DEPARTMENT OF

LANDS AND PLANNING

Positioning Services

Rob Sarib
Supervising Surveyor
Office of the Surveyor General

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Presentation Content

• Positioning – what is it ? what is it used for?

• Ubiquitous positioning in the Territory

• Territory’s positioning infrastructure – the State

of Play?

• Economic Benefits

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 What is it ?
Positioning is ….
– Your location on the earth !

– In survey and mapping terms it means a set of

‘coordinates’ in a clearly defined coordinate system or
DATUM

– Co-ordinates OR positional information – latitude /

longitude OR easting / northern and height

– Our co-ordinate system or DATUM is the Geocentric

Datum of Australia 1994 - GDA94.

– The Territory’s positioning framework and infrastructure is

also known as the Geospatial Reference System - GRS

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 What is used for ?
– it is used as the reference or fundamental layer that
underpins most land related information ie the
cadastre, topographic and mapping information

– it has traditionally supported land related applications

such as surveying, mapping and GIS

– NOW being recognised by the broader spatial

industry as an integral component to the framework
for “ubiquitous” positioning applications and
infrastructure

– NOW being recognised as essential and enabling

infrastructure supporting sustainable economic
development

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

What is Positioning and GRS?

Source – ICSM “ Know Where You Stand with GDA”

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Ubiquitous Positioning !
Territory Positioning Applications –
– land management and developments
– infrastructure and construction projects
– asset, resource and emergency management
– environmental research
– machine guidance
– intelligent transport systems
– precision agriculture
– mining operations
– positioning and navigation – vehicles, aircraft,
shipping, general devices
– and foster innovation in other disciplines that utilise
positioning.
NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT
 What is the trend?

Will need greater positional accuracy

Will need a reliable quality positional

framework

Will need to access position via GNSS

measuring devices

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 What needs to be done?
Outcomes - enhance the Territory’s
Positioning Infrastructure or GRS ……..

– cater for future spatial industry needs - “ubiquitous

positioning and applications” via the of use modern
positioning, spaced based technology and high speed
communications

– improve the accuracy of the datums to be sub-

centimetric through measuring and monitoring the
scale, motion and deformation of the Australian
continent.

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

National Positioning Infrastructure Plan

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Next generation Position infrastructure
Upgrade the NT GRS or geodetic framework
and infrastructure……..
– Establishing a ‘CORE’ network of 25 GNSS CORS
transecting the Territory along major transit and
infrastructure corridors. – Positioning Framework!
– Establishing local clusters of OR single GNSS CORS
in major centres or towns – Positioning Services!
– Improve and develop knowledge and skills
– Educate and build the user base of GNSS base
stations
– Facilitate the development of positioning services
– Whole of government approach - SEG
– Partnerships both private and public

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

The “State of PLAY” - continued

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

“The State of PLAY” - continued

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 NT GNSS CORS - DDRS

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 NT GNSS CORS - LARR

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 NT GNSS CORS - KATH

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 NT GNSS CORS – Mt Cav

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 NT GNSS CORS - Warra

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 NT GNSS CORS – Local

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Pilot Positioning Services
Local GNSS CORS
– Real time single based RTK corrections
delivered by radio – various protocols
– Static data download via website -
http://webserver1.ntlis.nt.gov.au/rinex/

Geodetic Quality “CORE” GNSS CORS

– ftp://ftp.ga.gov.au/

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Positioning Services “State of PLAY” - continued
The OSG needs to ……..
– Maintain the current geodetic and cadastral
infrastructure and provide survey services
– Maintain a NT GNSS CORS Manager.
– Provide GNSS / positioning advice to
numerous government agencies and private
sector organisations.
– Promote the NT GRS and “positioning” to
organisations and at local, national and
international forums.

