From ports to portals: APAS2012 conference

The Association of Public Authority Surveyors NSW (APAS) was formed in 1994 to cater for the needs of professionals in the surveying and spatial information industries working within state and local government and the education sector. APAS has a primary focus on the professional development of its members by circulating matters of interest to members, providing forums for discussion, and offering educational opportunities in the form of an annual conference and seminars (http://www.surveyors.org.au/groups/apas). As a cooperating association of the Institution of Surveyors NSW (ISNSW) and through its involvement with the Board of Surveyors and Spatial Information (BOSSI), APAS has a significant voice in the wider surveying and spatial information community. APAS also supports universities and TAFEs by providing annual prizes for students and sponsoring student presentations at the annual conference. The advancement and encouragement of students both to join and participate in the profession is considered fundamental to the Association. The 17th annual APAS conference took place in Wollongong on 19-21 March 2012. This year's conference theme was From ports to portals: Surveying and spatial directions‚ÄövÑvp and contained 8 sessions with 21 paper presentations. APAS2012 attracted 230 delegates from New South Wales and interstate, representing both government agencies and private industry. It continued the tradition of being a practically oriented conference, covering a wide range of topics relevant to the surveying and spatial information community. This article summarises the topics discussed during the APAS2012 conference.