The Commonwealth will invest $64 million on GPS upgrades in South Australia as part of a national project to deliver “real-world” infrastructure benefits.
Working with the SA government and private sector partners, the Commonwealth will expand and upgrade 68 GPS reference stations across the SA network and build 12 new additional stations.
Federal Minister for Resources and Water Keith Pitt said the upgrades will improve positioning accuracy from 5-10 metres down to 3-5cm in areas with mobile phone and internet coverage.
“It will enable government and industry alike to easily connect and access positioning data and pave the way for innovation and new positioning-based products, services and technologies for the benefit of industry and community,” he said.
“It has real-world benefits for major infrastructure upgrades, such as roads, sporting fields, airport runways and car parks, while also boosting productivity across industries such as agriculture and logistics.”
The expansion and upgrade of the SA reference station network is expected to be completed by June 2022, and the national project is to be completed by June 2023.
Led by Geoscience Australia, the Commonwealth will deliver an extra 57 reference stations nationally as part of a 700-plus national reference station network, partnering with industry and state governments in the rollout.