Expressions of interest (EOI) for SouthPAN ground station site hosts
Last updated:16 September 2022
The Southern Positioning Augmentation Network (SouthPAN) project needs to establish long-term ground-based reference stations distributed across Australia to support the operations of SouthPAN services. We want to work with local landholders, councils and communities to find locations for our ground stations that meet our technical needs and suit the needs of local people. The project is a major space initiative for the federal government and will require access to sites for the length of project, initially 20 years.
Geoscience Australia is seeking expressions of interest from landowners to host new SouthPAN ground station sites on their land.
If your land is within the predetermined areas and meets the technical requirements, Geoscience Australia would like to discuss the opportunity to establish a new SouthPAN ground station site on your property.
Site occupancy will be secured via a formal arrangement, such as a long term lease or licence agreement registered against the land title.
What is a Southern Positioning Augmentation Network (SouthPAN) ground station?
A SouthPAN ground station requires an area that has a clear sky view and is not close to power lines or mobile phone towers. Each site will have power and communications installed, and a security fence. The fence is just to protect the equipment from damage as the Australian aviation community will use the system for navigation, with safety as our priority. The physical footprint will be approximately 150 square metres. The equipment is not classified.
The sites will consist of a generator with fuel tank, three antennas, and three cabinets at a maximum height of 2.5 metres.
This image depicts what the site layout would look like (not to scale)
This image depicts what the generator with fuel tank will look like
This image depicts what the cabinets will look like
This image depicts what the antenna mount will look like
Utility requirements
The site will require single mains power and ideally at least one fibre optic telecommunications link.
Security requirements
The site will have security fencing installed that satisfies the physical security requirements of the ground station. Controlled access to the structure will be required, which could be via lock and key or electronic access control.
Sky visibility
The antennas require good visibility of the sky to track GNSS satellites, sites should be above surrounding terrain and away from tall buildings, structures, and vegetation.
Radio frequency environment
The site should be located away from areas where Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) is likely to occur. Sites should be away from populated areas, where possible.
How to lodge an expression of interest (EOI)
If you would like to assist us in realising this important national capability by hosting a new SouthPAN ground station site, please register your expression of interest by completing the form below.
Expression of interest - SouthPAN ground station site [PDF 129.7 KB]
Timeframes
We are looking for sites right now, and would like to start establishing ground stations before the end of 2022. Each site should take around 15 months to build. We expect all stations to be up and running by the end of 2024, and they will remain in place for over 20 years.
After the initial installation, the site should only need servicing once every quarter. This will typically be two people with a car, and access will be by arrangement with landholders.
Next steps
All sites registered through this EOI process will be assessed via a desktop analysis against the technical requirements in the first instance. Sites assessed as suitable will be escalated to field reconnaissance, which will involve GA representatives visiting the site to validate the desktop data.
Geoscience Australia representatives will be in contact with landowners as possible sites progress through the evaluation process. Should your site be assessed as suitable, Geoscience Australia personnel will further consult with you to progress a formal arrangement for hosting the site on a permanent basis.
Note: Geoscience Australia representatives will not access land without appropriate consents, approval and/or permits.
Background on the Positioning program
Our position on the globe is essential to everyday life. Positioning allows us to locate ourselves and get to where we want to go. Satellite positioning technologies have enabled the precise navigation and positioning we rely on at the touch of a button, from smartphones to autonomous vehicles. Geoscience Australia is bringing the benefits of space-based technology down to Earth through our precise positioning capability. The Positioning Australia program’s vision is to help Australia prosper by fostering a world-leading positioning capability accessible to all Australians. By leading and coordinating a thriving, competitive Australian positioning capability, we unlock technological improvements in industries to deliver accelerated economic growth, create entrepreneurial opportunities, increase environmental and societal benefits, and improve community safety.
The SouthPAN ground stations aims to support our objectives by establishing ground infrastructure across Australia that will enhance our nation’s precise positioning sovereign capability. Through the SouthPAN ground and space-based infrastructure, SouthPAN, provides positioning accuracy at as little as 10 centimetres , which is a significant improvement on the current accuracy of 5 to 10 metres. This particularly benefits regional and remote communities as this accuracy is available regardless of mobile phone or internet coverage.
Stakeholder engagement
Geoscience Australia is committed to respectful, transparent and open engagement with all stakeholders, from negotiating land access arrangements to engaging local contractors.
We are also committed to undertaking field activities and all on site work in a safe and respectful way, in consultation with local communities. We are committed to maintaining good working relationships with our stakeholders, and comply with relevant federal, state and territory legislation. To support this commitment, we have policy, procedures and guidelines that apply to all our employees and contractors when undertaking work on site. For more information please see field work information for stakeholders [PDF 111.9 KB].
Further information
Please do not hesitate to contact us on the details below to discuss this EOI processor the potential to host a new SouthPAN ground station on your land.