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Geoscience Australia welcomes the release of Budget 2017-18 by the Treasurer, which includes $15.3 million in new funding to establish the Digital Earth Australia over the next two years.

This investment by the Australian Government through the Department of Finance's Public Service Modernisation Fund will enable Geoscience Australia to transform the international award winning pilot project, the Australian Geoscience Data Cube, into Digital Earth Australia.

Geoscience Australia's CEO Dr James Johnson said Digital Earth Australia will make it quicker and easier to access Earth observation satellite data, translating almost 30 years of data into readily accessible information and insights about Australia's changing landscape and coastline.

"As a publicly available, free platform, Digital Earth Australia will open up new opportunities for a range of industries across the country, including agriculture, environment, mining and scientific research," Dr Johnson explained.

"Satellites have continually taken images of the Australian continent for decades, recording information about our land and water resources. This is currently warehoused in difficult to access government stores.

"Digital Earth Australia will provide reliable, standardised access to this data to build new commercial applications. This will support Australia's developing digital economy, and help to generate new jobs and business opportunities, particularly for small to medium enterprises."

Using the funding announced in Budget 2017-18, Geoscience Australia will take the complex work of applying science and technology to understanding the Earth and translate it into real-world benefits for all Australians.

More information

• Read the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Senator the Hon Matt Canavan's announcement.
• Further details on Geoscience Australia's funding can be found in Budget Paper No.4.
• More information about Digital Earth Australia is available on the Geoscience Australia website.
• Digital Earth Australia [PDF 7.1MB]
• Download a sample of Digital Earth Australia images [ZIP 43MB]

Please direct all media enquiries and interview requests to the Geoscience Australia 24 hour Media Hotline 1800 882 035 or media@ga.gov.au.