Position 112 April-May 2021

April/May 2021 – No. 112

The Australasian magazine of surveying, mapping & geo-information

MAPPING EVIL Shining a spotlight on the dark side of humanity

Official publication of

inside Remote sensing resurgence Space boom perks

LiDAR downsized Survey of light LiDAR advancements

SIBA|GITA gets new GM Q&A with Danika Bakalich

For every stage of the project,

CARLSON HAS YOU COVERED

HM HM

From the Field

To the Office

To Completion

LEAD THE FIELD WITH CARLSON SOFTWARE Michael Manning ■ Regional Sales Director for Asia Pacific +61 4 1239 2674 ■ mmanning@carlsonsw.com carlsonsoftware.com.au

contents

April/May 2021 No.112

18

26

34

features

26 Making the invisible visible

13 Simplifying GIS

28 The new world of LiDAR

Platform brings together high-resolution aerial imagery and on-demand spatially precise data.

14 Q&A with Danika Bakalich We sit down with new SIBA|GITA General Manager Danika Bakalich to get her take on the direction of the industry.

17 Mapping Evil Mapping technology and geospatial analytics help solve some of the most macabre crimes.

18 Waiting for Space Jon Fairall looks at how increased investment in space is driving Australia’s remote sensing sector.

22 Covid case study Public health researcher Ali Lakhani uses spatial data to track Covid’s impact on access to health services.

New Augmented Reality platform seamlessly brings together GIS, BIM and reality mesh data.

We look into how new technologies are changing the way scanning works.

34 AusPost: Delivering digital twins We discuss Australia Post’s ambitious project to clone their entire distribution network digitally with Silvio Giorgio, general manager of data science and strategy

regulars 4 Upfront, calendar 7 Editorial 8 News 36 New products 38 SSSI

www.spatialsource.com.au 3

upfront

When the Earth’s history turned

Upcoming Events 29 March – 1 April: Locate21, Brisbane, Qld and virtual https://sssi.org.au/events-awards/ events/locate21

12-15 April: ITS Pacific Forum, Brisbane Qld https://itsap2020.com/

T

he temporary breakdown of Earth’s magnetic field 42,000 years ago sparked major climate shifts that led to global environmental change and mass extinctions, a new international study co-led by UNSW Sydney and the South Australian Museum shows.

This dramatic turning point in Earth’s history – laced with electrical storms, widespread auroras, and cosmic radiation – was triggered by the reversal of Earth’s magnetic poles and changing solar winds.

The study suggests that the event could explain a lot of other evolutionary mysteries, like the extinction of Neanderthals and the sudden widespread appearance of figurative art in caves around the world.

“It’s the most surprising and important discovery I’ve ever been involved in,” said co-lead Professor Alan Cooper, Honorary Researcher at the South Australian Museum.

The magnetic north pole doesn’t have a fixed location. It usually wobbles close to the North Pole over time due to dynamic movements within the Earth’s core, just like the magnetic south pole.

Sometimes, for reasons that aren’t clear, the magnetic poles’ movements can be more drastic. Around 41,000-42,000 years ago they swapped places entirely.

Until now, scientific research has focused on changes that happened while the magnetic poles were reversed, when the magnetic field was weakened to about 28 per cent of its present-day strength.

But according to the team’s findings, the most dramatic part was the leadup to the reversal, when the poles were migrating across the Earth.

“Earth’s magnetic field dropped to only 0-6 per cent strength during the event,” says Prof. Turney.

“We essentially had no magnetic field at all – our cosmic radiation shield was totally gone.”

“Unfiltered radiation from space ripped apart air particles in Earth’s atmosphere,

4 position April/May 2021

separating electrons and emitting light – a process called ionisation,” says Prof.

Turney.

“The ionised air ‘fried’ the ozone layer, triggering a ripple of climate change across the globe.”

The researchers theorise that the dramatic environmental changes may have caused early humans to seek more shelter. This could explain the sudden appearance of cave art around the world roughly 42,000 years ago.

“We think that the sharp increases in UV levels, particularly during solar flares, would suddenly make caves very valuable shelters,” says Prof. Cooper.

“The common cave art motif of red ochre handprints may signal it was being used as sunscreen, a technique still used today by some groups.”

While the magnetic poles often wander, some scientists are concerned about the current rapid movement of the north magnetic pole across the Northern Hemisphere.

“This speed – alongside the weakening of Earth’s magnetic field by around nine per cent in the past 170 years – could indicate an upcoming reversal,” says Prof.

Cooper.

“If a similar event happened today, the consequences would be huge for modern society. Incoming cosmic radiation would destroy our electric power grids and satellite networks.”

Prof. Turney says the human-induced climate crisis is catastrophic enough without throwing major solar changes or a pole reversal in the mix.

“Our atmosphere is already filled with carbon at levels never seen by humanity before,” he says. “A magnetic pole reversal or extreme change in Sun activity would be unprecedented climate change accelerants.

“We urgently need to get carbon emissions down before such a random event happens again.” n

29 April: SSSI Hydro Commission Webinar – Lessons Learned: Experiences from HIPP partnership https://sssi.org.au/events-awards/ events/hydro-commission-webinarhydroscheme-industry-par

13 May: Tasmania state of GIS https://sssi.org.au/events-awards/ events/tasmania-state-of-gis-2020-part2

15-17 June: Rotortech 2021, Brisbane, Qld https://www.rotortech.com.au/

12-15 July: Esri User Conference, Virtual https://www.esri.com/en-us/about/ events/uc/overview

1-3 August: 12d Technical Forum 2021, Virtual https://events.12dsynergy.com/#register

17 September: Spatial Information Day and 2021 Regional South Australia APSEA Awards https://sssi.org.au/events-awards/ events/sid21

22-23 October: 2021 NSW CSA October Conference, Orange NSW https://www.acsnsw.com.au/ eventdetails/9118/2021-nsw-csa-octoberconference

2-3 December: International Conference on Aeromagnetic Surveying, Sydney NSW https://waset.org/aeromagneticsurveying-conference-in-december-2021in-sydney

from the editor The Australasian magazine of surveying, mapping & geo-information

Publisher Simon Cooper Interim Editor Charles Pauka National Advertising Manager Jon Tkach jon@intermedia.com.au Prepress Tony Willson Production Manager Jacqui Cooper Subscribe Position is available via subscription only.

A 12 month subscription (6 issues) is AUD$76.00. To subscribe visit www.intermedia.com.au, phone: 1800 651 422 or email: subscriptions@intermedia.com.au website: www.spatialsource.com.au Position is published six times a year, in February, April, June, August, October and December by Interpoint Events Pty Ltd. ABN: 9810 451 2469 Address: 41 Bridge Road, Glebe NSW 2037 Ph: +61 2 9660 2113 Fax: +61 2 9660 4419 Reprints from Position are permitted only with the permission of the publisher. In all cases, reprints must be acknowledged as follows: ‘Reprinted with permission from Position Magazine’, and must include the author’s byline.

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher.

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Farewell – again O

ccasionally I return to the magazine to help out my friends at Position and Spatial Source, and whenever I do, I am struck by the vibrancy, excitement and dedication I experience from the spatial profession and its participants.

In-between times I am not directly exposed to the surveying and spatial industry, and so I do a quick but intensive catch-up to see what’s been happening since my last visit. It is always fascinating but I have to say that over the past two years, there has been even more of a massive progression and transformation than I have ever experienced before.

Advancements in technology and the trade’s increasing involvement in the burgeoning space industry are perhaps the two most outstanding areas. Drones, for example, are now virtually indispensible in such different areas as surveying, photogrammetry, BIM, LiDAR and others, as Position magazine founding editor Jon Fairall describes in his incisive article The new world of LiDAR on page 28.

And as there is also life beyond technology, you may well be interested to read Graeme Martin’s discussion on good GIS: “The GIS Good Practice Framework (GPF) assessment helps Local Governments to understand how their current level of investment in GIS or geospatial technologies and skilled resources is meeting industry-wide benchmarks.” You will find this article on page 32.

Then for a very topical discussion, turn to page 22 for Ali Lakhani’s A COVID case study, a fascinating study that “used spatial methods to establish Victorian border localities that may require critical care via an interstate hospital.”

Please welcome Jonathan Nally From the next issue, jumping into the editor’s seat will be Jonathan Nally. Jonathan has been covering science and technology topics in print, online and on TV and radio for 35-plus years. His blend of experience in the fields of astronomy and spaceflight, aviation, radio communications and information technology see him well-placed to tackle the geospatial field. Please make Jonathan welcome!

As for me, it’s time to go back to the farm and do a bit more fencing.

Charles Pauka Interim editor

June/July 2021 – Issue 113 Open standards – why the big players are embracing openness

NEXT ISSUE

Smart transport and logistics – the imminent arrival of autonomy The shifting business of geospatial – leveraging latest tech and evolving business models Datums & dynamics – adapting for precision Advertising booking date: 14/05/2021 Advertising material date: 19/05/2021 Publication date: 07/06/2021

www.spatialsource.com.au 7

news

Australian next-generation propulsion system tested

Boeing Australia flies new RAAF UAV

An Australian research consortium has successfully tested a nextgeneration propulsion system that could enable high-speed flight and space launch services.

The team’s rotating detonation engine, or RDE, is a major technical achievement and an Australian first.

It was designed by RMIT University engineers and is being developed by a consortium led by DefendTex, with researchers from RMIT, University of Sydney and Universität der Bundeswehr in Germany.

While conventional rocket engines operate by burning fuel at constant pressure, RDE produce thrust by rapidly detonating the propellant in a ring-shaped combustor. Once started, the engine is in a self-sustaining cycle of detonation waves that travel around the combustor at supersonic speeds greater than 2.5km a second.

Using this type of combustion has the potential to significantly increase engine efficiency and performance, with applications in rocket propulsion and high-speed airbreathing engines - similar to ramjets.

Benefits over existing engines include better fuel efficiency, simpler flight systems and a more compact engine, allowing for larger payloads and reduced launch costs.

A major challenge to overcome was keeping the engine from overheating, while the next step of the project involved looking at a fully 3D-printed, actively cooled version of the successful prototype.

Other challenges, including advanced modelling of the engine’s behaviour and integration of the engine into a functioning flight vehicle, remain to be overcome before proceeding to test flights.

Boeing Australia and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) have successfully completed the first test flight of the Loyal Wingman unmanned aircraft.

The flight of the first military aircraft to be designed and manufactured in Australia in more than 50 years flew under the supervision of a Boeing test pilot monitoring the aircraft from a ground control station at the Woomera Range Complex.

Following a series of taxi tests validating ground handling, navigation and control, and pilot interface, the aircraft completed a successful take-off under its own power before flying a pre-determined route at different speeds and altitudes to verify flight functionality and demonstrate the performance of the Airpower Teaming System design.

With support from more than 35 Australian industry teams and leveraging Boeing’s processes, including model-based engineering techniques, such as a digital twin to digitally flight-test missions, the team was able to manufacture the aircraft from design to flight in three years.

This first Loyal Wingman aircraft is serving as the foundation for the Boeing Airpower Teaming System being developed for various global defence customers.

The aircraft will fly alongside other platforms, using artificial intelligence to team with existing crewed and unmanned assets to complement mission capabilities.

Additional Loyal Wingman aircraft are currently under development, with plans for teaming flights scheduled for later this year.

Position Partners acquires tool specialist Imex Position Partners has announced the acquisition of Imex, an Australian-based company that specialises in laser levels and measurement tools for the building trades.

“Laser levelling instruments have been a core part of our business since inception,” said Martin Nix, CEO of Position Partners.

“The addition of Imex to our portfolio means more options for our customers, with a laser level or complementary measurement tool to suit every task and budget,” he added.

“And, with outlets throughout Australia, as well as New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, these essential construction tools are locally supported and readily available in convenient locations.”

Position Partners offers repairs, calibrations and training for all products, with a team of manufacturer-trained technicians that has extensive experience and expertise.

The Imex product range includes rotating lasers, line and dot lasers, pipe lasers, auto levels, theodolites and accessories.

Used in all building trades including carpenters, electricians, concreters, plumbers, general builders and more, Imex tools are

8 position April/May 2021

said to offer reliable accuracy and value for money.

Imex will continue to operate as the same team from its premises in Molong, NSW. The company’s website and contact details also remain unchanged by the acquisition.

“Joining with Position Partners and sharing our industry knowledge and resources will benefit customers and the industry,” said Calvin Sandeman, founder and director of Imex.

“That said, it is still ‘business as usual’ for our customers.”

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news SIBA|GITA appoints new general manager The board of SIBA|GITA has announced the appointment of Danika Bakalich as general manager to the association.

Ms Bakalich, who took over her new role on 1 March, has over the last 20 years successfully participated in and led global standards initiatives across various sectors including the digital economy, information management, electronic commerce, economic development, mining and civil infrastructure.

Ms Bakalich has led strategic development initiatives with both private and public sector organisations across several regions including Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific.

Ms Bakalich’s professional experience has been in shaping and implementing

government policy, governance and operational frameworks, workforce development strategies, development of industry standards, communications strategies for industry and driving global market outcomes for enterprises.

Prior to joining SIBA|GITA, Ms Bakalich held positions including as acting CEO and deputy CEO, SkillsDMC; CEO of the Information Technology Contractors Association (ITCRA); ICT and Digital Economy Policy Advisor to a Commonwealth Minister; regional director for the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) covering the European and Asia Pacific Regions; and head of talent and skills with the Brisbane Economic Development Board, Brisbane Marketing.

