Imagery

Sub-Theme

Very High Resolution (<2.5 m) Very Low Temporal Coverage (>annual)

Theme 
Imagery
Custodian 
Multiple Agencies
Aggregator 
Multiple Agencies

An orthophoto is an aerial photograph geometrically corrected (“orthorectified”) to ensure the scale is uniform: the photo has the same lack of distortion as a map. Unlike an uncorrected aerial photograph, an orthophotograph can be used to measure true distances, because it is an accurate representation of the Earth’s surface, having been adjusted for topographic relief, lens distortion, and camera tilt. The image has been corrected to ensure that horizontal scale is constant

These data sets have a spatial resolution of 2.5m or closer and are primarily operated by Jurisdictions and/or commercial enterprises.

There are an increasing number of these sensors available for both satellite and airborne platforms and an ever-expanding range of applications that use them.

Purpose

Imagery provides an analytical source and contextual background for decision making and supports multiple applications including:

  • Mapping
  • Emergency Services
  • Natural resource management
  • Geosciences
  • Sustainable human and land use development

Dataset Uses

  • Monitoring active and/or recent fires, floods, storms, and subsidence;
  • Estimating biomass for carbon accounting, native vegetation mapping, and agriculture;
  • Managing conservation areas (land and marine), environmental resources, estuaries and coastal waterways, marine jurisdiction, electoral boundaries, floodplains, and dry-land salinity;
  • Mapping geoscience resources, topographic features, shallow water bathymetry, wetlands, and plant stress; and
  • Auditing environmental compliance, urban water use, and urban development, Compliance with regulatory requirements and planning
  • Security situation awareness

Standards and Specifications

AS/NZS ISO 19115 - ANZLIC Metadata Profile Version 1.1 (implemented using ISO/TS 19139:2007, Geographic information – Metadata – XML schema implementation)
National Mapping Council of Australia, Standards of Map Accuracy (1975)

Access and Licensing

Specific License Agreement

Access and Licensing Details

Products and Services relating to this dataset are made available under Airborne imagery derived from the National Archives of Australia is open and available under a CC-By licence. Imagery derived from jurisdictions has licence agreements and restrictions related to the jurisdictional distributor. Each State and Territory has individual licence and access agreements that can be found on jurisdictional web pages.

Quality

Quality varies between sensors and with the age of the sensor

Current Status

Very high resolution at very low temporal imagery acquired by airborne sensors is available from different State government agencies, Geoscience Australia and the National Archives of Australia.

Access depends on the geographic location of the imagery and the time frame it was captured. E.g, NSW LPI and/or GA would be the agencies to inquiry with if you are looking for imagery acquired over a region in NSW in 2010.

If it is imagery from between 1948 – 1988 then the National Archives of Australia would be the place to inquire.

Future Status

Available under open access at zero cost via web services.

Key Users

Federal, State and Territory Government Departments, industry and research communities.

Version

1.00

Details