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Positioning Services “State of PLAY” - continued
The OSG needs to……..
– Actively participated in government and
academic based working groups on GNSS
and positioning issues and initiatives
– Developed various policies and technical
guidelines wrt GNSS and Positioning to
support NT Government initiatives (GTs).
– Leveraged resourcing opportunities –
AuScope, BoM / NRETAS
– Engaged with “third party” GNSS positioning
service providers

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Strategic Model

Specify Stations Network Process Deliver

Specify System Own Stations Network the Data Process Network Deliver Service
• Target Density, • Site Selection • Data Comms • Copy of • Retail Sale of
Coverage • Site from Network Network Data Products
Reliability and Construction Stations • Data • Marketing
Availability • Equipment • Control Centre Processing • Rover
• Site Quality Purchasing • Data Archive • Production of Equipment
• Equipment • Station Data Data Streams support
Quality Comms • Distribution of • End User
• Geodetic • Site Data Streams Support
Reference Maintenance • Data • Liaison with
Frame • Equipment Wholesaling User Comms
• Data Services Replacement • Retailer Providers
Produced Cycle Support
• Data Access
Policy

Governance

Source – model by Matt Higgins

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

Positioning Services “State of Play” - continued
GNSS raw data stream agreements with ?

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 ECONOMIC BENEFITS FROM GNSS CORS
Information from a report undertaken by Position One Consulting Group,
commissioned by the QLD Govt, revealed positioning services from GNSS
CORS Networks could provide the following economic benefits -

• Time for survey control

for photogrammetric
mapping from 4 months
down to 1 week;

• Rail track survey costs

reduced by 80%
through GNSS based
automation.

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 ECONOMIC BENEFITS FROM GNSS CORS
• GNSS machine guidance control in the form of auto-steer is
widely used in the grain, cotton, sugar and horticultural sectors
of Queensland agriculture;

• An estimated 15% of grain

growers in Australia use GNSS
for machine guidance and 9%
for auto-steer;

• Using auto-steer for control

traffic farming can reduce input
costs of fuel, seed, fertilizer,
herbicide and time by 10-20%;

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 ECONOMIC BENEFITS FROM GNSS CORS
• In civil engineering, machine
guidance is delivering significant
increases in productivity and
improved on-site safety;

• Using GNSS machine guidance

and other innovative techniques
the Port of Brisbane Motorway was
completed six months ahead of
schedule (30% reduction in time
required), with a 10% reduction in
total project costs, 10% reduction
in traffic management costs and
40% reduction in lost time injuries.

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 ECONOMIC BENEFITS FROM GNSS CORS

• Accurate guidance of Shipping in Ports can bring significant

benefits;

• By introducing
GNSS pilotage
systems 4 fewer
buoys were required
at a Queensland
coal port with a cost
saving of A$4 Million
(USD 3.6M).

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 ECONOMIC BENEFITS FROM GNSS CORS
• In open cut Mining, precise GNSS is used
for a variety of tasks including surveying,
grading, dozing, drilling, collision
avoidance and fleet management;

• Productivity
increases are as
much as 30% by
adopting GNSS.
 ECONOMIC BENEFITS FROM GNSS CORS
• Time taken for mapping and reporting fire fronts has been
reduced from 6-7 hours to 1-2 by the Department of
Emergency Services

• Overall it is estimated the market for GNSS CORS precise

position to be over $120 million and growing rapidly !

• By 2020 it is estimated the spatial industry will generate

revenues worth

$8 billion

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 ECONOMIC BENEFITS FROM GNSS CORS
• Allen Consulting Group report for the Victorian Government on “Economic
benefits of high resolution positioning services” also states –

“The gross benefit flowing from existing uptake in agricultural,

mining and construction sectors is estimated to range
between $829 million and $1486 million – this
represents a contribution to national GDP of between 0.08%
to 0.14%
AND

“Application of precision GNSS to asset mapping by utilities

and local government Australia – wide is estimated to result
in operating cost savings of $435 million to $870 million
per annum and capital cost savings of up to $2.3 billion
per annum”

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 Issues and Challenges
• Resources - On going justification and bidding for funds
and staff numbers. Retention of quality surveyors.
• Security of land for GNSS CORS – timely approval
from land owners or registered interests or stakeholders
• Unification of GNSS CORS - pertains to standards and
best practices for GNSS CORS ; avoidance of
duplicating infrastructure ; co-ordination of GNSS data
and positioning services
• LT of GNSS measurements implementation –
surveyors achieving legal traceable of measurements
from GNSS devices or measurements.
• NTGESS database – implementing the geodetic control
database and its business process
• Multi GNSS environment – infrastructure upgrade?

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT

 NT GRS – The State of Play

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME

NT Spatial 2011 - The State of Play - SSSI NT