The appointment of Ms Bakalich enables SIBA|GITA to expand the range of services provided to members, and take a more active role in commenting on government policy and other relevant areas.

You can read an interview with Danika Bakalich on page 14 of this issue.

CSIRO moves to free model with Open Access The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has announced that the details of its research are to be made accessible to the public as it moves towards a policy of ‘Open Access’.

The changes would see the removal of paywalls and enable unrestricted access to the organisation’s research in scientific journals. As a result of the global shift towards Open Access, the organisation aims to democratise science by ensuring research is available to everyone, not just those with journal subscriptions.

The 100-year-old organisation has begun the journey towards Open Access, expected to take a number of years, by signing transformative

‘read and publish’ agreements with publishers.

Acting chief scientist for CSIRO, Sarah Pearce said the organisation was removing barriers to access and increasing opportunities for its published research to make a difference in the world.

“In this way, everyone can read the science themselves and increase the impact of our research,” Dr Pearce said.

“At the same time, we must maintain the very highest standards of peer review and publishing practices, so finding a viable way to transition the model for journal publishers, like CSIRO Publishing, towards Open Access is exciting,” she said.

POSITION’S NEWS ORIGINATES FROM Australia and New Zealand’s only site for surveying and spatial news.

Subscribe now for your FREE weekly newsletter at www.spatialsource.com.au 10 position April/May 2021

Bushfire prediction technology launched The CSIRO and AFAC, the National Council for Fire and Emergency Services have signed an agreement to develop a nationally consistent bushfire modelling and prediction capability.

The partnership involves the development of Spark Operational, a cutting-edge bushfire simulation tool based on CSIRO’s ‘Spark’ fire prediction platform.

Fire and emergency services agencies across Australia will be able to use Spark Operational, opening bushfire prediction opportunities across borders and over different landscapes.

CSIRO’s Spark platform combines current fire behaviour knowledge with state-of-the-art simulation science to produce predictions, statistics and visualisations of bushfire spread, as well as simulating hours of fire spread across a landscape in a matter of seconds.

AFAC’s Fire Prediction Services

Group will work with CSIRO to improve existing technology and build a national system that allows for consistent bushfire predictions to support emergency service and response teams across borders.

Phase one of the technology’s implementation commenced in January 2021, with further developments ensuring it will become fully operational over the next three years.

With each phase of its implementation, Spark Operational will be grown and adapted into a tool that all agencies nationwide can tailor to specific landscapes and bushfire behaviour, enabling them to better predict – and thereby protect – local environments.

Through a partnership with AFAC, Minderoo Foundation is supporting the development of Spark Operational as part of its Fire Shield Mission, which aims to detect and extinguish dangerous fires within an hour by 2025.

Quantum technology to assist Australian Moon missions

SURROUND NZ to take charge of 3D CSDM

Q-CTRL, a startup that applies the principles of control engineering to power quantum technology, will provide the first quantum sensing and navigation technologies for space exploration beginning with un-crewed lunar missions by the SEVEN SISTERS space industry consortium in Australia.

Commencing in 2023, the missions are designed to find accessible water and other resources in support of NASA’s Artemis program to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024 and create a sustainable human presence for later crewed Martian exploration.

Q-CTRL will develop these quantum technologies in coordination with Fleet Space Technologies, a nanosatellite start-up and founder of the SEVEN SISTERS consortium.

The consortium is composed of Australian firms and academic institutions developing advanced exploration technologies for Earth, the Moon and Mars. Q-CTRL will contribute new high-performance remote sensing payloads in upcoming lunar missions and beyond.

Key applications will include remote detection of liquid water and mineral deposits through quantum-based gravity detection and magnetic field sensors. Quantum-enhanced precision navigation and timing (PNT) will also be deployed to provide guidance for long-endurance missions with limited telemetry contact.

The Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping (ICSM) and Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) have announced that SURROUND NZ Ltd will lead the development of an Australian/New Zealand 3D Cadastral Survey Data Model and Exchange (3D CSDM) program.

The 3D CSDM work program aims to create a widely adopted standard across Australia and New Zealand for exchanging digital cadastral survey data between the survey industry and government land administration agencies.

A crucial component of the work will be engaging with survey software suppliers. Their contribution will help ensure that their products can meet the needs of the surveyors producing the cadastral survey datasets for lodgement as well as the needs of jurisdictions, as defined by the harmonised data model.

LINZ is leading the program in partnership with Australian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (Victoria), the Department of Customer Service (New South Wales), Landgate (Western Australia), and the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy (Queensland).

The program of work has been established by the Intergovernmental Committee for Survey and Mapping (ICSM) with support from the Spatial Information Council (ANZLIC).

Implementation of any new method of exchanging cadastral survey information will be up to individual jurisdictions. LINZ is planning on its implementation being part of the Rebuilding Landonline program.

The development of the 3D CSDM program is expected to take up to 13 months. www.spatialsource.com.au 11

news Space a focus in the Modern Manufacturing Strategy

Under the Australian Government’s Modern Manufacturing Strategy, road maps for six key areas of focus have been developed with industry to set out plans for both industry and government to strengthen Australia’s manufacturing capability.

The road maps have been led by industry taskforces to identify and set a future vision for the priority areas with clear goals, opportunities and actions over the next two, five and ten years.

As Australia builds its space manufacturing capability,

manufacturers will need to draw on best practice from around the world, utilise new technologies to design and manufacture faster, collaborate with partners overseas to build skills and capabilities, and focus on those areas where Australia has strengths, a gap or need or an area of strategic interest.

The taskforce identified an initial set of manufacturing capabilities that need to be lifted across the ecosystem in order to achieve the vision over the lifespan of the Modern Manufacturing Strategy. Capabilities were mapped using small satellites and related launch capability as a focal point, but with flexibility to accommodate critical space applications that will emerge over the next ten years. They fall along the space value chain and will be critical to achieving this vision.

To lift space manufacturing capability, four distinct phases and recommended areas of focus have been identified: • Design phase: designing products and services that support space activities.

• Building phase: building components and products for space applications.

• Qualifying phase: developing capabilities to quality assure and qualify their manufactured products, components and services for use in space.

• Access space and operate phase: growing capabilities to operate and sustain products and services in space and access to space through Australian launch capability.

METROMAP Delivering spatial data to your desk

Simple tools for precise measurement Inspect sites remotely in a web browser Use historical imagery to monitor and track change

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partner feature

MetroMap – simplifying GIS

over time. Users place imagery side-byside with a swipe tool, so they can see what changes between dates.

Solar energy companies monitor changes in solar panel penetration within given territories for opportunity prospecting. They can also analyse the size, number, and placement of panels.

Local Governments can see how their constituent area changes throughout the years. MetroMap simplifies change tracking over time.

RAPID CAPTURE FOR RAPID DECISION MAKING

S

ervices like MetroMap 2D Web App and MetroMap 3D simplify the decision-making process for a broad spectrum of industries, from individual traders to large companies and government departments. The mixture of high-resolution aerial imagery and spatially precise data on demand makes the MetroMap platform a problem-solver and time saver.

MetroMap, and parent company Aerometrex, are pushing ahead with solutions-based GIS.

GIS BENEFITTING NON-GIS USERS The MetroMap web app represents a move towards accessible GIS. Any MetroMap user can benefit from the platform’s stringent spatial accuracy through its simple toolset, regardless of any knowledge or previous experience with GIS. On the surface, drawing a line or polygon on MetroMap and getting a measurement seems simple, but getting that measurement accurate to within centimetres requires stringent GIS expertise. Users benefit from spatial accuracy through the simple tool and process outputs. A landscaper may never know how their polygons drawn on MetroMap are made accurately, but they will notice when materials ordered based on those measurements are correct.

A solar company will benefit from the precise modelling of sunshine on a rooftop without knowing the back end process that ensures the data is accurate.

Still, their clients will notice the highefficiency their systems get.

COMPRESSING DISTANCE High-resolution aerial imagery can reduce the frequency of, or altogether remove the need for, on-site inspections for many businesses. Reduced travel has evident business efficiency and profitability outcomes, and the current pandemic environment has caused a re-think of necessary travel and interactions.

A roofer no longer needs to inspect a house to determine a roof’s surface area and the materials required to cover it.

MetroMap’s polygon tool and Roof Pitch data, through the building footprint layer, will give the required information to quote without leaving the office. They can also see other potential complications that could affect the job; solar panels, tree overhang, or site access issues.

Planning, construction, and road/traffic businesses carry out inspections and measurement of an area in a web browser without needing to interact with the active intersection. They measure lines and complex polygons within the system, and can upload their own GeoJSON, KML, KMZ and Shapefiles.

FREQUENT CAPTURES FOR CHANGE MONITORING Historical data adds another insightful element to the MetroMap platform.

Aerometrex captures and processes capital cities multiple times per year and regional centres regularly. Users get multiple captures in some areas, stretching as far back as the 1940s with the oldest Sydney imagery.

Businesses and individuals use historical data to analyse change

Aerometrex runs a rapid capture service that adds imagery to MetroMap quickly for clients, and optional shared intellectual property arrangements will mean those images are hosted on the public MetroMap platform.

An insurance company requested Aerometrex’s rapid orthoimagery capture service in Queensland, which was processed and added to MetroMap following tropical storms. Their staff then used MetroMap to assess storm damage to houses quickly and accurately to expedite claims. The imagery is detailed enough to see individual damage spots on roofs, or smashed solar panels.

Rapid captures are made over bushfire affected areas too. Within days, a plane can capture thousands of square kilometres, and the Aerometrex processing team has the imagery ready for assessment of large areas on MetroMap.

EASY 3D MetroMap recently launched a “clip, zip, ship” service for buying 3D data via the MetroMap Store. Users select custom areas of Australian capital cities in OBJ, FBX, SLPK, and Cesium 3D Tile formats and have their model emailed directly. It represents another disruptive move to the 3D model buying process, giving users the ultimate power of what and how they buy.

Other datasets derived from both imagery and LIDAR are planned for adding into the 3D Store in future.

Architects and engineers have been the earliest adopters, immediately grasping how the system benefits their workflow.

They no longer need to invest in complete city models. Instead, they buy what they need as they need it.

LEARN MORE ABOUT METROMAP Go to metromap.com.au to learn more about the platform and start a 7-day free trial.

Go to metromap.com.au/store to learn more about the 3D Store. n Information provided by Aerometrex www.spatialsource.com.au 13

q&a

Q&A with Danika Bakalich Danika Bakalich takes over at SIBA|GITA following a long career that has featured a mix of corporate leadership and government roles.

Over the last 20 years, Danika has helped lead global standards initiatives across various sectors including the digital economy, information management, electronic commerce, economic development, mining and civil infrastructure.

The appointment of Ms Bakalich as General Manager comes as SIBA|GITA looks to expand the range of services provided to members, and to take a more active role in commenting on government policy and other relevant areas.

We recently had the chance to discuss Danika’s new role and what changes she envisions for her organisation and the spatial industry.

Position: You have had extensive work experience across a number of associations and industries, what attracted you to the spatial and surveying industry?

“We are excited about this year's Locate21 Conference, particularly with our new format.

I’ll be streaming events and will attend the Brisbane live event, and look forward to meeting as many people as possible from our community.”

DB: I’ve been involved with the global ICT industry for a number of years and I think we are at a point where the purpose and relevance of digital transformation is understood, adopted and appreciated by the majority. Digital technologies have contributed significantly to transforming global economies, enabled to a great extent by the spatial and surveying industry, which is becoming more embedded and looked upon as a prerequisite across most areas of the economy. For me, this is incredibly exciting and humbling to be a part of.

Geospatial data produced through technologies provides opportunities to help everyone to benefit from convergent technologies to allow for a more humancentred environment. With Industry 4.0 being the convergence of the physical and the digital worlds, the geospatial industry is at the core of catalytic change.

This change is currently and will continue to impact all areas of the political, social, economic and environmental areas in ways that improve productivity, keep people safe, protect environments, refine policy decision-making, and overall improve the quality of lives by empowering people to have the right and timely information needed to make informed decisions. By our sector providing data to everyday Australians across the economy, we are able to support and improve the quality of life and economic prosperity – it’s pretty amazing really, humbling and incredibly important.

Position: With your deep technology background, what aspects of the industry do you find most fascinating and why?

DB: It’s incredible to consider that an occupation that has existed and evolved for thousands of years by keeping pace with the changing technologies, today directly informs so many areas of existence. This is why I find this sector so interesting. The spatial industry represents the future for most industry sectors.

Geospatial data enables evidence-based decision-making, which is helping to make decisions that impact lives. It is overwhelmingly relevant across all sections of the community and drives innovations in ways that may not be directly visible but is overtly experienced. Our recent experience with bushfires, drought, floods and COVID-19 are immediate examples where geospatial technologies and data aided in informing policy and emergency services to Australian citizens – this is

14 position April/May 2021

the point at which the ‘ah-ha’ moment kicks in for most as it is directly relevant to everyone.

Position: How do you view the various levels of governments’ roles and involvement in the spatial industry, and in what areas do you think improvement or further progress is possible and/or necessary?

DB: Interlinkages between government and industry are incredibly closely aligned. The momentum is significant allowing for the Australian private sector from small to large enterprises to step into a space that is expanding rapidly.

