ANZLIC has released a short summary of developments and insights presented at its latest meeting.
According to ANZLIC, the strongest theme evident at its May 2026 meeting was the shift from building geospatial capabilities to actively applying them in government decision-making.
“Geospatial is no longer on the sidelines, it’s increasingly shaping how governments and industry approach real-world challenges,” the update said.
The meeting saw ANZLIC members (see ‘What is ANZLIC?’ below) outlining increasing initiatives for the integration of planning, property and infrastructure data, which is leading to a “more consistent, shared view of place”.
“This is changing how decisions are made, from identifying where new housing can be delivered alongside existing infrastructure, to understanding how communities are changing and where services are needed most,” the update said.
“At the same time, jurisdictions are continuing to invest in modern, digital-first platforms and expanding 3D capability, with initiatives like the Digital Atlas of Australia making it easier to access and work with trusted data.”
Geospatial data for making better decisions
Progress across jurisdictions is not uniform, however, according to ANZLIC, with some moving quickly to activate systems while others are still in the process of building foundational capabilities.
“Members were clear that stronger data governance, targeted capability uplift and sustained collaboration will be essential to close this gap and realise the full benefit of these investments,” the update said.
According to ANZLIC, “The value of geospatial is no longer in the data itself, but in how it helps others make better decisions”.
“That is the story we need to consistently tell, clearly, simply and in ways that resonate beyond the geospatial community.”
What is ANZLIC?
ANZLIC describes itself as the “peak intergovernmental organisation providing leadership in the collection, management and use of spatial information in Australia and New Zealand”.
Originally established in 1986 as the Australian Land Information Council (ALIC), the body was given the job of “promoting and developing a national strategy to facilitate the exchange of land information”.
Initially it was comprised of representatives from the federal government, the Northern Territory and all Australian states except Queensland. The Australian Capital Territory and Queensland joined in the early 1990s.
New Zealand, an observer and advisory committee member since 1987, became a full member in 1991, which is when NZ was added to the ALIC acronym to form ANZLIC.
