The national geodetic program in Australia is undertaken by the National Geospatial Reference System (NGRS) Section within Geoscience Australia. The NGRS is a continually evolving system of infrastructure implemented through the existing geodetic techniques such as Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR), Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI). The NGRS serves the broader community by providing an accurate foundation for positioning, and consequently all spatial data, against which every position in Australia is measured and can be legally traced. In Australia, the sparsity of geodetic infrastructure has limited the developments of geodetic applications. For instance, the Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994 (GDA94) was based on observations (1992 - 1994) from a sparse network of Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) called the Australian Fiducial Network (AFN). Since that time the demand for higher accuracies has resulted in GDA94 no longer adequately serving user demand. The adoption of a fully dynamic datum will ensure that Australians can use positioning technology to its fullest capability, whereas at present when using GDA94 they are limited to the accuracy that was achievable in 1994 when GDA94 was created. Consequently, national infrastructure development programs, such as AuScope, have been implemented to improve the geodetic accuracies by contributing to the next generation of the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS). This presentation reviews the national geodetic activities in Australia, especially the AuScope program, a recent enhancement to the Australian geodetic infrastructure.

Australia's National Geospatial Reference System (NGRS) is a continually evolving system of infrastructure, data, software and knowledge. The NGRS serves the broader community by providing an accurate foundation for positioning, and consequently all spatial data. The NGRS is administered by the Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping (ICSM) and maintained by its Federal and State jurisdictions. Increasingly, the role of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) in positioning has required the globalisation of national coordinate systems. In the early 1990's ICSM endorsed the adoption of the Geocentric Datum of Australia (GDA94) which was aligned to the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) with a stated uncertainty of 30mm horizontally and 50mm vertically. Since that time crustal deformation and the demand for higher accuracies has resulted in GDA94 no longer adequately serving user requirements. ITRF has continued to evolve in accuracy and distribution to the extent that it now requires very accurate modelling of linear and non-linear crustal deformation. Even the Australia plate, which has long been considered to be rigid, is now considered to be deforming at levels detectable by modern geodesy. Consequently, infrastructure development programs such as AuScope have been implemented to ensure that crustal deformation can be better measured. The Auscope program also aims to improve the accuracy of the ITRF by contributing to the next generation of the Global Geodetic Observing System in our region. This approach will ensure that the ITRF continues to evolve and that Australia's NGRS is integrally connected to it with equivalent accuracies. Ultimately this will remove the need for National Reference Systems, with a globally homogenous and stable reference system (e.g., ITRF) being far more beneficial to society. This paper reviews Australia's contribution to GGOS and how this impacts on positioning in Australia.

AUSGeoid98 data files contain a 2 minute grid of AUSGeoid98 data covering the Australian region, which you can use to interpolate geoid-ellipsoid separations for the positions required.You can use your own interpolation software, or you can use Geoscience Australia's Windows Interpolation software (Winter). The data files are text files in a standard format that cover the same area as standard topographic map areas. Files covering both 1:250,000 (approximately 100 x 150 km) and 1:1,000,000 (approximately 400 x 600 km) map areas are available. There is a 4 minute overlap on all sides of each area. Data format: AUSGeoid98 data files have a header record at the start of each file, to distinguish them from the superseded AUSGeoid93 data files. AUSGeoid98 data files show the geoid-ellipsoid separation to 3 decimal places, while the superseded AUSGeoid93 data files showed only 2 decimal places. AUSGeoid98 deflections of the vertical were computed from the geoid-ellipsoid separation surface, while the AUSGeoid93 deflections of the vertical were computed from OSU91A.

AUSGeoid98 data files contain a 2 minute grid of AUSGeoid98 data covering the Australian region, which you can use to interpolate geoid-ellipsoid separations for the positions required.You can use your own interpolation software, or you can use Geoscience Australia's Windows Interpolation software (Winter). The data files are text files in a standard format that cover the same area as standard topographic map areas. Files covering both 1:250,000 (approximately 100 x 150 km) and 1:1,000,000 (approximately 400 x 600 km) map areas are available. There is a 4 minute overlap on all sides of each area. Data format: AUSGeoid98 data files have a header record at the start of each file, to distinguish them from the superseded AUSGeoid93 data files. AUSGeoid98 data files show the geoid-ellipsoid separation to 3 decimal places, while the superseded AUSGeoid93 data files showed only 2 decimal places. AUSGeoid98 deflections of the vertical were computed from the geoid-ellipsoid separation surface, while the AUSGeoid93 deflections of the vertical were computed from OSU91A.

AUSGeoid98 data files contain a 2 minute grid of AUSGeoid98 data covering the Australian region, which you can use to interpolate geoid-ellipsoid separations for the positions required.You can use your own interpolation software, or you can use Geoscience Australia's Windows Interpolation software (Winter). The data files are text files in a standard format that cover the same area as standard topographic map areas. Files covering both 1:250,000 (approximately 100 x 150 km) and 1:1,000,000 (approximately 400 x 600 km) map areas are available. There is a 4 minute overlap on all sides of each area. Data format: AUSGeoid98 data files have a header record at the start of each file, to distinguish them from the superseded AUSGeoid93 data files. AUSGeoid98 data files show the geoid-ellipsoid separation to 3 decimal places, while the superseded AUSGeoid93 data files showed only 2 decimal places. AUSGeoid98 deflections of the vertical were computed from the geoid-ellipsoid separation surface, while the AUSGeoid93 deflections of the vertical were computed from OSU91A.

