The Geoscience Australia Distinguished Lecture, “Putting the ‘Geo’ into Geospatial: Shaping the future of Positioning Australia,” will cover future direction of the program, reflecting on its past achievements and how it will meet future positioning demands.
As it moves beyond the establishment phase, the Positioning Australia program will strengthen its capability for continued future relevance. The program builds on opportunities arising from Australia’s geographic location, its technological capabilities, strong partnerships and internationally significant positioning infrastructure.
The adoption of PNT-based technologies is changing requirements for the systems delivering it. There is increasing awareness that society’s increasing reliance on modern technologies brings potential risks from vulnerabilities in PNT systems. This lecture will highlight how Positioning Australia will address these issues, including an often invisible risk: the reliance of PNT systems on a global geodesy supply chain that is increasing vulnerable.
Presented by Dr Martine Woolf, (Branch Head Positioning Australia), Ryan Ruddick (Director GNSS Informatics and infrastructure), Dr Anna Riddell (Director GNSS Analysis), Dr Lisa Hall (Director National Geodesy) and Phil Shears (Director PMO), the lecture will outline how Geoscience Australia aims to continue maximising return on Commonwealth investment in reliable positioning, modernising infrastructure, enhancing access and efficiency, and supporting national resilience and economic growth.
Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Inna
GeoCart’2026, Aotearoa New Zealand’s 12th National Cartographic Conference, will convene from 26 to 28 August at the Te Aro campus of Victoria University of Wellington.
The event aims to bring together a wide cross-section of professionals, researchers, and enthusiasts engaged in cartography, map curatorship and research, geovisualisation, and GIS.
Participants at GeoCart’2026 will hear about the latest developments and research, learn about current and upcoming projects and products, network with their counterparts in the greater community, and develop a deeper understanding of cartography and mapping.
The deadline for abstract submissions is 15 May 2026.
In addition to the main conference, there will also be a pre-conference Map Design Workshop that will explore techniques for terrain visualisation, feature symbology and layout composition.
Plus, entries are invited for the NZ National Map Exhibition 2026, all of which will be put on display and judged during the conference. Subject to the number and quality of entries received, a winner will be announced for each of two categories: Printed Map Product and Digital Map Product. All entries from New Zealand domiciled cartographers will be eligible for selection to represent New Zealand at the 2027 ICA International Cartographic Exhibition in Vancouver, Canada.
The Survey and Spatial New Zealand Conference 2026 aims to connect the surveying and spatial community to explore innovation, technology and the future of the profession.
The event will attract professionals from across land development, urban design, resource management, civil engineering, surveying (cadastral, hydrographic and engineering), positioning and measurement, and spatial/GIS for two days of insights.
Registrations are due to open in April 2026.
Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/StudioProX