This does mean that all elements feeding into and impacting what success looks like need to be aligned and incorporated with legislation, policy and business and consumer practice.

Certainly, the role of government, at all levels, is supportive of the position and importance of the spatial industry. Private companies, equally, are key contributors to the sector’s growth and future path through the continuation of public/private sector alignment and complementarity underpinned by greater public/private investment – the future is bright. Most people within the geospatial industry have a strong understanding of the relationship with government and the value of public-private collaborations in order to get things done. It enables and attracts greater investment and greater innovation.

Areas that are being addressed through collaboration between government and industry include: • Skills shortage and ensuring the required career pathways are available and accessible.

• Addressing diversity across the workforce.

• Geospatial data infrastructure and availability continue to meet the growing demands of users within secure environments.

• Strengthening the coordination and connection of industry, investments and funding.

• Ensuring developers and users understand local, regional, national and international impacts of geopolitical laws that impact data use and privacy to ensure greater take-up of geospatial technology and experiences are achieved.

• Continuation of public/private sector alignment and complementarity underpinned with greater investment.

Position: What do you see as the most important ways SIBA|GITA assists industry professionals and companies, and where will you be focusing your attention for further development?

DB: SIBA|GITA is well positioned to support the industry to strengthen engagement across the sector and will continue to be the voice of industry leadership. It’s been mentioned several times across the sector that collaboration is key and we absolutely support and endorse this approach. We are focused on providing support throughout the supply chain from small businesses to large enterprises, governments, academia, R&D, innovators and end users and suppliers to industry. SIBA has been in existence for quite some time, we have a very solid understanding industry and government and we will only intensify our efforts to continue to support the industry.

We understand the relationship between industry and professionals and will focus efforts to further strengthen the

value of the professional, drive initiatives to diversify the workforce and address the threat of skills gaps by promoting career options for students.

We have in train plans to increase participation via our statebased branches and growing our focus to enable the growth of the industry though better connection and awareness across other sectors which benefit from spatial services (i.e Digital Twins projects as multi-disciplinary opportunities in which the spatial sector is a key enabler).

Our policy and advocacy initiatives are important and SIBA|GITA is continuing its efforts to support the following strategic activities and lead agencies such as: SmartSat CRC, Space Industry Association of Australia, Geoscience Australia, Department of Defence, SSSI, CSIRO, Earth Observation Australia and FrontierSI, to name a few: • 2026 Spatial Industry Transformation and Growth Strategy Steering Committee.

• 2030 Space and Spatial Industry Roadmap Steering Committee.

• Contributing to the formation of the ANZLIC Strategic Plan 2020-2024.

• Contributing to the introduction of digital survey plan lodgement in Queensland.

• Contributing to the Cadastral & Geodetic Systems Review.

• Development of submissions to Federal and State Governments.

We are also excited about this years Locate21 Conference, particularly with our new format, the hybrid event combining live and streamed sessions across the country. I’ll be streaming events and will attend the Brisbane live event, and look forward to meeting as many people as possible from our community.

Position: Where do you see the industry heading in the next ten, twenty, thirty years?

DB: The landscape is evolving fast and offers tremendous opportunities for the geospatial industry and the user community to advance. Certainly, global standards are evolving, digital transformation and the improved use of geospatial data through generational improvements will continue to underpin improvements across many sectors. Through realising the value of big data and tapping into the benefits of geospatial data the transformation of lives will continue to strengthen in a world where the citizen-centric model increasingly applies.

Technology will be more closely linked to shifts in community sentiment as we’ve seen in recent times with the impacts of climate change. Geospatial data has increasingly become the bedrock of information that informs decisions. Machine-led decision-making through artificial intelligence will inform more business practice. More sophistication in data availability and global networking will keep step with sector developments and demands.

Industry-leadership is key and right now there is a sweet spot.

Twenty years ago the tech sector faced the challenge of elevating tech-led approaches from the basement to the boardroom. To associate this with today’s environment, the geospatial industry is leading the way from the operational to the strategic. Now really is the time to be part of this industry. n www.spatialsource.com.au 15

partner feature

Prime Minister Scott Morrison

Renewed call to connect Australia

I

“Fires, floods and pandemics don’t stop at state borders – and they don’t respect local government territories.”

– Esri Australia Group Managing Director Brett Bundock

16 position April/May 2021

n the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019-2020 bushfires and the 2021 East Coast floods – the chorus of voices calling for a national spatial data infrastructure (NSDI) is growing louder.

The need for an NSDI has shifted on and off the national agenda for the past four decades – and Boustead Geospatial Technologies and Esri Australia group managing director Brett Bundock says Australia cannot afford to wait for the next crisis to strike before leaders move to connect the country.

“Government and commercial leaders have been in vehement agreement regarding the need for this critical piece of infrastructure for years – yet little progress has been made,” Mr Bundock said.

“In the digital age, we need information highways. In terms of a national infrastructure project, the establishment of an NSDI would be as significant to this nation as the Snowy River Hydro project and the great Inland Rail.”

Mr Bundock said in the past, legislators and government leaders have cited technology limitations as an excuse for NSDI inertia – but those days are long gone.

“The New South Wales and Queensland governments are making significant inroads in establishing state-wide federated spatial systems and the nation’s largest critical

asset management group, Dial Before You Dig, will shortly shift to a next-gen referral service which enables information to be exchanged freely between members and network providers.

“We have the technology, the data and the know-how to make this happen. The digital bedrock is in place and we simply have to press the ‘on’ switch to light up government, community and commercial decision-makers with new insight.”

Insight that, according to ANZLIC, could improve our ability to digitally innovate to the tune of $315 billion over the next decade. Insight that could create jobs and boost national productivity and income by up to A$2.2 trillion.

“Fires, floods and pandemics don’t stop at state borders – and they don’t respect local government territories,” said Mr Bundock.

“Policy and law-makers have all engineered artificial spatial boundaries which have invited inefficiency in government, put communities at risk and taken our economy to the brink.

“What are we waiting for? It’s time to take action and break these barriers down.” n To register your interest in participating in an NSDI ‘think tank’ forum, visit: esriaustralia.com.au/connect-australia Information provided by Esri Australia.

cover feature

Mapping Evil

Criminal investigator Mike King

Crime mapping technology and geospatial analytics are putting a spotlight on the dark side of humanity – and helping law enforcement leaders solve some of the world’s most macabre and perplexing crimes.

A

s a renowned criminal investigator, Mike King has seen many extraordinary breakthroughs throughout his career.

For more than 40 years, the former police chief has worked with law enforcement agencies around the world and trained hundreds of investigators in the art of criminal profiling.

He’s been on the frontline in the hunt for serial predators and broken open some of the world’s most perplexing cases, including the take down of one of the United States most notorious cults.

But ask this veteran investigator about the real turning point in his career, and he’ll share it came while experimenting with geospatial technology in the investigation of a prolific serial killer whose final victim was murdered in his home state of Utah.

“I was researching the case of a notorious US predator known as the ‘Truck Stop Killer’, Robert Ben Rhoades,” said King. “In the early 90’s, Rhoades had been charged with three murders but only convicted of one – the murder of Regina Kay Walters – for

which he is still in prison today.

“I suspected Rhoades was responsible for many more murders than he had initially been charged with, so I used geospatial technology to map and analyse his commercial trucking data – including every weigh station visit, fuel stop and recorded break logged –

enforcement agencies around the world, working to establish Geographic Information System (GIS) technology as a foundational platform for contemporary investigations.

He cites groups including Singapore Police Force, New York City Police Department and UK National Fraud

“For the first time, we had a clear picture of the full extent of Rhoades’ reign of terror and it supported the theory some FBI agents had that Rhoades may have killed as many as 300 victims.”– Mapping Evil podcast host Mike King alongside information about missing persons and unsolved murder cases in the same areas at those same times.

“For the first time, we had a clear picture of the full extent of Rhoades’ reign of terror and it supported the theory some FBI agents had that Rhoades may have killed as many as 300 victims.”

Since making the chilling discovery, King has championed the use of crime mapping and geospatial analytics with law

Intelligence Bureau as leaders in their application of geospatial technology – but indicated there is significant appetite from his Australian counterparts for expanding the use of GIS across the full spectrum of public safety operations.

“Understanding the element of ‘location’ is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle when it comes to law enforcement,” said King. “Not only can it uncover answers to unsolved crimes, but it can

also reveal insights that enable officials to put preventative measures in place to reduce the risk of similar crimes occurring again.”

It’s a concept King explores comprehensively in the breakout new Australian podcast, Mapping Evil – which he hosts alongside awardwinning journalist Tory Shepherd. The series explores a number of unsolved Australian crimes, using King’s trademark geographic analysis to shed new light on the cold cases.

“Being able to demonstrate in a very tangible away just how much insight this technology can provide to an investigation is very important, particularly as there’s a growing need for geospatial capabilities, not just in law enforcement, but across the entire public safety domain.

“The challenges faced over the past few years have really brought home the importance of using maps and geospatial analytics to understand and get ahead of any kind of public safety situation – whether its monitoring the risk of COVID-19, tracking moving fire fronts or detecting criminal activity.

“The technology has also emerged as a valuable tool to support cross jurisdictional public safety efforts – as criminals and crises don’t stop at geographic borders.

“Creating a common operating picture of all public safety threats – regardless of jurisdiction – is critical to ensuring quick and accurate decisions can be made to keep communities safe.” n Season One of Mapping Evil with Mike King is available now at mappingevil.com.au.

Register your interest to join a live, virtual Q & A with Mike King at mappingevil.com.au/MikeKing Information provided by Esri Australia. www.spatialsource.com.au 17

feature Photo: Gilmour Technologies.

Waiting for space Moves are afoot to build a new remote sensing industry in Australia.

A

“Is it realistic for a country the size of Australia in population and economy to have a national space capability?”

– Liberal MP Dave Sharma

18 position April/May 2021

fter years of decline, manufacturing, it seems, is back.

A new wind is blowing across the Canberra plains. Manufacturing is being championed by the Australian government, looking for high value jobs and investment. Politicians are sold on the idea, but what the bureaucrats think is anyone’s guess. It matters. The spatial industry is involved.

“Tinkering at the edges of manufacturing policy is not an option,” says Industry Minister Karen Andrews.

“It hasn’t worked in the past. Despite our world-class skills and incredible natural assets, manufacturing has been in decline for decades.

“Now, driven by both imperative and opportunity, we are adopting a whole-of-government strategy that will see Australian manufacturers scale-up, become more competitive and more resilient,” she says.

As part of the 2020-21 budget, the government will invest $1.5 billion in what it calls the Modern Manufacturing Strategy. The plan recognises six areas where it says industry has potential.

They are resources technology, food and beverages, medical products, recycling and clean energy, defence, and space. A road map, which will set the direction in each of these sectors, will be finalised in the first half of 2021.

What does this mean for the spatial industry in general, and remote sensing

JON FAIRALL in particular? The answer is complicated.

The government is serious. It wants a $12 billion space industry, with 20,000 jobs, by 2028. Whether it can get it, is a moot point though. All the early signs are that the industry will continue, as it has always been, to be dominated by foreign interests who will own and control most of the assets. Most of the profits will disappear offshore.

But the Canberra establishment may be aiming for a different outcome this time. In early March, a deputation from CSIRO appeared before the Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources. One of the committee, Liberl MP Dave Sharma, cristalised the debate: “Is it realistic for a country the size of Australia in population and economy to have a national space capability?”

CSIRO’s executive director of Digital, National Facilities and Collections Dave Williams told the committee that the answer was to find and exploit niches that larger, more established players could not.

Williams pointed to Canadian experience: “It’s got a sovereign capability for a very specific need, which is ice monitoring.”

The result has been world-leading expertise in radar satellites. This does not exclude other activities. Canadian agencies work closely with the European Space Agency and with NASA. He told the committee that a niche for small launch vehicles had opened

Far left: Novasar-1 under test.

It has been in space since 2018 and currently supplies CSIRO with a regular radar view of the Australian continent.

Left: CSIRO/Inovor. CSIRO-1 will be a 3U Cubsesat, which will carry a SWIR camera.

and that Australia was well placed to develop a significant industry. “With the advent of constellations of 1,000 to 5,000 individual satellites, the potential market for small launch vehicles is huge,” he said.

Maintaining such constellation would require hundreds of launches a year.

An even more important niche market might be the opportunity to integrate remote sensing into a national bushfire strategy. We have no problem with ice, but we have a huge problem with bushfires.

What might a bushfire prevention strategy look like if it depended on space assets?

A long way to go

ost

May 2020

Digital Earth Australia – Program Roadmap

1

Digital Earth Australia released its Program Roadmap in May 2020.

We are coming off a very low base. Absent any Australian-owned or controlled space assets, the only parts of the remote sensing industry that are doing real business are small consultancy firms that live by matching the needs of clients to whatever data foreign powers are prepared to share. Not much money changes hands.

Financially, the industry is dominated by government agencies, especially by CSIRO and Geoscience Australia. GA is spending about $37 million on developing Digital Earth Australia. The money was earmarked in the 2018 budget.

