PR – NGIS Australia Chief Executive Officer, Paul Harris, has been announced as the Spatial Professional of the Year at the prestigious Asia-Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards (APSEA) in
Paul built a team of international and Indonesian national experts to establish the Spatial Information and Mapping Centre (SIM-Centre) in Aceh. The SIM-Centre ensured that those working on reconstruction activities had adequate and reliable spatial information to help support their planning and operations. As part of the project, Paul set up a charity trust, Extending the Limits, to help develop economic security and support the social wellbeing of families in disaster affected regions in South and
The SIM-Centre sets a new model for the use of spatial information and GIS building for major rehabilitation and reconstruction projects.
This project was successful in the People and Community category and was also awarded the esteemed J K Barrie Award, an award chosen from all category winners that is the highest level of attainment the judges can confer at the event.
Speaking after the event, Mr Harris said the award reflects NGIS philosophy of using industry expertise to contribute back to the community.
“From the beginning, NGIS has shared a philosophy of actively participating in the industry to give back to society. That’s why the Extending the Limits Trust was established to support families and communities in regions affected by disasters to regain economic security,” he said.
NGIS Australia has been involved industry bodies AURISA and later the SSI, ASIBA and WALIS for many years.
The annual APSEA are the only single event in the region that recognises the excellent achievements of both individuals and organisations engaged in the spatial information industry.