Monitoring movements or deformation of the Earth's surface can contribute to a greater understanding of environmental changes over time, caused by natural resource management activities such as groundwater extraction or coal mining. Geoscience Australia and the NSW Department of Planning and Environment are currently conducting a pilot study in the Sydney Basin that combines geodetic observations derived from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from the Envisat and Radarsat-2 satellites, together with ground-based Global Positioning System (GPS) observations made at a dense network of geodetic monitoring sites. The major objective is to derive a robust 4D deformation field that can be used to constrain environmental models and help inform environmental policy. In this contribution, we will present our methodology to map surface movements with millimetre accuracy using exemplary results from a subsurface longwall coal mining area in the Sydney Basin. With the advent of national SAR data coverage from the European Sentinel-1 constellation, our approach serves as a pilot study for deformation mapping on a much larger scale that in the future can contribute to a greater understanding of the impact of land use on society and the environment across the Australian continent.

Across the Australian rangelands, TERN AusCover collaborates with several groups including the NT Department of Land Resource Management (DLRM), the Queensland Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation (DSITI), the Australian Collaborative Rangelands Information System (ACRIS), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES). These collaborations have led to the development of biophysical products tailored for the Australian Rangelands including MODIS, Landsat and Sentinel-2 fractional cover, fractional ground cover and persistent green state and trend products, as well as Landsat and MODIS burnt area mapping. These products underpin rangeland-specific information products delivered through APIs onto time series-enabled web mapping and customised web-processing services, enabling data over any spatial extent to be rapidly interrogated. The tools allow data access in an accessible, producer-friendly way, and are being used by graziers monitoring paddock condition, organisations supporting land management initiatives in Great Barrier Reef catchments, and students developing tools to understand land condition and degradation and the underlying data.

Australia is in the midst of a step change in how it collects, processes, analyses and distributes geo-spatial data products and information services. This paper outlines two of the most critical 10 year plans, developed from extensive national consultation, which will transform Australia’s capabilities and industries in the future. The 2026 Spatial Industry Transformation and Growth Agenda (2026 Agenda) is a whole-of-sector initiative of business, government, research, academia and spatial-user organisations that has engaged more than 400 individuals to jointly create a rolling roadmap and Action Plan that identifies 34 coordinated transformative initiatives that will not only transform the Australian spatial sector, but also accelerate the growth of both traditional and emerging markets through the power of location technologies. The Australian Earth Observation Community Plan 2026 sets a pathway to ensure the Australian EO sector is at the leading edge of global transformation in EO. The Plan outlines 5 priority areas, and delivers a unifying focus to motivate and guide the Australian EO community to take a coordinated set of actions to advance Australia’s EO capability, while growing innovative partnerships across government, industry, research and education to ensure Australia’s economy, governments, society and environments are sustained and improved.