Digital Earth Australia is an advanced online repository of Earth Observation data, mainly from US sources – NASA and NOAA. Meanwhile, CSIRO is spending its money on buying 10 per cent of Novasar-1. Novasar is a synthetic aperture radar developed by Surrey Satellite Technology in the UK. CSIRO’s investment is worth $10.45 million. The money buys CSIRO the right to task the satellite over the Asia Pacific but it gives it no insight into the design or construction of radar satellites.

Novasar is designed to add to the national bushfire response. The satellite

will be able to map biomass and thus facilitate the prediction of fire loads across the nation. It should also add to the national ability to map floods, monitor volcanic clouds and other forms of atmospheric pollution and map oil spills.

All these are well-understood applications of SAR satellites.

It will be interesting to see to what extend CSIRO is able to operationalise these facilities to turn out useful data.

This money may be well spent, but it cannot be viewed as an industry assistance plan. However, one CSIRO project that might fall into that category is CSIROSat-1. CSIROSat-1 is a $2 million infra-red sensor under development by Inovor Technologies in Adelaide.

CSIROSat-1, as an infrared sensor, will have the ability to detect fire fronts directly. The satellite is due to launch later this year, although the agency has so far not released details of launch contracts.

Nor has CSIRO released information on who will be able to task the satellite or receive information from it, on how its data will be used, or even for whom the data is intended.

Inovor also has a contract with the South Australian state government to develop a 6U cubesat called SASat-1.

A 6U cubesat consists of six standard units. Each unit is 100 mm on a side and weighs no more than 1300g. Like CSIROSat, SASat-1 will carry an infra-red camera able to map bushfires, although a press release from the government stresses that the satellite has a number of other justifications.

According to a 20 January press release, the $6.5 million investment “will boost South Australia’s space economy, as well as helping to improve state services such as emergency services, the environment, water quality monitoring, mining and bushfire mitigation. Importantly, the SASat-1 www.spatialsource.com.au 19

feature One of Gilmour Technologies’ early rockets.

Space Services Mission will strengthen the competitiveness of South Australian businesses in the small-satellite supply chain and pave the way for external investment and future growth in Australia and abroad,” says the government.

The SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre will lead the SASat-1 mission and application prototyping. Inovor Technologies will design and build.

Myriota has been contracted to provide connectivity services.

Myriota, which counts former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull among its investors, runs a small constellation of communications nanosatellites. Founded in 2015, Myriota has pioneered a way to retrieve data from anywhere on Earth by rethinking the link between the satellites and low-power modules on the ground.

A recent funding round has increased

20 position April/May 2021

its total capital injection to more than $50 million.

The SmartsatCRC began operations in 2019. Earth Observation is one of three integrated research programs being undertaken by the centre. The first fruit of that is a program called Aquawatch. It is designed to monitor water quality in inland waters, especially in the troubled Murray-Darling Basin. In 2019, massive fish kills at Menindee focused national attention on the issue.

Another company making early running is Noosa-based Fireball International. It has a plan to launch a bushfire detection satellite on an Eris rocket in 2022. The three-stage, 23 metre long Eris vehicle is being developed by Gilmour Technologies in Queensland.

In March, Peter Kinne at Gilmour said that after about a decade of research,

flight hardware for ERIS 01 is now under construction at the company’s factory in Queensland. A full duration test firing on the vehicle’s main engine is planned for early April. Fireball and Gilmour have signed a launch contract to deliver the satellite to orbit. Fireball chief executive Christopher Tylor says he has secured funding for the satellite that covers both construction and launch.

According to a 1 March press release, the Fireball satellite will use an Optimus-1 space taxi, a powerplant that can be used to lift the satellite into a higher orbit once the rocket has done its job. Optimus-1 will be supplied by Adelaide-based Space Machines Company.

Tylor says while the launch contract with Gilmour is exciting in its own right, it is just a small part of the operation of the company. It has three subsidiaries,

A view of Australia from 35,768 km up.

The Himarari-8 weather satellite sits in the geostationary orbit at 140 East. This image was taken 7 November 2019. A huge flume of smoke from bushfires in NSW and Victoria dominates the Tasman.

“I think you will see the money that the government has earmarked for space start to flow to industry next year, but we have to make sure that we create an industry that is fit for purpose.”

– Frontier SI’s Graeme Kernich

one in Australia, one in the US and one in Canada, all countries with a big wildfire problem that will get worse over the next decade. Its offering is based around intellectual property developed at the University of California as part of supernova detection.

“Detecting a fire on the ground turns out to be exactly the same problem as detecting a supernova in the sky,” Tylor says. The company has already applied its technology to a network of terrestrial and space sensors. In North America, the company uses the GOES 17 geostationary weather satellite; in Australia, the Japanese Himawara-8. Both offer the tremendous advantage of yielding a new image every few seconds, but because of their distance out on the geostationary orbit, both systems suffer from poor resolution – about 5km, Tylor says.

Currently, the company uses a network of 800 to 1,000 terrestrial cameras to try to localise a fire, but in the long run it plans a mix of geostationary and low Earth orbit satellites. This will enable the company to give essentially instantaneous

warning of a fire outbreak localised to a few metres.

To an observer of the remote sensing industry, these may seem like slim pickings, but Graeme Kernich at Frontier SI says the situation is not as bad as it seems. He says his organisation has been working hard on “about 15 Earth Observation projects,” all designed to better understand the market in Australia.

His argument is that the Earth observation industry has been dominated by scientists for too long. The aim, this time, is to build a remote sensing industry that puts users in charge. To that end, FrontierSI is undertaking market analysis, studying the demands and work flows of users, doing studies of fusing datasets and data analytics, all with the aim of making sure that the data is fit-for-purpose.

“I think you will see the money that the government has earmarked for space start to flow to industry next year,” he says, “but we have to make sure that we create an industry that is fit for purpose.” n Jon Fairall is a freelance journalist and the foundation editor of Position Magazine.

Buy Online Direct

www.mapgear.com.au sales@mapgear.com.au

www.spatialsource.com.au 21

feature

A COVID case study

ALI LAKHANI

Interstate travel restrictions, access to hospitals, and the spread of COVID-19 in Australia: which localities close to Victoria’s borders are most likely to require interstate hospital care?

T

he spread of COVID-19 throughout the globe has understandably raised concerns surrounding travel within and between countries.

Due to a recent increase in cases within the state of Victoria, bordering states have imposed interstate travel restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19 throughout the country. This study used spatial methods to establish Victorian border localities which may require critical care via an interstate hospital.

The findings confirm that the closest hospital for seven Victorian border localities is interstate, and that for four of these, the second closest hospital is also interstate.

The findings suggest that interstate health-related travel is likely the norm for some people in Victoria, and that

22 position April/May 2021

these people may experience an increased health-related travel burden due to border restrictions. Furthermore, the findings support the notion that preventing the potential spread of COVID-19 requires the provision of resources to support local responses to the pandemic, and that innovative models of care to ensure effective local responses are necessary.

What we already know • Travel burden has an impact on health service use and subsequently, health outcomes.

• Social distancing restrictions due to COVID-19 have had an impact on travel within and between countries.

• Australian states have

limited interstate travel to hinder the transmission of COVID-19.

What we will explore • The location of the closest hospital for Victorian localities was investigated.

• For seven Victorian localities, an interstate hospital is the closest option.

• For four localities, an interstate hospital is also the second closest option.

• Interstate border restrictions in Australia increases health-related travel burden.

• People who require ongoing interstate health support may be adversely impacted.

The rapid increase of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases since identification in December 2019 has

understandably raised global concern. As of 24 July, there have been over 15 million cases globally. COVID-19 has had a considerable impact on population health and wellbeing, and resulted in the death of over half a million people. Restrictions on movement and social distancing have been methods to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Many countries have restricted inter-country travel, including Australia.

As of mid-April 2020, most states and territories in Australia had a considerable reduction in daily cases, to the point where social distancing policies were cautiously amended and a general ‘opening up’ of public and private facilities across the country was taking place. The reduction in cases was shortlived, as cases in the state of Victoria were increasing by the end of June 2020, necessitating a government response that required people in metropolitan Melbourne to adhere to Stage 3 restrictions as of 11:59pm on 8 July 2020.

Under such restrictions people are only to leave home for four key reasons: shopping for food and supplies, medical care and/or caregiving, exercise and recreation, and study and/ or work.

The rise of COVID-19 cases throughout Victoria has been understandably met with

concern by neighbouring states. As a result of increased cases throughout Victoria, in July the bordering states of New South Wales and South Australia ‘closed’ their borders to those residing in Victoria, essentially stopping interstate travel. Policies across both states indicate that travel by Victorians could be undertaken for certain reasons, including the provision of essential emergency work or to receive medical support.

It is necessary to establish hospitals and bordering communities that may need to provide critical medical care for people in Victoria who contract COVID-19. In this regard, spatial methods that investigate the geographic dispersion of health services in relation to priority communities are opportune.

Already, spatial methods have been integral towards the identification of areas where COVID-19 is prevalent and clarifying where potential cases may increase. Spatial methods have also been used to identify potential gaps in COVID-19 service provision.

Furthermore, spatial methods have been theorised as useful towards identifying where unique health service options need to be provided.

Consequently, a spatial study was progressed to clarify which Victorian localities

may require support from an interstate hospital, and thus have residents who would be required to travel interstate.

It is expected that the findings from this study could inform local service delivery and elucidate the impact of travel restrictions on health service offerings.

UCL that had an interstate hospital as the closest hospital, a second network analysis was conducted to establish the travel time and distance from these to the two closest hospitals. Esri’s road network was used for both network analyses.

Methods

For seven out of 351 Victorian localities, the closest hospital was interstate. Figure 1 maps these travel times and Table 1 presents summary statistics.

For six localities, the closest hospital was in New South Wales, while for one locality, the closest hospital was in South Australia. For three of the seven localities the second closest hospital was in Victoria while the second closest remained interstate for the remaining localities. The mean travel time in minutes to the first and second closest hospital were respectively [with standard deviation in brackets]: 15.11 [25.54], 31.56 [29.45]. The mean difference in travel time in minutes between the second and first closest hospital was [with standard deviation in brackets]: 10.76 [10.11]. For the three localities where the second closest hospital was within the state, the extra travel time to attend the Victorian hospital was approximately 11, 19, and 27 minutes.

Esri’s ArcMap 10.7.1 24 was used for all spatial analysis.

Health Direct’s National Health Service Directory and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Urban Centres and Locality (UCL) shapefile were used. The ABS UCL shapefile clarifies all urban centres in Australia that meet the criteria of having 200 people or more.

Initially, every hospital located within the states of Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales were mapped, and a centroid – a marker representing the centre of an area – was created for each Victorian UCL. Next, to establish Victorian localities that would require hospital support from an interstate hospital, a network analysis using the Origin Destination Cost Matrix geoprocessing tool was progressed. This was done to establish the travel time in minutes and travel distance in kilometres from each UCL to the closest hospital. For

Results

www.spatialsource.com.au 23

feature Discussion

Figure 1: Visual representation of Victorian border localities and proximately available hospital services.

This study investigated whether any Victorian localities would require hospital support from an interstate hospital in the instance of requiring critical care due to COVID-19. The findings from this study confirmed that for seven localities within Victoria, the closest hospital is interstate, and for some of these localities, the second closest hospital is also interstate. The findings from this study clarify that essential health services are not always available within a specific locality, and that localities close interstate borders may be dependent on interstate health services, and thus people within those localities may be required to travel interstate. Consequently, the findings provide evidence to support pandemic response planning and clarify the impact of border restrictions on necessary interstate travel.

Specifically, the findings suggest that governments

need to provide localities with autonomy and resources to support a local pandemic response. It is expected that local responses may work to avoid essential travel outside of localities, and the potential transmission of COVID-19 to interstate localities.

The findings from this study provide preliminary evidence surrounding the impact of COVID-19 interstate border closures on health-related travel. Already, travel has been identified as a factor that has a considerable impact on an individual’s receipt of health services. A systematic review conducted by, Syed, Gerber, Sharp identified 61 sources investigating the impact of transportation barriers on health service use. Findings confirmed that the distance to a health service has a considerable impact on health service use and subsequent to their review, this finding has been confirmed. The current study builds on research investigating the impact of travel on health service use.

In this regard, the current study confirms that border restrictions due to COVID-19 may necessitate longer travel to essential health services, and this may also potentially act as a barrier to the receipt of adequate health care. Furthermore, as travel across Australian interstate borders for reasonable reason (including medical care) requires government approval, there is also the factor of time which need be considered.

Specifically, the time to receive

approval to travel should be considered by anyone requiring interstate care.

Clearly, the aim of interstate border closures is to reduce the spread of COVID-19 beyond a specific state. For such border closures to be effective, once again, it is essential that state-based health services are available to residents.

Consequently, it is necessary for health services available within a state to develop innovative methods to ensure the provision of adequate critical care for residents.

In this respect, telehealth services are opportune, as they may support service providers within localities close to interstate borders to deliver services within the local community. For the effective uptake of telehealth services, it is necessary for models of care to be redesigned, and border localities may be opportune settings for such a redesign.

Given the potential long-term impact of COVID-19, it may be necessary for all border localities to develop telehealth capacity, and this will require flexible funding arrangements and training. In addition to this, border localities may also require physical resources (such as essential equipment) to ensure an effective localised response.

