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Edition #19, December 2023
In this edition of Map It Out:
- From the desk of...
- News and project updates
- Events
- Careers in Land Use Victoria
Yang Chen
Senior Data Scientist | Vicmap Spatial Services | Department of Transport and Planning
Hi everyone
I am a senior data scientist leading Data Science Services in Vicmap Spatial Services in the Department of Transport and Planning. It's my great honour to write this foreword from the land of the Wurundjeri people.
In my role, I lead our in-house data science capabilities and deliver innovative and large-scale Geo-artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) solutions to address complex challenges across Victoria’s built and natural environments.
My previous experience as a research scientist with CSIRO’s Data61 was leading AI and ML projects in Earth observation and remote sensing. This was fertile ground to not only innovate and tackle complex scientific challenges, but also to collaborate with multidisciplinary experts and contribute to high-impact peer-reviewed journals.
Here in Vicmap Spatial Services, I put my expertise to work collaborating with industry and across government to address real-world challenges and serve the community with direct and positive impacts.
A great example is our work with the Environmental Protection Branch at the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA). Working collaboratively, we used ML to detect and classify waste tyres on farms across the state and delivered a dataset that helped improve government policy.
This work was recognised earlier this year with the project receiving the Technical Excellence Award at the Victorian Geospatial Excellence Awards for our innovative approach to identifying waste tyres on a large scale.
The fusion of AI with satellite remote sensing is ready to unlock immense benefits for Vicmap and its users. AI acts as a foundational cornerstone in enhancing data quality, automating data processes, uncovering hidden patterns, generating innovative solutions, and refining data visualisation.
Meanwhile, satellite remote sensing offers extensive, high-resolution and up-to-date data. These things are crucial for applications such as mapping land cover, detecting objects and monitoring changes, analysing hyperspectral and radar data, and enabling data fusion.
Looking ahead, the potential applications for Vicmap are vast and varied:
- Hydrological dynamic feature detection
- Forest change monitoring
- Vegetation type classification
- Land cover classification and change detection
- Address and building extraction and validation
These will be vital in ensuring Vicmap delivers the most current, precise and comprehensive spatial data products. In turn, they will support diverse Earth science fields and lead to better-informed decision-making.
Our current collaboration with SmartSat CRC, Frontier SI and RMIT is using AI and ML to make Vicmap products more dynamic and easier to maintain. You can read more about Dynamic Vicmap in this edition.
The intersection of data science, AI and geospatial analytics holds the key to unlocking ground-breaking solutions to the challenges we face. I look forward to sharing the discoveries and innovations we make along the way with you all.
With warm regards
Yang
Preview DataVic catalogue with Digital Twin Victoria
They say a picture tells a thousand words, and now Digital Twin Victoria (DTV) has brought interactive previews of spatial data straight from the DTV platform into the DataVic catalogue.
The capability provides real benefits for GIS specialists and non-technical users alike. Alongside each spatial dataset’s description, a visualisation allows you to zoom and pan to better understand what is available.
Airborne gravity survey flies past 50 per cent
The airborne gravity survey has passed the halfway milestone, with 56.4 per cent of the survey area now complete over land and water in the Gippsland, Otway and Hume regions.
This large survey is being flown across southern and eastern Victoria to collect consistent and evenly distributed gravity measurements. This data will support global positioning system (GPS) technology advancements and improve the accuracy of heights from GPS positioning.
eComply Framework webinar - register now!
Following the commercial release of the first eComply tool, the Digital Twin Victoria team invites you to hear about the eComply Framework at a free webinar on 13 February.
This session will help build your understanding of how digital compliance assessment processes work, and how digital technology can support your business and the development sector.
Ararat Digital Twin Spotlight Project launches Fab Lab
The Ararat Spotlight Digital Twin Project has launched the Fab Lab at the Ararat Jobs and Technology Precinct. The space showcases a range of cutting-edge technologies that industry, researchers, students and members of the public can experiment with.
The Fab Lab aims to propel digital twin and smart city technologies into the heart of regional Victoria by fostering innovation, collaboration and knowledge sharing using the Digital Twin Victoria platform.
DTV Portals
Digital Twin Victoria (DTV) is introducing next-generation DTV Portals, making the foundational DTV platform even more powerful with new self-service features.
DTV Portals offer a tailored digital twin experience that makes it simple to share data privately within project teams or across organisations.
Enriching spatial data through Dynamic Vicmap project
Our natural world is dynamic and always changing, and the demand for accurate and up-to-date data continues to grow.
