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 Geoscience Australia headquarters located in theCanberra suburb ofSymonston | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2001 |
| Preceding agencies |
|
| Jurisdiction | Australia |
| Headquarters | Symonston,Canberra,Australian Capital Territory 35°20′36″S149°09′30″E / 35.34333°S 149.15833°E /-35.34333; 149.15833 |
| Employees | 671(as at 30 June 2023)[1] |
| Annual budget | A$207.30 million(2020)[2] |
| Minister responsible | |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent department | Department of Industry, Science and Resources |
| Website | portal |
Geoscience Australia is astatutory agency of theGovernment of Australia that carries outgeoscientific research. The agency is the government's technical adviser on aspects of geoscience, and serves as the repository of geographic and geological data collated by the Commonwealth.
On auser pays basis, the agency offers geospatial services, includingtopographic maps andsatellite imagery. It is also a major contributor to the Australian Government's free,open data collections such asdata
The agency has six strategic priority areas:[4]
Geoscience Australia came into being in 2001 when theAustralian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG) merged with the Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO). Its history dates back almost to the Federation in 1901 when it was decided to set aside land for the national capital. This decision led to the establishment of the Australian Survey Office in 1910, when surveying began for the Australian Capital Territory.
AUSLIG's main function was to provide national geographic information. It was formed in 1987 when the Australian Survey Office joined with the Division of National Mapping, which was formed in 1947. Another important component of AUSLIG was the provision of satellite imagery to industry and government, started by the Australian Landsat Station in 1979, and renamed the Australian Centre for Remote Sensing (ACRES) in 1986.
AGSO's predecessor organisation theBureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics[5] (BMR) was established in 1946; with the name changing to AGSO in 1992.
The BMR was ageological survey with the main objective being the systematic geological and geophysical mapping of the continent as the basis for informedmineral exploration.[6]
Geoscience Australia's activities have expanded and today it has responsibility for meeting the Australian Government's geoscience requirements. This role takes the Agency well beyond its historic focus on resource development and topographic mapping to topics as diverse as natural hazards such as tsunamis and earthquakes, environmental issues, including theimpacts of climate change, groundwater research, marine and coastal research,carbon capture and storage and vegetation monitoring as well as Earth observations from space. Geoscience Australia's remit also extends beyond the Australian landmass to Australia's vast marine jurisdiction.[7][6]
It has a free place name search[10] and its earthquake monitoring services can be freely accessed.[11] The Library is the premier geoscience library in Australia providing services to geoscience organisations, universities, research centres, themining andpetroleum industries and the public.[12]
Geoscience Australia definesEconomic Demonstrated Resources (EDR) as
resources for whichprofitableextraction or production under defined investment assumptionsis possible
— [13]
For EDR, tonnages and grades are computed from samples of the resource taken from points spaced to provide assured resource continuity.
{{citation}}:|author2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| International | |
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