There are limitations that are important to consider as they may impact the strength of study findings. First, the study aimed to identify the travel time from localities within Victoria to the closest hospital by placing a centroid

State of Hospital 1

Travel Time to Hospital 1

Travel Distance to Hospital 1

State of Hospital 2

Travel Time to Hospital 2

Travel Distance to Hospital 2

200 to 499

NSW

15.79

16.50

NSW

18.2

18.73

Bethanga

200 to 499

NSW

21.67

22.77

NSW

24.08

25.01

2.41

2.24

Murrayville

200 to 499

SA

21.72

27.96

SA

45.59

67.38

23.87

39.42

Barham - Koondrook (Koondrook Part)

1,000 to 4,999

NSW

4.42

3.22

VIC

15.33

22.09

10.91

18.87

Corowa - Wahgunyah (Wahgunyah Part)

5,000 to 9,999

NSW

5.41

3.86

VIC

32.03

42.99

26.62

39.13

Rutherglen

1,000 to 4,999

NSW

12.86

14.77

VIC

31.47

41.66

18.61

26.89

Mallacoota

500 or more

NSW

78.70

103.27

NSW

100.99

137.17

22.29

33.90

LOCALITY

POPULATION

Bellbridge

Table 1: Travel time to closest hospital for Victorian localities

24 position April/May 2021

Difference in Travel Time 2.41

Difference in Distance 2.23

The nearest major hospital is a long drive away for many Victorians.

within each locality. While placing a centroid in a specified region is a standard method used throughout spatial analysis, the approach does not provide an accurate representation of where the majority of people within a locality reside. Hence, travel times provided are a proxy for potential travel times within the community. Furthermore, the study utilised hospital location data from the NHSD – which was accurate as of November 2019. The NHSD is a seminal source of health information within Australia and it is expected that all hospitals are included within the Directory. However, there

is the potential that new hospitals have been built since the extract that was used and hence, were not included within the analysis.

Conclusion This study identified localities within Victoria, Australia that may require essential health care from an interstate hospital. The findings confirm that interstate health related travel may be the norm for border localities within Australia, and that while travel to an interstate health service for medical reasons is acceptable under current border restriction policy, people requiring health care

from an interstate health service may experience additional travel burden due to such restrictions. The additional travel burden may have adverse consequences for those who typically receive ongoing treatment, and consequently developing viable local options are necessary. n Ali Lakhani, BBA, MA (Economics), MES (Environmental Studies), PhD is Senior Lecturer in Public Health at The School of Psychology and Public Health in La Trobe University.

This research did not receive any specific funding.

The data, maps or techniques used in this research draw on

Epidoros first developed by Griffith University in 2008 in partnership with Metro South Health and Esri Australia with additional funding from the Australian Research Council and the Motor Accident Insurance Commission Qld. The author would also like to acknowledge that Professor Elizabeth Kendall has advocated for this work in light of COVID-19. Finally, the lead author would like to thank Dr Ori Gudes and Dr Peter Grimbeek for their continual spatial and statistical advice respectively, and Mrs Rehana Lakhani for her thoughtful review of this manuscript.

www.spatialsource.com.au 25

partner feature

See the invisible with survey-accurate Augmented Reality vGIS Augmented Reality platform seamlessly brings together GIS, BIM and reality mesh data

P

erth-based MNG Survey have long recognised the power of augmented reality (AR). With a history of embracing new tech, the firm got in early - and they went big.

For more than 5 years their clients have been able to step into their in-house ‘holoverse’, or hologram room, where clients could explore realistic 3D models.

Now the firm is using powerful AR technology to take this experience into the field after recognising a need for better data recording and presentation in subsurface locating. The team chose the new vGIS AR platform, which they have paired with Leica’s range of high accuracy GIS antennas.

These tools have combined to make the invisible visible - helping their clients cut down on asset strikes and make key design decisions more easily.

“With the hologram room - it’s fantastic, but you had to come to the office and the model was in the room,” says Dale Keighley, technology specialist with MNG.

26 position April/May 2021

“With vGIS’ AR technology, you can head out with your iPhone, iPad, or Microsoft HoloLens, and review your 3D model on site - its portable. AR is a great way to visualise intelligent spatial data sources in situ, and vGIS does it well.”

The vGIS platform combines clientprovided GIS data with third-party data from a range of sources to create real time and in the field holographic visuals. vGIS works with traditional GIS data, 3D building models, aerial imagery, LiDAR derived terrain models, and more – resulting in a seamless, immersive experience.

“The vGIS platform enables nondomain experts to see and understand complex utility assets that often are invisible in the real world,” says Maurice Borer of vGIS and Leica distributor CR Kennedy. “It does a great job of bringing the underground utilities clearly to the surface by superimposing the digital assets into the camera view of an off-theshelf device, meaning the user can easily visualise where those assets are.”

And with the ability to do on-the-fly reality capture, MNG’s Dale Keighley says vGIS almost lets you turn back time.

“Let’s say you have an excavated pipe, and you can basically walk around and take a short video or stills of the open pit,” he says. “Now you’ve done your reality capture, and you upload it and long after the pit is covered up, you can have a reality model capture that you can refer back to,” he says.

“With vGIS you can basically put that pipe back into the scene where you’re standing, so that you can see again just where that pipe was really exposed,” he says.

Group Manager, Business Development, Rob Kiernan of MNG says his team sees firsthand that asset strikes continue to be a big problem for municipalities, utility providers and builders alike. He says the combination of the vGIS platform and accurate positioning is a game-changer.

“Some of the engineering houses and utility providers were looking for a way

“With vGIS’ AR technology, you can head out with your iPhone, iPad, or Microsoft HoloLens. AR is a great way to visualise intelligent spatial data sources in situ, and vGIS does it well.”

– Dale Keighley, Technology Specialist at MNG Survey

to see the assets more clearly, especially in complex situations when you have a lot of utilities below the ground and crossing over each other,” he says. “So, the augmented reality with vGIS has given us that next level of visibility of where are you at risk of striking things.”

In addition to helping to cut down on costly asset strikes, a recent study identified a 10% productivity boost for utility locators using advanced visualisation tools like augmented reality.

The vGIS system also features a patentpending calibration process that allows high-precision locational and lateral accuracy to be established within seconds.

The MNG team have been trialling the system with a Leica GG04 plus smart antenna, which they originally acquired for its combination of ease of use and centimetre-level accuracy.

“It’s a bonus that the GG04 could tie in and link directly with the vGIS software,” says MNG’s Dale Keighley. vGIS was also quick to support the newly released pint-sized Zeno FLX100 GNSS receiver.

“For us, the FLX100 is a godsend,” says CR Kenney’s Maurice Borer. “It is economical and immensely portable, just the size of two cigarette packs, and with the brackets users can attach it easily to a mobile device.”

“So it is the perfect companion to vGIS for users who want to have this precision, either handheld or with a pole, and to have the confidence to know, yes, this is exactly where this asset is.”

Due to the combination of ease of use and rich 3D visualisation, the team at MNG Survey have found that the vGIS platform has also been a great design tool, allowing architects and engineers not only to see the hidden assets lurking

Paired with the Leica Nano FLX100, vGIS delivers survey-grade AR capabilities in portable, reliable, and affordable packages.

The vGIS platform combines GIS, BIM and reality mesh in one seamless offering.

vGIS offers powerful visualisation techniques to give users a realistic view of hidden underground utility assets.

underground, but to envisioning what could be there as well.

“This AR platform also has definite benefits above ground as well,” says Rob Kiernan of MNG. “For example, we’ve used laser systems to survey a historic building here in Western Australia that is up for refurbishing, and we now have the ability to add in a digital model of a new building alongside it in order to see how it interacts.”

“That is where augmented reality really starts to come into its own,” he says.

He says the vGIS system is especially key

because it so smoothly combines GIS, BIM and reality mesh data and displays them so clearly, that all users across a project are able to actually see and understand what 2D maps and plans can’t so easily reveal.

The vGIS augmented reality system is available in Australia through CR Kennedy. For more information on vGIS or Leica’s line of complementary smart antennas, reach the team at CR Kennedy at +61 3 9823 1533 or crksales@crkennedy.com.au. n Information provided by CR Kennedy. www.spatialsource.com.au 27

feature

The new world of LiDAR

Output from a modern LiDAR has distance and intensity associated with each pixel. Image courtesy of Ouster.

New technologies are changing the way scanning works.

T

hings are changing in the LiDAR market. A swag of technical breakthroughs in the underpinning technologies this decade means the devices, after a long gestation period, are increasingly tools used by many different types of professional. LiDAR, and the point clouds they generate, are being democratised.

“Point cloud data is now almost an industry standard. It’s the way people expect 3D data to be transferred,” says Robert Kennedy from equipment distributor CR Kennedy and Company.

“They have joined Digital Terrain Models and TIN meshes as fundamental information sources.”

LiDAR has long been used for creating digital terrain models and in corridor mapping, but it is now an important tool

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in cultural heritage documentation, site inspections, agriculture and forestry, environmental management and so on.

If you want evidence for that proposition, look no further than your local Apple store. Apple’s latest computer, the iPad Pro, comes equipped with a Sony-built LiDAR that can measure the distance to surrounding objects up to five metres away. Or consider this: Intel will now sell you a practical, fully functional LiDAR – the Realsence LiDAR camera L515 – for US$349.

The Apple device was a breakthrough.

It is there to support augmented reality software. Not that it was the first handset to use a laser. Phone manufacturers routinely use a time of flight laser to measure distance to objects. Usually, the laser is tuned for the infra-red where it is

JON FAIRALL

not possible to see its light. The primary reason for employing such a system is for camera autofocus.

The performance characteristics of these devices are not really at a professional level – yet. But nothing stays the same. Laser maker Ouster in California recently announced that its ES2 sensor, which will be available in 2024, will have a maximum range of 450 metres, an operating lifetime of 100,000 hours and no moving parts in a box that’s just 116x68x48mm.

Caroni in Perth has just released Geoslam’s ZEB Horizon product, a handheld LiDAR with Simultaneous Location and Mapping. Caroni’s Carlos Gonzalez says the unit will deliver 10-20mm accuracy after 20 minutes on a typical site. The SLAM algorithm recreates the

path of the handheld laser as it moves through the site at the same time as it maps it.

This sort of technology changes everything. It certainly changes the marketplace. Alistair Hart at Mangoesmapping in Queensland says: “LiDAR will become smaller, cheaper and much more accessible. With lower power demands and much higher channel counts, we can expect to see LiDAR become ubiquitous across robotics, engineering, and intelligent transport systems, in addition to its more traditional domains in defence and surveying.”

At Caroni, Gonzalez says the interesting part of the deal is shifting marketing focus from surveyors to end users – say, the foreman on a construction site. He says it’s not an easy sale, but the increased numbers will be worth it: “It requires us to educate people as to what these devices can do. In the process, many of them are learning a lot

about what surveyors do for them.”

He says the typical pattern is for end users on the site to use the scanner to create point clouds. They then require the services of a specialist to put the whole thing together.

New technology Devices such as the Apple and the new Ouster product depend on a significant change in the underlying technology. A conventional time-of-flight LiDAR uses a rotating mirror to deflect the beam. The laser fires a pulse, registers a return, the mirror moves, the laser fires another pulse and so on. The gimbal moves the mirror up and down and side to side, scanning over an arbitrary field. In a terrestrial LiDAR, the unit is mounted on a tripod. In an aircraft, it points downwards and scans from side to side. Either way, by measuring the time of flight of the light pulse, it’s possible to determine the distance to the target.

But this is changing. A flash laser takes advantage of the latest micro-

miniaturisation technologies to illuminate the entire scene with a widely divergent laser beam. The returning image is fed to a sensor akin to the CCD in a conventional camera. These are actually arrays of Single Photon Avalanche Diodes. SPAD devices can be used to register the time of arrival of individual photons. Fully packaged, this type of device is often called a LiDAR camera, since it produces an image that, instead of displaying different colours, shows different distances.

The advantage of a LiDAR camera is that it does away with the need for bulky gimbals. However, this is not the only way. Another approach is to use mirrors made with Micro Electro Mechanical Systems. MEMS technology creates tiny mechanical structures using the same techniques as integrated circuits.

Designers can now buy off-the-shelf mirrors that can be deflected through 40 degrees, on two axes, 30,000 times a second. The mirror, plus all its mountings and control systems, is less than 2mm

Point cloud image used in construction.

Image courtesy of Ouster.

www.spatialsource.com.au 29

feature on a side. The bulk of the market for such devices is in optical switching and projection displays, but LiDAR manufacturers have also adopted them with enthusiasm.

Another significant driver of change is the design of the laser itself. In 2020, it was 60 years since the first laser was developed, but in a sense, the development of lasers stretches back to the start of the 20th century, when Albert Einstein proposed that light should be thought of as consisting a stream of photons. In 1917, he went on to propose that, if things could be arranged correctly, it should be possible to make electrons emit light on particular wavelengths.

It took until 1960 for Theodore Maiman to turn on the first laser at Hughes Research. The field developed rapidly, with scientists demonstrating lasing behaviour in a range of materials, each with its characteristic wavelength.

In 2015, researchers made a white laser by generating red, green and blue frequencies in separate cavities in the same material. The maximum output power has increased. Some military lasers can deliver terawatts (1012W). The maximum power delivered in a single pulse has risen even as the duration of the

pulse has become smaller. Some modern lasers can deliver gigawatts (109W) in femtoseconds (10-15s). Efficiency has increased. Most importantly, perhaps, the cost has come down.