AUSGeoid98 data files contain a 2 minute grid of AUSGeoid98 data covering the Australian region, which you can use to interpolate geoid-ellipsoid separations for the positions required.You can use your own interpolation software, or you can use Geoscience Australia's Windows Interpolation software (Winter). The data files are text files in a standard format that cover the same area as standard topographic map areas. Files covering both 1:250,000 (approximately 100 x 150 km) and 1:1,000,000 (approximately 400 x 600 km) map areas are available. There is a 4 minute overlap on all sides of each area. Data format: AUSGeoid98 data files have a header record at the start of each file, to distinguish them from the superseded AUSGeoid93 data files. AUSGeoid98 data files show the geoid-ellipsoid separation to 3 decimal places, while the superseded AUSGeoid93 data files showed only 2 decimal places. AUSGeoid98 deflections of the vertical were computed from the geoid-ellipsoid separation surface, while the AUSGeoid93 deflections of the vertical were computed from OSU91A.

AUSGeoid98 data files contain a 2 minute grid of AUSGeoid98 data covering the Australian region, which you can use to interpolate geoid-ellipsoid separations for the positions required.You can use your own interpolation software, or you can use Geoscience Australia's Windows Interpolation software (Winter). The data files are text files in a standard format that cover the same area as standard topographic map areas. Files covering both 1:250,000 (approximately 100 x 150 km) and 1:1,000,000 (approximately 400 x 600 km) map areas are available. There is a 4 minute overlap on all sides of each area. Data format: AUSGeoid98 data files have a header record at the start of each file, to distinguish them from the superseded AUSGeoid93 data files. AUSGeoid98 data files show the geoid-ellipsoid separation to 3 decimal places, while the superseded AUSGeoid93 data files showed only 2 decimal places. AUSGeoid98 deflections of the vertical were computed from the geoid-ellipsoid separation surface, while the AUSGeoid93 deflections of the vertical were computed from OSU91A.

AUSGeoid98 data files contain a 2 minute grid of AUSGeoid98 data covering the Australian region, which you can use to interpolate geoid-ellipsoid separations for the positions required.You can use your own interpolation software, or you can use Geoscience Australia's Windows Interpolation software (Winter). The data files are text files in a standard format that cover the same area as standard topographic map areas. Files covering both 1:250,000 (approximately 100 x 150 km) and 1:1,000,000 (approximately 400 x 600 km) map areas are available. There is a 4 minute overlap on all sides of each area. Data format: AUSGeoid98 data files have a header record at the start of each file, to distinguish them from the superseded AUSGeoid93 data files. AUSGeoid98 data files show the geoid-ellipsoid separation to 3 decimal places, while the superseded AUSGeoid93 data files showed only 2 decimal places. AUSGeoid98 deflections of the vertical were computed from the geoid-ellipsoid separation surface, while the AUSGeoid93 deflections of the vertical were computed from OSU91A.

AUSGeoid98 data files contain a 2 minute grid of AUSGeoid98 data covering the Australian region, which you can use to interpolate geoid-ellipsoid separations for the positions required.You can use your own interpolation software, or you can use Geoscience Australia's Windows Interpolation software (Winter). The data files are text files in a standard format that cover the same area as standard topographic map areas. Files covering both 1:250,000 (approximately 100 x 150 km) and 1:1,000,000 (approximately 400 x 600 km) map areas are available. There is a 4 minute overlap on all sides of each area. Data format: AUSGeoid98 data files have a header record at the start of each file, to distinguish them from the superseded AUSGeoid93 data files. AUSGeoid98 data files show the geoid-ellipsoid separation to 3 decimal places, while the superseded AUSGeoid93 data files showed only 2 decimal places. AUSGeoid98 deflections of the vertical were computed from the geoid-ellipsoid separation surface, while the AUSGeoid93 deflections of the vertical were computed from OSU91A.

AUSGeoid98 data files contain a 2 minute grid of AUSGeoid98 data covering the Australian region, which you can use to interpolate geoid-ellipsoid separations for the positions required.You can use your own interpolation software, or you can use Geoscience Australia's Windows Interpolation software (Winter). The data files are text files in a standard format that cover the same area as standard topographic map areas. Files covering both 1:250,000 (approximately 100 x 150 km) and 1:1,000,000 (approximately 400 x 600 km) map areas are available. There is a 4 minute overlap on all sides of each area. Data format: AUSGeoid98 data files have a header record at the start of each file, to distinguish them from the superseded AUSGeoid93 data files. AUSGeoid98 data files show the geoid-ellipsoid separation to 3 decimal places, while the superseded AUSGeoid93 data files showed only 2 decimal places. AUSGeoid98 deflections of the vertical were computed from the geoid-ellipsoid separation surface, while the AUSGeoid93 deflections of the vertical were computed from OSU91A.