The Power of Space and Spatial

The Power of Space and Spatial

Spatial data and space services are ubiquitous to our modern and digitally connected lives. The power of where, enabled through space and spatial, is the record of what we do, when and where we do it, and in what environment—because everything happens somewhere. Nations can use location to connect data and workflows for government, industry, researchers and the community to make decisions that improve the economic, environmental and social outcomes for Australia.

“By taking location information and applying geospatial capabilities to analyse and visualise the content, government policy and service delivery can become more relevant, targeted and efficient, both during emergencies and in business as usual.” (Geoscience Australia)

Over the past 18 months Australia has been subjected to a series of disasters that have had wide ranging impacts across the nation, including the Queensland floods, the national drought, the national bushfire crisis and currently COVID-19. A critical aspect in supporting response and recovery has been understanding the geographic extent of these disasters, the nature of the community and businesses affected, and the social, physical and environmental infrastructure and assets impacted. Space technologies play a vital role in collecting data and information (through PNT and through remote sensing by earth observation), disseminating existing and new data and information (through tele-communications).

Location provides a unifying factor for much of the data that is available, as well as a powerful tool to understand and communicate the data, information and stories the data contains. By taking location information and applying geospatial capabilities to analyse and visualise the content, government policy and service delivery can become more relevant, targeted and efficient, both during emergencies and in business as usual, and industry can function and grow.

Various studies into the space and spatial sector highlight the significant and growing contribution to local, national, regional and global economies, now and into the future.