One particularly interesting technology is the Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL). Laser diodes were introduced in the 1960s, but VCSEL is a new variant. One advantage of VCSEL is that, since the beam emerges perpendicular to the active region, it’s possible to build integrated circuits that consist of thousands of VCSEL. Another advantage is that it is comparatively easy to integrate the laser with other microelectronics, so you can squeeze a laser, a mirror, data storage and a control and processing unit into a single chip.

How good is light LiDAR? Modern LiDAR is not without its detractors. At CR Kennedy and Company, which sells Leica and Riegl terrestrial scanners as well as the latest lightweight drone-carried DJI Zenmuse-L1, Robert Kennedy cautions that the new lightweight sensors do not offer anything like the performance of high-end LiDAR scanners. If you want to make highly accurate, high-density point clouds

in complex environments, terrestrial scanners are still the best solution.

“For survey-grade accuracy, new cheap lightweight LiDAR designed for automation are simply not good enough,” he says.

In fact, the general view of experts in the field seems to be that lightweight LiDAR are useful additions to the spatial information toolbox, but they don’t replace older, equally valuable tools.

For instance, in 2020, Melbourne-based drone operator AUAV released a white paper that summarised a comparison of LiDAR and photogrammetry for aerial surveys. Its finding was that in general, photogrammetry will give more accurate results. The absolute accuracy of the points generated by a LiDAR will be of the order of 150 to 200mm, AUAV says. Photogrammetric drone surveys can aspire to better than 50mm. Much of the uncertainty in drone LiDAR measurements comes from uncertainty in the attitude of the drone and in its position, neither of which featured in the photogrammetric error budget, provided Ground Control Points are used.

Robert Kennedy says this view is too simple: “It depends on so many variables,” he says. “In both airborne LiDAR and

In practice, it is necessary to collect LiDAR, IMU and GNSS data at the same time.

The anatomy of a modern LiDAR. The laser light is emitted by the VCSEL and received by the SPAD.

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The absolute accuracy of the points generated by a LiDAR will be of the order of 150 to 200mm, AUAV says.

Photogrammetric drone surveys can aspire to better than 50mm.

A popular combination is a lightweight LiDAR and a drone.

photogrammetry the performance of the IMU and the GNSS are major contributors to errors. Errors also depend on the exact nature of the survey target.”

The AUAV paper does concede that LiDAR gives superior results in some circumstances. Vegetation is troublesome for photogrammetry if the camera can’t see the ground. The latest techniques in full waveform capture allow the laser to detect, not only the bald earth, but also the structure of the vegetation in minute detail. Another practical consideration is that a LiDAR survey is much less dependent on the weather.

However, the future of LiDAR technology will be determined by its use in autonomous navigation. If self-driving cars become reality, and if LiDAR is a part of the solution, the demand of the automotive industry will dwarf all other applications and change the industry beyond recognition.

Considerable effort is being expended.

Alistair Hart says: “Many automotive manufacturers have partnered with LiDAR companies to fast-track development of reliable and scalable

autonomous navigation systems. In combination with MEMS-based IMU and RTK GNSS capabilities, accessibility to these critical sensors is being transformed.”

This is already leading to practical outcomes. Recently, Ouster partnered with the world’s largest heavy vehicle builder, FAW in Changchun, Jilin Province, to build a range of fully autonomous heavy vehicles. The vehicles will use single chip LiDAR sensors from Ouster to sense the environment around the vehicle.

But not everyone is so sure. At a 2019 symposium, Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla Motors and Space X described LiDAR as an ‘expensive distraction’. He says: “I don’t super-hate LiDAR. In fact, at Space X we designed a LiDAR to assist is docking our Dragon capsule with the Space Station. In that scenario, LiDAR makes sense, but in cars it’s stupid.”

“It’s expensive and, once you solve vision, it’s unnecessary.”

Musk argues that extracting a 3D picture of the world by using

photogrammetry techniques is a much better solution. His argument is that everything about our existing road infrastructure – the road markings, the signs, even the behaviour of other drivers, is founded on the visual capacity of humans to derive distance using their eyes. His aim is to mimic that.

Musk still foresees a need for active sensors. Radar is useful because it doesn’t use visual wavelengths. In occlusion situations – fog or mist, flashes of sunlight or extremely low contrast – it allows one to maintain a picture of the real world – albeit a poor one. “If you are going to do active photon generation, do it outside visual frequencies, otherwise you are just duplicating what you already have,” he says.

But Musk’s argument doesn’t take account of the advances in LiDAR technology. If LiDAR can be made small enough, cheap enough and its data can be presented to the control system in a simple form, then all bets are off. n Jon Fairall is a freelance journalist and the foundation editor of Position Magazine.

A MEMS mirror.

These tiny devices are made, a molecule at a time, using techniques pioneered in integrated circuits.

www.spatialsource.com.au 31

feature

Image courtesy of Yarra City Council.

Eight years of GIS good practice F

rom identifying locations of bushfires and communities at risk, to locating COVID-19 cases and restrictions, the role of ge ospatial information has never been more prominent.

These challenges have and will continue to rely on readily understood map-based information.

With more than 60% of Australia’s local government leaders considering or undertaking smart city or regions projects, the level of their geospatial capabilities becomes increasingly important. Not to forget that Geographic Information Systems (GIS) play a vital role in enabling day-to-day customer and community service delivery, asset management and planning for our ever-changing cities.

The GIS Good Practice Framework (GPF) assessment helps local governments to understand how their current level of investment in GIS or geospatial technologies and

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skilled resources is meeting industry-wide benchmarks.

In 2013, the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) and the Victorian Local Government Spatial Reference Group (LGSRG) implemented the annual GIS Good Practice Framework assessment to assist working towards a common vision: appropriate and effective geospatial capability is established across all councils and is recognised as fundamental to council efficiency and service delivery.

The annual GPF benchmark assessments have now been running for eight years. With over 70% participation, the GPF reports have become a vital tool for local government authorities (LGA) in Victoria.

The GPF defines good practice for five focus areas from Core Data Maintenance to Community Engagement.

Each area is scrutinised with a series of questions that represent good practice. The questions are pragmatic and technology-independent, so

many councils may achieve a positive outcome.

Not all councils are equal in terms of access to resources.

The assessment recognises these differences by presenting the results for each individual council in comparison to similar types of councils.

Councils use the GPF results to support decisions regarding investment in

GRAEME MARTIN people, processes and technologies. Others use the benchmark questions as a KPI framework for ongoing monitoring of development of their GIS functions. Figure 4. represents the state-wide average rating for each of the five focus areas.

The most recent survey introduced questions relating to levels of preparedness for

Figure 1. Five focus areas.

Figure 2. A few selected questions from 4. Asset Integration.

receiving data from the state government’s $45 million Digital Cadastre Modernisation (DCM) program and adoption of the GDA 2020 datum.

Both these changes will significantly increase the accuracy and reliability of Victoria’s Vicmap data suite and deliver benefits to local government authorities.

The recent survey highlighted that 52% of councils have a roadmap for transferring their datasets into GDA2020, whereas 16% of councils have already implemented these changes to their datasets.

The establishment of a common vision for spatial capabilities across all councils and an annual benchmark assessment is unique to Victoria. Similarly, the supporting role played by the LGSRG is also unique and

vital to promoting the role of GIS across all councils.

The LGSRG was formed in 2003 as a Municipal Association of Victoria committee to address the need for a sector wide group representing the strategic interests of the Victorian local government sector with respect to spatial information.

The committee is run by volunteer GIS officers from local governments across Victoria. Victorian LGA are key data custodians for cadastral, social, planning, and transportation datasets.

LGSRG works in partnership with other Victorian geospatial data custodians such as the Department of Environment, Water, Land and Planning (DELWP), and Victorian geospatial data consumers such as Victorian

emergency services agencies (ESTA, Ambulance Victoria, CFA, FRV, VicPol). LGSRG measures and promotes good practices for geospatial data and information systems.

According to LGSRG chairperson Luke Bassett: “The LGSRG provides an important platform for spatial professionals to have a voice in decisions made by other levels of government, as well as being a central point of engagement for many organisations that wish to work with councils and showcase their spatial services.

LGSRG’s strategic purpose

is to drive the establishment of appropriate and effective spatial capability across all councils. The GPF survey is a baseline to align their capabilities to the needs of the sector and ultimately to deliver better services.” n Graeme Martin is with Spatial Vision and provides ongoing advice and support to the LGSRG. For further information about the GPF assessments and the LGSRG contact Luke Bassett, chairperson, Local Government Spatial Reference Group. Visit www.lgsrg.com.au.

Figure 4. 2020 statewide averages by focus area.

Figure 3. Breakdown of 2020 participation by council type.

The City of Yarra – a case study In mid 2019, the City of Yarra (CoY) began to pivot its GIS capability to ensure its ability to continue serving the needs of the council and people of Yarra. To that point CoY was still operating its original GIS that was first implemented in 2003, but without any substantial changes in that time – and importantly, the corporate and public webmaps were still utilising Adobe Flash that was scheduled to reach its end of life in January 2021, when Flash would cease functioning in all major browsers. The team responsible for GIS was also refreshed around that time to bring a fresh perspective

to the council, and these conditions led the council to undertake a major review of its geospatial requirements, with the aim of going to tender for a new enterprise GIS that would future-proof the City of Yarra’s initiatives that rely upon geospatial intelligence.

The Local Government Spatial Reference Group’s (LGSRG) Geospatial Good Practice Framework (GPF) proved to be a valuable tool in getting this review off the ground and demonstrating the value it was delivering to CoY. Reviewing the council’s historic scores on the GPF illustrated a plateauing of progress, which provided metrics to support the anecdotal evidence that

the existing GIS had stagnated and was not meeting the expectations or requirements of the council. This position was consolidated in the 2019 report, which was based on the assessments of the new GIS team and noted declines in the areas of spatial capability, Vicmap data maintenance, property and rates integration, and asset management to GIS integration. This evidence supported the new GIS team’s recommendation for a major review of Yarra’s geospatial requirements and the decision by the Capital Works Board to invest in the enterprise GIS renewal that covered development of a comprehensive new geospatial strategy and procurement of a new enterprise GIS to deliver

on that strategy’s goals.

Delivering on the program of work laid out in the new strategy and uplifting a 17-year-old system to meet modern expectations is a mammoth undertaking and will involve a lot of work and a lot of change over at least the next three years. Yet the GPF is helping demonstrate the value the council is already receiving with an uplift in its score for spatial capability and property and rates integration in its 2020 GPF report. This provides evidence to support the ongoing investment from council in its critical GIS infrastructure – an especially important consideration in this COVID19 era of constrained budgets. n www.spatialsource.com.au 33

q&a

Delivering digital twins Digital twins aren’t just for the job site – they are a representation of any physical process, entity or activity. Australia Post has been quietly embarking on an ambitious project to clone their entire distribution network digitally. We sat down with Silvio Giorgio, General Manager of Data Science and Strategy at Australia Post, to find out more.

Position: Welcome Silvio, thanks for making time to chat today.

My understanding is that you are currently developing a digital twin of the delivery network. Can you describe the intended result in terms of a use cases for this system?

decided to use ethical artificial intelligence powered by a digital twin to augment our existing infrastructure and help them give their best for our customers every day.

SG: It’s a pleasure to engage with you and your readers. It’s almost becoming a cliché introduction, but COVID accelerated the growth in e-commerce as consumers were forced to change their shopping behaviours, providing the opportunity for retailers to go and grow online. At Australia Post we feel strongly about making the e-commerce experience enjoyable and reliable for both consumers and retailers.

We experienced unprecedented volumes moving through our network and have worked hard to ensure that people have a good experience with their deliveries – no small feat when you’re delivering hundreds of millions of parcels a year across the country. However, the concept of the digital twin of the parcel deliveries network was developed in response to a challenge we set ourselves to help us improve the delivery experience for every parcel.

Where appropriate, we utilise artificial intelligence to help us keep things moving seamlessly, and intervene when necessary to improve reliability and confidence in our service.

Position: Could you take our readers through the stages of the process in developing such a system? Who are the actors involved in making it happen?

Position: Will this digital replica of the Australia Post delivery network replace or augment your existing infrastructure? If the latter, how will this system integrate and build on your existing management tools?

SG: The digital twin will form the foundation ‘event’ layer that in simple terms describes what is happening in reality, with intelligence enabled data management smarts. We will build intelligent applications on top of the twin to engage with our people and systems that engage with our customers. These applications will either be simulations and scenario models to help us plan for the future, forecasts to help us better prepare for service or real time interventions, to help us intervene faster, provide more personalised service, and be more consistent in times of spikes.

Our business is a physical one, and it’s our people that facilitate the delivery experience. Our people are important to us and are at the very heart of how parcels get to you. So, we

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SG: Given our commitment to our customers, the process starts with them and our aspirations for their experience. We have a view on what a data intelligent Australia Post could look like from the perspective of our retailers, our people and our customers.

We’ve defined these perspectives as our interaction zones.

Put simply, our intelligent future informs the applications we need to develop to interact with each zone, partnering with our sales and service, delivery operations, digital and frontline customer service teams. Their passion for delighting our customers is palpable and infectious.

Our digital twin will act as the platform, the beating heart that feeds and receives important data, to enable and learn from the applications. Our talented people in Information Technology are partnering with us to develop the vision for Australia Post, and have lots of experience in managing complex data systems and empowering intelligence.

