Linking land and geospatial intelligence for sustainable development
Land data and knowledge are currently insufficient to sustainably manage the environment and implement climate actions. CSDILA’s recent work for the World Bank has highlighted the urgent need for interdisciplinary solutions.
Climate actions like regeneration, reforestation and renewable energy targets require land – much of which is already used for other purposes. We need to work together using science to locate optimal places and social science to engage stakeholders from grassroots movements to government.
This panel event will bring together experts in land, climate and geospatial intelligence to discuss the challenges and opportunities in managing land intelligently, and engaging with communities as we plan for climate actions and population growth.
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Meet the panelists
Mark Allan | Chair (Enterprise Fellow, Urban Analytics Lead CSDILA - at the University of Melbourne)
Mark Allan is an Enterprise Fellow at The University of Melbourne’s Centre for Spatial Data Infrastructures and Land Administration, leading the Urban Analytics team. A Fellow of both the Australian Institute of Architects and the Planning Institute of Australia, he is a recognised expert in urban resilience, precinct renewal, and master planning. With extensive industry, government, and research experience, Mark has delivered landmark projects like Federation Square, Melbourne Docklands, and the Greenline Project. He is a PhD candidate in Engineering and Information Technology, focusing on applying spatial technologies and Digital Twin platforms to advance urban resilience and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Mark has chaired advisory committees for Property Council of Australia and ASBEC and is a member of Standards Australia's Digital Twin Development Committee.
Craig Sandy (Surveyor-General of Victoria)
Mr Sandy, a licensed surveyor, is the Surveyor-General of Victoria, and Chair of the Surveyors Registration Board of Victoria, and as such is the primary government authority on surveying and the cadastre.
Mr Sandy has a focus on engaging with the surveying profession to develop strategies for meeting the challenges that the current digital environment is creating.
In 2020, he was awarded the Asia Pacific Spatial Excellence Award for Spatial Professional of the Year for 2019 for his work in modernisation of the cadastre and in raising awareness for mental health issues in his profession.
Mr Sandy is the former Surveyor-General for the Northern Territory of Australia, the only person to have held this title in more than one Australian jurisdiction.
Tony Burns (Executive Director, Founder – Land Equity International Pty Ltd)
Tony Burns is Executive Director and founder of LEI, with over 40 years of experience in land policy, administration, and governance across 30+ countries. He recently directed and authored a State of Practice paper and toolkit for the US Millennium Challenge Corporation, assessing land information and transaction systems. Tony also led the development of the World Bank’s Analytical and Operational Framework for Land Administration Public-Private Partnerships. He co-authored the World Bank's Land Governance Assessment Framework and the GLTN's Costing and Financing of Land Administration Systems (CoFLAS). His expertise spans corruption, women's and vulnerable groups' rights, customary tenure, and institutional reforms in land governance.
Serene Ho (Senior Lecturer)
Serene Ho is a Senior Lecturer in Land Administration in the Department of Infrastructure Engineering. Her interdisciplinary research is interested in what land is, how we understand and govern this, and how digital technologies mediate this, especially in the Global South. Her research also engages with the pressures of climate actions on land-dependent communities.
Serene co-leads the land administration theme at the Centre for Spatial Data Infrastructures and Land Administration, and is a member of the Oceania Institute, both at the University of Melbourne. She also serves as a member of the Global Advisory Committee of IncLand, a multi-sectoral initiative aimed at building state capacity in India for inclusive land administration. Prior to the University of Melbourne, she held academic positions at RMIT University and KU Leuven (Belgium).
If you have any queries about this event please contact the events team at industry-events@unimelb.edu.au
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