About

SunRISE 21 Incorporated was established in 1994 as a pilot, community driven initiative for sustainable regional development in the Sunraysia region of Victoria and New South Wales. The program was facilitated by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission through regional implementation of the Commission's Irrigation Management Strategy for the Basin. It attracted 3 year funding from both State and Commonwealth Governments for a program titled Sunraysia Regional Initiative for a Sustainable Economy through the 21st Century.

The SunRISE 21 initiative represented for the first time a link at a regional cross border level (Victoria and New South Wales), between natural resource management, economic development, and social issues, through a community based regional development program.

Early achievements included major research projects commissioned to provide authoritative data to guide development and restructuring initiatives within the established irrigation districts.

From 1997 to 2001, SunRISE 21 successfully applied to the Commonwealth, and then managed the 3-year $10.48 million Kickstart Sunraysia program, which included incentives to horticulturalists across Sunraysia for improvements in management and production of irrigated horticulture. Incentives were identified through individual Business Plans prepared by irrigation horticultural enterprises in cooperation with local providers. The flow on effect to the region from Kickstart Sunraysia, was calculated at $400 million over a 10 year period.

Government supported funding for the SunRISE 21 program ceased in June 2000 and the Board looked to further develop its regional Geographic Information System (GIS project, originally known as SunLIS (Sunraysia Land Information System). The project was renamed 'SunRISE Mapping and Information Services' and a 2000 - 2002 Business Plan was developed to address the viability and sustainability of the organisation as a community based, not-for-profit organisation, needing to generate an income and be business oriented to survive.

Further business planning was undertaken in 2003, with development of the SunRISE 21 Business Plan 2003 - 2008. SunRISE 21 aims to continue operating as a fee for service enterprise, delivering specialised services in data, mapping and spatial information management to irrigators, industry, and natural resource management agencies, while also addressing an advocacy role in social and community development.

SunRISE Mapping has developed a unique series of data sets for the Sunraysia region comprising orthophoto imagery (digital, scale accurate aerial photography), digital elevation modelling, contouring and detailed mapping (link to Crop Mapping) of irrigated horticulture. These data sets are fundamental in supporting the coordination of spatial information development within Sunraysia and in providing a foundation to integrate other data sets for social, economic and environmental assessment and monitoring.

SunRISE Mapping aims to improve the coordination, benefits and understanding of spatial information applications in the Sunraysia region of New South Wales and Victoria, by:

  • Developing and maintaining key regional datasets in collaboration with regional organisations and land owners.
  • Providing mapping and spatial information products and services to all sectors of the community at a consistently high level of quality
  • Providing training and technical support to organisations and individuals seeking to improve their capacity to utilise spatial information tools

One of the strengths of SunRISE 21 is the commitment and consistency of staff and Board membership since 1995.

Commitment to Confidentiality

All SunRISE 21 staff are committed to protecting the confidentiality and integrity of data and information held and under the custodianship of SunRISE 21 incorporated. Unless SunRISE 21 receives clearance from the owner of confidential data, only aggregated or publicly available data is published or released to a third party.

Key Expertise

  • Strong community and industry support and involvement ensuring SunRISE 21 remains focused on the needs of its clients.
  • Knowledge and experience with existing regional, state wide and national digital data sets and requirements for their accessibility and compatibility.
  • Expertise in regional geographic database applications and can recommend guidelines for consistent capture of compatible data sets to ensure all agencies and the region achieves the maximum value from information systems.
  • A high level of technical expertise in GIS technologies and equipment to provide support and leadership to clients for specific information needs.
  • Analysis of irrigated crop information derived from one or a combination of fields - crop type, variety, rootstock, area of planting, year planted, crop use, trellising, pruning method, harvesting method, irrigation system and on farm drainage.
  • Coordination of regional aerial photography, orthophoto mapping and digital terrain modelling.
  • Specialised equipment for data analysis and the production of map and other display products.
  • Printing of a wide range of full colour presentations and mapping products to A0 size & larger. Examples are 1:1,000 scale orthophoto prints of individual irrigated properties to whole districts.