The key that will unlock it all is visibility, enabled by our Digital Twin. If we do not have the data that reflects the reality of situations that hinder or empower experience, we cannot delight our customers. The Digital Twin will give us comprehensive, sophisticated and granular visibility of our network and your parcels.

Position: What are the core capabilities the digital twin will provide that justify such a mammoth project?

SG: Our applications will work together to enable service capabilities in each interaction zone. A simple example is an application that frequently and accurately predicts future volumes at multiple levels which would inform site rosters, so we always have the right resources available.

Intervention applications are my favourite and require real time data and interventions; say the ability for us to tell our customers when to expect their parcel with greater precision, or

identify bottlenecks in real-time and get parcels back on track if there has been a delay and give you the confidence that we have identified a problem and are on it.

The digital twin will act as the truth; its perspective will see what we cannot see and can help us empower more of our pe ople, and communicate to more customers across Australia faster than we can.

evolve and therefore never ends. Coupled with the rapid pace of consumer-based technologies, we will constantly build on our vision of what a data intelligent Australia Post looks like for us all. Australians have adopted home assistants very quickly.

Integration of our services into the growing connected home technologies seems like an obvious path for us.

Position: Anything else you would like to add?

Position: Are there plans to expand upon these in the future – what might future modules look like beyond the planned implementation?

SG: Our expectations as customers are changing and increasing as services are developed and enhanced to meet them. Our commitment to our customers means the expectation on us will

SG: I feel proud to be part of an organisation that has not only risen to the challenges presented by COVID, but also sees the importance of using data intelligence to augment the heart of our business, our people.

Position: Many thanks again for your time today, Silvio. n

www.spatialsource.com.au 35

new products Ordnance Survey launches OS Maps for Australia Accessible through desktop and mobile, OS Maps has become the first choice amongst those wishing to get outside more to discover and explore Britain, helping users to create new adventures, discover walks and navigate routes as they go.

Now, OS is looking to expand on the success of OS Maps by transporting its award-winning app over 14,000 kilometres away to Australian soil.

OSMaps.com shares the same look, feel and functionality as its British counterpart, and will provide a similar service

for the whole of Australia.

The app utilises cutting-edge technology, including 3D mapping, and includes accurate and detailed mapping data from state governments across Australia. In addition, the new app contains ready-made routes provided by a range of partners including New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service.

OS’s managing director for leisure Nick Giles said: “From the research we’ve conducted, we discovered how Australians share similar behaviours and habits around enjoying the outdoors as we do in Great Britain, with an insatiable appetite for living outdoor active lifestyles much like ourselves.

“OSMaps.com will give them the ability to plan their own routes or discover and download thousands of ready-made ones all over the country.”

Mr Giles added: “Australia is the first country we have targeted and over the next year we aim to roll out in other nations around the world including Canada, the United States and New Zealand.”

Fixed-wing mapping drone for agriculture SenseFly has launched eBee Ag, the latest addition to its eBee X series of drones.

Claimed to be user-friendly and affordable, eBee Ag is designed to help farmers, agronomists and service providers capture aerial data and plant health insights for faster agronomic decision-making that can improve crop yields and profit potential.

Based on senseFly’s eBee X drone, eBee Ag helps agriculture professionals overcome the many challenges they face in the field related to planning, plant health and crop monitoring. eBee Ag makes it easier than ever to field scout, ground-truth potential problem areas and gain critical crop health and field information. eBee Ag is suited for intensive and repeated crop mapping missions. Equipped with its standard battery, it is capable of up to 45-minutes of flight. An endurance battery increases flight times to up to 55 minutes, allowing eBee Ag to cover more than 160 hectares (395 acres) in a single flight, saving time and money when compared with conventional scouting. eBee Ag also comes with senseFly’s new eBee X series backpack, which is a smart and durable way to carry everything needed to transport the drone into and out of the field.

New weapon in the anti-drone wars DroneShield has released the DroneCannon MKII, the next generation fixed-site UAS/drone disruption device.

Following on the numerous successful deployments of the first generation DroneCannon around the world, the DroneCannon MKII is substantially lighter and more portable, with increased durability and versatility made possible through significant advancements in DroneShield’s proprietary waveform technologies, mechanical design and customised electronics.

A non-kinetic countermeasure, the DroneCannon MKII can disrupt UAS at significant ranges, enabling users to cover large sites with minimal installation points. Through DroneShield’s DroneSentry-C2 software the DroneCannon MKII can be paired with DroneShield’s DroneSentry fixed site detection sensors such as the RfOne MKII, enabling it to disrupt UAS threats autonomously, removing the need for a “man in the loop” system.

With the capability to disrupt multiple bands simultaneously including GNSS, the DroneCannon MKII ensures customers are protected from commercial off-the-shelf drones as well as custom threats, now commonplace in asymmetric warfare in global conflicts. RF disruption is especially effective against ‘UAS swarm’ attacks and wide antenna azimuth and elevation provide complete coverage from threats including drones directly above the sensor. Frequency bands can be individually activated and de-activated providing more control to the user and reducing the collateral effects of RF disruption.

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New camera enables digital twin creation of cities Leica Geosystems’s Leica CityMapper-2L configuration has been specifically designed for airborne urban mapping projects at low altitude operation. Lower flying heights can be required by air traffic control (ATC) restrictions and in areas with low cloud cover.

The CityMapper-2L features a 71mm focal length at nadir, ideal for 5cm GSD data acquisition at flying heights of 940m AGL. The new lenses offer similar coverage and productivity for a specific GSD as the existing configurations for standard and high flying heights, while significantly expanding the operation envelope.

“This third lens option complements the existing two configurations. The Leica CityMapper-2 now offers three different focal lengths to support all customer and project needs – from low to high altitude flights – while capturing data from 2 - 10 cm GSD,” said product manager at Hexagon’s Geosystems division Ron Roth. “We are pleased to offer our customers

GNSS receiver security with OSNMA anti-spoofing

Septentrio’s receiver has successfully authenticated navigation data of the first OSNMA-encrypted GNSS satellite signal. OSNMA (Open Service Navigation Message Authentication) offers end-to-end authentication on a civilian signal, protecting receivers from spoofing attacks. OSNMA is being pioneered by the Galileo Program, with Septentrio providing a testbed for this technology from the end-user point of view. The anti-spoofing capabilities of OSNMA will complement Septentrio’s already available best-in-class anti-jamming technology, AIM+, and further strengthen the overall security of Septentrio GNSS receivers.

“The authentication of the Galileo signal using the OSNMA technology is yet another ‘first’ that we are pleased to share with our close partner ESA,” commented Bruno Bougard, R&D Director at Septentrio. “Septentrio is proud and thankful to be able to contribute to the realisation of one of Galileo’s key differentiators. “ ESA (European Space Agency) and GSA (European GNSS Agency) have now commenced the testing phase of the OSNMA authentication, which will continue during the coming months.

full flexibility to accomplish their projects while meeting the requirements of various local flight regulations and weather conditions.”

The CityMapper-2 is claimed to be the world’s only hybrid airborne sensor combining oblique imaging and a LiDAR in one system. The sensor efficiently creates digital twins of cities at the highest productivity levels and provides unprecedented image quality. The system includes two 150 MP nadir cameras (RGB and NIR), four 150 MP oblique cameras and a 2 MHz linearmode LiDAR sensor.

“With three focal lengths at 71mm, 112mm and 146mm, the CityMapper-2 system can now operate at the highest performance for all flying parameters, from as low as 940 to as high as 1940m AGL for 5cm GSD”, Roth adds. “As such, the CityMapper-2 meets the diverse and growing market demands for the creation of 3D digital city models.”

COSMOS high-performance, large-array cameras for astronomy Teledyne Imaging, part of Teledyne Technologies, has released the COSMOS large-format, back side illuminated (BSI) CMOS cameras optimised for astronomy. Exclusively developed by Teledyne Imaging, COSMOS draws on decades of expertise in CCD and CMOS sensor and camera development to enable new possibilities in ground-based astronomical imaging.

Built around Teledyne’s proprietary LACera image sensor technology, COSMOS is said to deliver deepcooled, low-noise performance on a multi-megapixel scale with global shutter, 18-bit readout, and glow reduction technology. COSMOS addresses many of the challenges of today’s CMOS technology by maintaining performance when scaling to larger formats and combining speed and low noise.

COSMOS is available in 3k x 3k, 6k x 6k, and 8k x 8k sensor sizes for maximum field of view. COSMOS large array cameras provide >90% peak quantum efficiency for high sensitivity and over 50 fps for capturing dynamic events. Other benefits include 0.7 e- read noise for detection of faint objects, and deep cooling to ensure low dark current. An advanced pixel structure allows for true global shutter alongside back-illuminated CMOS. COSMOS cameras address the demands of many researchers, specifically those with applications in ground-based astronomy. These applications include orbital object tracking, time domain astrophysics and exoplanet research. The COSMOS hardware and software are designed with flexibility in mind to meet custom requirements to adapt to various telescopes.

www.spatialsource.com.au 37

sssi

News and views from the Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute

President’s Report

A SSSI Board – 2021 Paul Digney President Dr Lesley Arnold President-Elect & Director – WA Wayne Patterson Director – NSW Dale Atkinson Director – Qld Nicholas Brown Director – ACT Michael Grear Director – SA Neil Hewitt Director – HC Andrej Mocicka Director – Vic Inga Playle Director – Tas Dr Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse Company Secretary Roshni Sharma YP Observer

s Australia’s premier spatial and surveying conference, Locate is a highlight for me each year. It is a fantastic opportunity to showcase innovation and expertise within our industry and to learn about the latest trends and applications in geospatial technologies and how they are enabling the digital economy through convergence, collaboration and community.

But what really draws me to Locate is the opportunity to network and engage with my peers and catch-up with those who I have only seen via Zoom over the past 12 months. Locate Conferences have always been the event where the industry meets, and Locate21 will be no different.

It is my intention that I will be present at the Locate21 main live site in Brisbane.

I look forward to meeting many of our members and valued colleagues.

Definitely a highlight of the Locate conference is the Asia Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards (APSEA) which recognises the dedication and hard work of the people who champion our industry and ensure its continues relevance and growth. I would also like to recognise and congratulate all our State based APSEA recipients and wish them all the very best for the National awards.

The Surveying and Spatial Sciences industry has grown by 10% since 2015 according to the Commonwealths National Skills Commission1 consistent with recent studies indicating that the global geospatial industry growing at around 14% annually with many industry sectors needing and demanding more

skilled and qualified spatial professionals.

This is of concern for our profession.

Never has there been a time when our industry has needed capability more. Consider the current COVID-19 pandemic. It is our profession that taken a lead role in mapping the spread of the virus plus providing vital data to facilitate decision making. If we are to meet current and future demands, we need to strengthen our industry capability and attract new talent to the profession.

Why is it that we cannot attract more people into our Surveying and Spatial Sciences? Is it the lack of understanding of the profession and opportunities available? It is crucial for the future of the profession that we tackle barriers to entry and encourage a more diverse profession We need to make our profession more attractive (and known). Career decisions are often made at an early age, and we need to find innovative and effective ways to communicate what it is we do.

I congratulate Australia and New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC) for taking a leadership role in addressing this issue. As part of their strategic plan, one of the five priority areas identified is Spatial capabilities for the future. SSSI was recently invited to present to ANZLIC about industry skills and capability. In line with the ANZLIC strategic plan, our presentation focused on identifying opportunities to address spatial skills shortages and how to actively share and grow spatial capability.

A major focus for SSSI currently and something I am fervent about is

1. Reference: https://joboutlook.gov.au/occupations/surveyors-and-spatialscientists?occupationCode=2322

38 position April/May 2021

SSSI sustaining partner

professional certification. Certification has found its way into almost every industry: It helps advance the profession. Certification helps employers evaluate potential new hires, analyse job performance, evaluate employees, select contractors, market services, and motivate employees to enhance their skills and knowledge.

Certificate holders benefit too. Certification gives recognition of competency, shows commitment to the profession, and helps with job advancement.

While a university degree may set the foundation, to maintain industry skills and best practice, certification is essential.

Continuing Professional Development is important, but professional certification is a dependable indicator that proves a person has achieved a level of competence and has the knowledge, experience and skills to perform a specific job and the tasks in which they have been trained.

Certification also provides industry with a standard of assured excellence.

SSSI strongly advocates the value of professional certification and the use of accredited professionals.

Recently SSSI in conjunction with SIBA/GITA submitted a response to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources Inquiry into Developing Australia's Space Industry. The submission outlined the co-dependence of the Australian Surveying and Spatial Industry and the Space Industry, highlighting that Space and spatial

technologies frequently form integral components of the same supply and value.

Currently Australia has a relatively small space industry compared to other nations. For Australia to grow and build a modern space nation capable of managing its own space needs, rapid and very substantial growth in our space industry is required. A key component of that needed growth will be the ability to connect space services and spatial information products and capabilities.

The growth of the Australian space sector provides significant opportunity for SSSI to support the sector in the area of capacity building of spatial professionals through our body of knowledge and internationally recognised certification programs. The Space Community could also leverage the experience of SSSI by developing a space focused group within SSSI to cater to the need of space professional development and capacity building. We also have significant international relationships with ASEAN, Pacific Island and European and North American Professional Bodies which we could also leverage for capacity building and international dialogue by the space sector. Whilst still somewhat early days, the Australian space industry is an area of great interest and potential and given the large degree of interdependence with our own industry something we should all take a degree of interest in.