Dynamic Vicmap is tackling this challenge using cutting-edge artificial intelligence and space-based earth observation data to find new ways to build and maintain Vicmap datasets, make them more accurate, easier to maintain and enhance.
New webpage launched featuring major LiDAR projects
Since 2006, the Coordinated Imagery Program (CIP) has managed the acquisition of high-quality elevation data and delivered over 130 projects for public sector partners.
A webpage of major LiDAR projects is now live, featuring examples of the elevation data available across the state.
Vicmap Topo maps now available as statewide raster tiled map service
Vicmap Topographic Mapping is now available as a statewide raster tiled map service in VicGrid 2020 in colour and a new greyscale format.
The Topographic Basemap is available as part of the Vicmap Basemap product and is updated using the latest Vicmap data before the fire season every year. It can be viewed in 12 different zoom scales, from a 1:8,000,000 statewide view to a 1:2,500 cadastral view.
Vicmap spatial upgrade forges ahead with rural and regional focus
The Vicmap spatial upgrade continues across the state, uplifting Vicmap’s spatial accuracy.
3.25 million of 3.8 million parcels have been upgraded, with a focus now on rural and regional areas. 45 municipalities have been fully integrated, and 49 of 80 municipalities will be complete by the end of 2023.
Supporting ePlan creation with new self-service materials
New and updated ePlan training materials have been developed and are now available online following feedback from the surveying industry.
Surveying firms are encouraged to explore the training and support materials which include video tutorials, templates and guidance notes.
Improving the Victoria-New South Wales state border line
Environmental and technological factors have long presented challenges to maintaining an accurate spatial representation of the Victoria-New South Wales border.
Efforts to improve the spatial representation have been underway by Surveyor-General Victoria (SGV) since 2012, with improvements to be integrated into Vicmap.
Supporting gender equality through commemorative naming
With the release of the Victorian Government’s Gender equality strategy and action plan, commemorating women through place naming is more important than ever.
Geographic Names Victoria is supporting naming authorities and the community to work towards the target set out in the strategy and achieve greater recognition of women across Victoria.
Vicmap Viewer - it's time to transition
A reminder for all Vicmap Viewer customers that the new progressive web app is live and available now. The improved app can be accessed via the URL vicmaptopo.land.vic.gov.au on your device's web browser.
Importantly, all your maps will be available in the new Vicmap Viewer when you log in.
The old app is no longer available in the Apple and Google Play stores and will stop working on devices 31 March 2024. Visit Vicmap Viewer today and download the factsheet for detailed instructions on how to access the new Vicmap Viewer app on your mobile device.
Conferral of Registration Ceremony for newly registered surveyors
Twenty-six newly registered surveyors celebrated their registration at the Surveyors Registration Board of Victoria's (SRBV) Conferral of Registration Ceremony in November 2023.
Forty-one licensed surveyors had been registered since the previous 2021 conferral ceremony, bringing the practising community to 407. The cohort included 2 women, bringing the balance just shy of 5% and reaching a new record for female representation.
Excellence at Victorian geospatial sector night of nights
The 2023 Victorian Geospatial Excellence Awards were once again a yearly highlight for the spatial sector. Held as part of the annual Victorian Geospatial Conference, the awards recognise both individual and organisational excellence within the region's surveying and spatial information industry.
New 30m-resolution seabed maps of the Torres Strait
Geoscience Australia has released a new seabed map that shows the Torres Strait at 30-metre resolution: far better than what was previously available. View the seabed in unprecedented detail, where islands and reefs drop off into the deeper waters to the east.
City of Geelong named in AFR's Most Innovative Companies list
The City of Geelong has been named one of Australia's most innovative companies on the annual Australian Financial Review BOSS Most Innovative Companies list.
Recognised for its use of smart technologies to make the region more resilient to climate change, Geelong has adopted innovative solutions to improve local climate risk knowledge.
DTV drop-in session
1 February | Digital Twin Victoria
An introduction to AI in smart infrastructure and the geospatial world
1 February | Geospatial Council of Australia
eComply Framework webinar
13 February | Digital Twin Victoria
3rd annual Digital Built World Summit
27-28 February | Future Place
Workshop: Learn how to teach with educational drones
Save the date - April | SheMaps
Locate24
7-9 May | Geospatial Council of Australia
Rural & Regional Planning Conference
20-21 June | Municipal Association of Victoria
For careers in the Victorian government public sector, visit careers.vic.gov.au
Looking to make a difference to Victoria while developing your career? Get On Board
We acknowledge Victorian Traditional Owners and their Elders past and present as the original custodians of Victoria's land and waters and commit to genuinely partnering with them and Victoria's Aboriginal community to progress their aspirations.
