and Skills Gaps for Surveying and Geospatial Professionals  

Michelle Blicavs from the Association of Consulting Surveyors presented the key findings of the recent research report into Demand, Supply and Skills Gap for Surveying and Geospatial Professionals 2023-2033. She discussed the recommendations and the next steps to help resolve the issues. ANZLIC members noted the skills shortage of 1,400 surveyors across Australia and agreed to work with industry to address the skills shortage.  

ICEYE satellite observation services demonstration

John Dawson from Geoscience Australia presented an overview of the ICEYE Flood and Bushfire Insight Services. The ICEYE Flood Insights Service provides near-real-time flood impact footprint and intelligence services using satellite based synthetic aperture radar (SAR) observations. The product provides both flood extent and depth data and intelligence.  The ICEYE Bushfire Insights Service includes bushfire monitoring, fire extent mapping, and post-event building damage assessment products.  As part of the Geoscience Australia contract, the ICEYE Services are available to Commonwealth agencies and the State Territory emergency management agencies. For further information you can contact: acs.support@ga.gov.au 

SouthPAN 

ANZLIC members received a presentation by Matt Amos, National Geodesist, Toitu Te Whenua Land Information Council of New Zealand, with an update on SouthPAN. The presentation included an overview of SouthPAN program; and highlighted that the SouthPAN program was highly regarded in the recent Prime Minister’s 2023 statement.

ANZLIC members noted that Australia and New Zealand recently signed a 20-year, $187.4 million contract with Inmarsat for the provision of the Southern Positioning Augmentation Network’s (SouthPAN) Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) signals from 2027.  

Digital Twins 

ANZLIC members received an update on Digital Twins from New South Wales and Western Australia. Members congratulated Narelle Underwood from NSW in reaching a milestone on gravity data, which 90% captured, and preliminary data now available to the public via MinView.