Paul Digney President

Commission Chairs Engineering & Mining Surveying Chair Andrew Edwards chair.emsc@sssi.org.au Hydrography Commission Chair Neil Hewitt chair.hc@sssi.org.au Land Surveying Commission Chair Lee Hellen chair.lsc@sssi.org.au Remote Sensing & Photogrammetry Commission Chair Petra Helmholz chair.rspc@sssi.org.au Spatial Information & Cartography Commission Chair Robert Campbell

chair.sicc@sssi.org.au

Regional Committee Chairs ACT Regional Chair Noel Ward chair.act@sssi.org.au NSW Regional Chair Mary-Ellen Feeney chair.nsw@sssi.org.au NT Regional Chair Rob Sarib chair.nt@sssi.org.au QLD Regional Chair Noel Davidson chair.qld@sssi.org.au SA Regional Chair Graham Walker chair.sa@sssi.org.au TAS Regional Chair

Inga Playle chair.tas@sssi.org.au VIC Regional Chair Andrej Mocicka chair.vic@sssi.org.au

EOIs are now open for the SSSI National YP Mentoring program.

Interested in mentoring our future surveying and spatial professionals? Are you a student or recent graduate seeking advice on how to progress your career? Then why not consider participating in this industry-led mentoring program.

WA Regional Chair Darren Mottolini chair.wa@sssi.org.au SSSI National Office 27-29 Napier Cl, Deakin, ACT 2600 (PO Box 307) Phone: +61 2 6282 2282 Email: info@sssi.org.au

For further information and to register visit: www.sssi.org.au www.spatialsource.com.au 39

sssi

In Conversation SSSI CEO Tony Wheeler speaks with Alison Rose, the Chief of Place, Space and Communities Division – one of four divisions that make up Geoscience Australia.

Prior to her appointment, Alison Rose led the Border Intelligence Support to Operations branch at the Department of Home Affairs providing integrated intelligence support to the Australian Border Force on migration systems, trade enforcement and border protection priorities. Alison currently chairs The Regional Committee of United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for Asia and the Pacific (UN-GGIM-AP) which is one of the five regional committees of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM).

Alison has held senior executive positions within both the private and public sector.

TW: The Division of Place Space and Communities mentioned a budget of $100million when it advertised your role.

That seems like a substantial budget.

Could you briefly explain how that is allocated?

AR: Place, Space and Communities Division within Geoscience Australia was formed in November 2019 and brought together all of Geoscience Australia’s ‘above ground’ science. The Division covers five key areas, including: • National Location Information • National Positioning Infrastructure • Community Safety • National Earth and Marine Observations • Digital Earth Africa In terms of budget, the Division is funded through Departmental appropriation, collaborative work with government partners as well as budget measures from Government. A good portion of the Division’s budget is provided via the commitment of the Australia Government to invest $260m in a world-class positioning service and earth observations capability under the Civil Space Strategy.

TW: What are the priorities of the Division looking 3 years out from now?

AR: The key priority for Place, Space and Communities Division is to deliver on Geoscience Australia’s Strategy 2028 In particular, the Division will deliver on our commitments in: • Creating a location-enabled Australia to use detailed and fundamental

40 position April/May 2021

geographic information to develop the nation; • Supporting Australia’s community safety to strengthen our resilience to the impacts of hazards; • Securing Australia’s water resources to optimise and sustain the use of water resources; and, • Managing Australia’s marine jurisdictions to support sustainable use of our marine environment.

As a Division, we will deliver worldclass positioning services and continue our partnership with Government and business to leverage earth and marine observations. We will work collaboratively with partners to connect and leverage the Commonwealth’s extensive climate and natural disaster risk information to support response to and prepare for and build resilience to natural disasters. We will work with international partners to transition Digital Earth Africa into Africa and continue our spatial leadership role, including through our national mapping program.

Finally, the Division will remain committed to the organisation’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, Reconciliation Action Plan, and SAGE accreditation, which seeks to promote and empower an inclusive, respectful and equitable workplace, as well as ongoing professional development of our teams and people.

TW: How well aligned is ANZLIC’s Strategic Plan 2020-24 with Geoscience Australia’s 2028 Strategy and are there challenges to delivering both concurrently?

Alison Rose, the Chief of Place, Space and Communities Division, Geoscience Australia

AR: Geoscience Australia was pleased to work closely with partners in the development of the ANZLIC Strategic Plan 2020-24. Geoscience Australia’s Strategy 2028 and ANZLIC’s Strategic Plan 202024 are well aligned. Indeed, Geoscience Australia’s Corporate Plan and associated Divisional Plan carries through ANZLIC’s strategic initiatives. Given the level of alignment and the ongoing support for these initiatives, at present the only challenges are those associated with risks to the projects (schedule, financial, technical, regulatory, etc). More generally, as with all plans, there is a challenge to ensure continued resourcing against priority initiatives as well as currency of initiatives so that they leverage the latest approaches in a dynamic spatial sector.

TW: You previously publicly stated the importance of an open data approach to Geospatial Data. What does this look like for Geoscience Australia and will this lead to transformative change?

AR: As geospatial knowledge relies on rapidly evolving ecosystems of data that combine different sources, including from diverse technologies, an ability to present data and content in a dynamic, rapid manner is important. Most of Geoscience Australia’s data is not sensitive, and is openly shared between government, industry, academia and the public, quickly and easily for faster and smarter decision making. This is in line with the Australian Government’s Public Data Policy that outlines that it will release non-sensitive data as open by default.

SSSI sustaining partner

This collaborative, open data approach should become commonplace and has the potential to disrupt and transform our sector and the many industries that leverage our data. Indeed, Geospatial data and technologies provide a basis for transformative change, especially as we consider the needs to accurately position self-driving cars through to digital representations of physical reality via Digital Twins. Open data and capabilities are essential for enabling this, respecting that some data may need to be secure.

Digital Earth Australia (DEA) is a good example of what this looks like in GA in practice. In DEA we are using, and also creating, open data and software that is transforming the way that satellite data are used to monitor and

manage Australia’s land and waters. And through Positioning Australia, we are working closely with State and Territory governments and commercial entities to license their GNSS data to prevent duplication, promote access and provide certainty for data consumers.

TW: Geoscience Australia has been an important contributor to the 2030 Space and Spatial Industry Growth RoadMap process. If successful how do you see 2030 assisting Geoscience Australia achieve its objectives and how will a stronger industry capability be of benefit?

AR: Geoscience Australia welcomes the work by industry to develop the 2030 Space and Spatial Industry Growth Roadmap, including outlining critical

issues, mapping out the space-spatial ecosystem, and a risk analysis that will set out Australia’s critical dependence on space-based assets. It is an important vehicle to engage stakeholders in the space and spatial ecosystems on actions that can be taken over the coming decade to accelerate the growth of the space and spatial industries working together.

For Geoscience Australia, we welcome views from across the Space and Spatial industry. Indeed, GA’s partnership with the Australian Space Agency on the development of Earth Observation and Position, Navigation and Timing Roadmaps will time nicely with this activity and provide a clear lens on stronger connection and capabilities in priority areas of interest to Australia. n

Hydrography – the best is yet to come BY: DANIEL KRUIMEL, TELEDYNE CARIS

T

he world has faced immense changes and challenges over the past 12 months. Fortunately the hydrography, the science of surveying and charting bodies of water, is going through one of its more exciting periods in history.

Hydrography is representative of a diverse group of people with varied skills.

One development is the transition from S-57 to S-100. For nearly three decades the hydrographic industry has become well acquainted with the S-57 standard and Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC’s). For those new to this terminology, ENC’s have been the next stage in evolution from paper charts and are of critical importance to safe navigation of vessels. ENC’s are underpinned by S-57, which is an international transfer standard for digital hydrographic data.

While S-57 has been instrumental in the adoption of ENC’s – it does have one major flaw. It was designed and implemented specifically for the needs of ENC’s and is not well suited for developing other digital products that would benefit the maritime community. The main problem with

S-57 is that the specification was frozen quite early on and improvements could not be incorporated for the structure or the content.

This brings us to S-100, which will evolve the existing standard to cater for new user community requirements.

S-100 aims to provide a more dynamic implementation, which would allow improvements and adjustments to the content as needed over time. While this brings many opportunities, there are also a multitude of challenges faced

by Hydrographic offices preparing themselves for this new era. One example to highlight is the requirement to investigate and prepare for this new standard while still maintaining current production mandates.

Another exciting initiative pushing hydrography into new territory is Seabed 2030, which is a collaborative project between the Nippon Foundation of Japan and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO). The aim is to have a complete map of the world’s oceans by 2030. As of last year, coverage was at 20%.

There has been consensus in the industry

that this task cannot be achieved using traditional methods. New technologies need to be developed and introduced, with particular focus on autonomy and automation.

In Australia, there is a hive of activity with one large contributing factor to this being the HydroScheme Industry Partnership Program (HIPP). This has seen a panel formed of specialist survey companies tendering on projects to meet Australia’s hydrographic survey, oceanographic and marine geophysical data collection requirements. Previously a task largely undertaken by the Royal Australian Navy, this partnership with industry is a true nation building effort with a target to obtain full, high quality bathymetric coverage of Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone by 2050.

The hydrographic industry is brimming with opportunity now and there is room for a wide variety of skill sets and backgrounds. Companies and organisations in this industry adopt a collaborative approach which is beneficial to all. As the old saying goes – a rising tide lifts all boats. n www.spatialsource.com.au 41

sssi partner feature

FME and PostGIS make spatial data accessible

Photo by Hamza Zaidi on Unsplash

Supporting the community to make better decisions about the natural environment with a reliable spatial data delivery system in the cloud.

CASE STUDY: Australian State Government Department Challenge: Making spatial data more accessible to the public with better data protection and efficiency Solution: A cloud-based spatial data delivery platform built on FME and PostGIS Overview 1Spatial Australia has been working with government departments to transform its spatial data supply and delivery processes and to re-architect and migrate their data libraries to the cloud to support their strategies to help the community make better decisions about the natural and built environment.

A key driver was to meet increasing public demand for spatial data in raster or point cloud formats through a new data sharing service on the cloud. This replaced and extended the earlier Spatial data service that could only deliver spatial data in traditional vector formats.

The second aspect was the ingestion of new vector-based spatial data into the spatial data library which was not automated. Spatial data custodians had to submit data to the Information Services Division to configure individual components and store them. The custodians then had to verify that the transformed data was loaded correctly with its spatial integrity maintained.

In addition, the department needed to rearchitect the library and migrate it to a new cloud-hosted database – alongside its cloud-based library for raster data – to provide increased scalability, flexibility and business continuity.

Challenge

Solution

To meet demands from the public to provide increasing volumes of spatial data, in a wider range of formats, and in a timelier manner, the department needed to transform its spatial data platform.

There were two aspects to this. The first was to replace the back-end processes that extracted and transformed data from the existing spatial data library.

These processes had previously been automated using an FME Objects solution and custom coding developed in Java.

However, the custom coding made them difficult to maintain. In particular, the range of formats that could be delivered were limited, did not include rasterbased imagery, and could not easily be expanded.

The department engaged 1Spatial, to conduct a review of the department’s existing spatial data service system and, specifically, the components of the system which provide “clip, zip and ship” data delivery capabilities.

The decision was made to develop a modern solution, based on FME Server and FME Desktop, that enhanced existing capabilities. The new solution could not only extract data from both the department’s vector and raster-based data libraries, but also transform and deliver it in a comprehensive range of spatial data formats.

FME was used based on the department’s familiarity with it, the fact it is the leading tool for spatial

42 position April/May 2021

data transformation and workflow configuration and the ability for departments to remain independent of proprietary data formats and adopt new formats in the future.

No custom coding was required resulting in simplified support and maintenance. It also makes it easy to adopt new capabilities – such as transformations to new spatial data formats – as they become available in future versions of FME. This enabled the department to replace bespoke code with configurable workbenches that are self-documenting.

Following the success of the first project, the department decided to accelerate its cloud migration by engaging 1Spatial to rearchitect its Oracle-based spatial data supply process. This included the migration to a new spatial database in the cloud.

FME streamlines the ingestion of new vector data into the cloud data library.

Enabling It to automate previously manual processes and give data custodians the ability to load, secure and publish their own data through an easyto-use browser based interface and APIs., The department is now able to leverage the quality assurance (QA) capabilities of FME to automatically verify the spatial integrity of the data uploaded to the cloud which will assure reliability of services. n For further information visit: www.1spatial.com/au

The Australasian magazine of surveying, mapping & geo-information

February/M

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SIBA|GITA gets new GM Q&A with Danika Bakalich

Position magazine is the only ANZ-wide independent publication for the Spatial Industries.

Position covers the acquisition, manipulation, application and presentation of geo-data in a wide range of industries including agriculture, disaster management, environmental management, local government, utilities, and land-use planning.

It covers the increasing use of geospatial technologies and analysis in decision-making for businesses and government.

Technologies addressed include satellite and aerial remote sensing, land and hydrographic surveying, satellite positioning systems, photogrammetry, mobile mapping and GIS. Position contains news, views and applications stories, as well as coverage of the latest technologies that interest professionals working with spatial information.

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