Geoscience Australia (GA) has adopted Data Stewardship as an organisation-wide initiative to improve the way we manage and share our data. Although the theory behind data stewardship is well-defined and accepted and the benefits are generally well-understood, practical implementation requires an organisation to prepare for a long-term commitment of resources, both financial and human. Over the past four years, GA has undertaken strategic activities that prepare us for Data Stewardship. GA is now moving towards Data Stewardship as an operational capability and culture within the Agency.

Researchⁱ indicates that inclusive organisations that value diversity, including having gender diverse leadership teams, outperform those that don’t. Australian university science graduates reached gender parity over 20 years ago. Geoscience Australia (GA), however, continues to face the challenge of attaining greater gender equity across the organisation, and especially within its senior leadership. GA is committed to improving its performance in gender equity by creating a more inclusive workplace. GA has joined the pilot Athena SWAN program in Australia, run by SAGE (Science in Australia and Gender Equity). This framework of accreditation, based on the UK Athena SWAN Charter, is recognised as a comprehensive and practical scheme to improve scientists’ careers by addressing gender inequity. The Charter of 10 principles encourages institutions and public research organisations to commit to a progressive approach to policies, practices and actions to improve their culture thus creating and supporting a more diverse workplace. GA will submit an application in July 2019 for Bronze accreditation that will identify a set of actions to be implemented to address the gender equity challenges. We will continue to measure and analyse our data to determine if the actions are having a positive effect, thereby allowing us to build on improvements in creating a gender inclusive workplace and potentially enabling us to apply for Silver accreditation. ⁱ for example: Desvaux, Devillard, de Zelicourt, Kossoff, Labaye and Sancier-Sultan, Wood, McKinsey, Women Matter: Ten years of insights on gender diversity, 2017; University of Melbourne, Building a Business Case for Gender Diversity, 2013; Poster presentation for the Australian Geoscience Council Convention (AGCC) 2018

People, homes, businesses and infrastructure were severely impacted from the January 20122 Brisbane Floods. Following the floods, staff from Geoscience Australia and other agencies undertook a door to door field survey of flood affected dwellings to help develop a better understanding of how different structures and building materials were impacted by inundation.

More than 17,000 dwellings in the Brisbane and Ipswich area were flood affected when the Bremer and Brisbane Rivers exceeded major flood levels in January 2011. Significant damage was caused to property and many households were severely disrupted for extended periods of time. The disaster prompted a large effort and a range of provisions to enable the clean-up of the direct damage and the promotion of recovery. The disaster provided a valuable opportunity to examine the community recovery following the event and to consequently obtain a better understanding of the resilience of Australian households to flood. During April and May 2012 Geoscience Australia, in collaboration with the New Zealand National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research, conducted a postal survey of residents in the flood affected areas of Brisbane and Ipswich. The response to the survey was very encouraging with nearly 1,300 households responding. The survey covered a range of topics including preparation in the days leading up to the flood inundation, evacuation behaviour, economic impacts and subjective well-being. It also included the reconstruction undertaken and associated recovery in the days, weeks, and months following the flood event. The presentation examines the survey data obtained and focuses on vulnerability and reconstruction. It discusses the composition of vulnerable households (for example people with disabilities, no access to a motor vehicle, single parents with young children), household well-being after the flood event (for example physical, emotional and financial stress) and building fabric issues (for example mould or warped timbers) during the reconstruction phase. Also examined are the steps taken to mitigate against future flood events. The presentation compares two different socio-economic areas and looks at any differences in recovery between the two areas. The survey analysis can point to what householders might experience following the January 2013 flooding in Queensland and NSW.

2013 Floods post-disaster survey form for distribution to Bundaberg households

More than 17,000 dwellings in the Brisbane and Ipswich area were flood affected when, in January 2011, the Bremer and Brisbane Rivers exceeded major flood levels. In January 2013 the Brisbane and Ipswich area was again impacted by major flooding. During April and May 2012 Geoscience Australia conducted a postal survey of residents in the flood affected areas of Brisbane and Ipswich. Nearly 1,300 households responded. The survey covered a range of topics including preparation in the days leading up to the flood inundation, evacuation behaviour, economic impacts, subjective well-being and reconstruction and recovery in the days, weeks , and months following the flood event. The paper examines residential rebuilding following the floods and focuses on vulnerability and reconstruction. It discusses the composition of vulnerable households ( eg people with disabilities, no access to a motor vehicle, single parents with young children), household well being after the flood event ( eg physical, emotional and financial stress) and building fabric issues ( eg mould or warped timbers) during the reconstruction phase. Also examined are the steps taken to mitigate against future flood events. What lessons were there to be learned? The paper also compares two different socio-economic areas and looks at any differences in recovery between the two areas.

Survey conducted after the 2009 Victoria Bushfires.

A two part Indigenous-led and produced Aboriginal cultural heritage awareness training video for Geoscience Australia staff. The video explores a number of topics from the perspective of Traditional Owners and Custodians. Topics covered include: What is Country, Lore and Kinship; the importance of listening, connecting to Country and the transference of knowledge; Aboriginal cultural heritage legislation and policy in Australia, native title and cultural heritage; the impact of past policies; and, working towards best practice. The video complements Geoscience Australia's Land Access and Cultural Heritage Policy, Procedures and Best Practice Standards.

People, homes, businesses and infrastructure have been severely impacted by the recent flooding in Tweed Shire. Information is needed on the nature of these impacts to assess losses, assess community recovery and contribute to the development of strategies to reduce risk in the future. To collect this information a survey team has been established to gather data on the impact on buildings and businesses. The survey team is being led by Geoscience Australia, the national agency for geoscience research and spatial information, in collaboration with RMIT University and the Tweed Shire Council.

Bluecap is an open-source python software library developed through a collaboration between Monash University and Geoscience Australia. The software enables geospatial economic simulation of Australian resource projects. The simulator's goal is to highlight regions of high potential value in the early planning/exploration phase. Bluecap is designed to assist companies in focusing their efforts on regions more likely to generate commercially-viable projects. It was initially developed for the purpose of supporting mineral exploration, and has recently been expanded to include the capability to model hydrogen production. The simulator is a pre-scoping tool that uses coarse-level empirical models to compare project prospects across large areas. Due to its broad scale, Bluecap lacks the detailed information necessary for full feasibility studies, and as such, it should not be used as the sole basis for investment decisions. The Bluecap software underpins Geoscience Australia's Hydrogen Economic Fairways Tool (HEFT) and Economic Fairways Mapper. If you use Bluecap for a publication, please cite the following: Walsh, S.D.C., Northey, S.A., Huston, D., Yellishetty, M. and Czarnota, K. (2020) Bluecap: A Geospatial Model to Assess Regional Economic-Viability for Mineral Resource Development, Resources Policy. Geoscience Australia eCat number: 132645