Space Grants program propels business success

28 March 2023

The Territory Labor Government is helping businesses unlock new growth opportunities and investment in space, creating more jobs and enhancing performance.

Our latest partnership with Geoscience Australia will deliver the Earth Observation for the NT (EO4NT) grant program, with 3 companies receiving funding to develop applications using Earth observation data.

The EO4NT grant program is designed to support companies develop Earth observation-powered solutions, that will enhance business productivity and performance or overcome business challenges.

Earth observation data is used to measure natural and urban environments, assess their current status and track changes over time.

This data is used by organisations for a wide range of purposes including managing natural disasters, enhancing mineral exploration, making better planning decisions and improving farm and land management.

Two projects funded under the EO4NT program aim to strengthen the ability of land managers to effectively respond to emerging issues and to proactively manage risk from bushfires.

Charles Darwin University (CDU) and its North Australia Fire and Rangelands Information (NAFI) service received a $97,000 grant to create a commercially viable earth observation generating high-resolution burnt area maps to improve planning and operational risk assessments for bushfires.

NT company Maitec received a $63,650 grant to use earth observation data to map pastures and measure grass biomass over the Northern Territory’s savannah region. The project will provide a more in-depth understanding of the amount and condition of the biomass for grazing and fire management purposes and land management decisions.

The third project aims to enhance decision making by urban planners to support climate mitigation and greening strategies.

Office of Planetary Observations (OPO) received a $63,890 grant to deliver an Earth observation dashboard to provide urban greening insights to enhance city and urban planning and maintenance decisions. The project is also designed to support climate change mitigation efforts with near-real time land surface temperature data.

The OPO EO4NT solution aligns with the CSIRO-led Darwin Living Lab, a collaborative partnership between the Australian and Northern Territory Governments and the City of Darwin.

The projects will demonstrate the benefits of using Earth observation technology for everyday decision making and to enhance business performance.

Projects are expected to be completed within six months of commencement, however the timeframe is flexible to meet the specific requirements of each project funded under the program.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Industry, Nicole Manison:

“These projects will play an important role in supporting evidence based decision making in land management and urban planning in the Territory.

These projects will also enable business, industry and government make key decisions on critical issues such as floods, bushfires and climate change and their impact on our community.

Supporting businesses to enhance business profitability or overcome problems through the EO4NT grant program will help diversify the Territory’s economy and unlock new investment opportunities.

The EO4NT program demonstrates the potential for Earth observation-derived business and industry solutions to grow and thrive in the Territory.”

Quotes attributable to Geoscience Australia Digital Earth Australia Projects Director, Trent Kershaw:

“The EO4NT grant program is helping Territorian business initiatives access and develop the free and open Earth observation data and leveraging the power of satellite imagery to make better decisions.

Geoscience Australia partnered with the NTG on this program to increase awareness of the benefits and applications of satellite imagery, which is contributing to a sustainable environment and a strong economy to the benefit of the wider Territory community.”

Quotes attributable to North Australia Fire and Rangelands Information Service manager, Peter Jacklyn:

“The EO4NT grant program will support NAFI to focus on the production of high-resolution mapping of large areas of land for fire management purposes; a solution that has strong market prospects for our existing clients and potential new clients.

Our solution offers benefits that standard centralised data sources cannot and this project has been made possible by the support of the NTG through the innovative and forward-thinking EO4NT grant program.

Our clients are wide-ranging and work in industries including agriculture, horticulture, mining, Defence, fire agencies, Aboriginal rangers, carbon abatement proponents, land trusts and government services. The end product of this grant will likely attract new clients."

Northern Territory Government