FIG Council

Facing the Challenges - Building the Capasity

Vice President Matthew B. Higgins, 2007-2010

Curriculum Vitae

Mr. Matthew B. Higgins
Date of birth
: 3 December 1960
Nationality: Australian
Status: Married to Jane with 3 children
Current Position: Principal Surveyor with the Department of Natural Resources and Water, Queensland, Australia

Qualifications
  • Bachelor of Applied Science, Surveying (With Distinction), Queensland University of Technology, 1983. Three prizes including best academic record.
  • Registered and Licensed, Surveyors Board of Queensland, 1985.
  • Master of Surveying and Mapping Science, University of Queensland, 1988.
  • Presently a PhD Candidate (part time, external) at the University of New South Wales.
Career Highlights

Established as a leader in Australia in operational Geodesy and in the development of Global Navigation Satellite Systems, including; Datum Transformations, GPS Controlled Photogrammetry, Geodetic Infrastructure and establishment of the first GPS RTK Network in the Southern Hemisphere.

Matt has received several awards during his career, including:

  • The National Excellence in Surveying Award from the Institution of Surveyors Australia in 1994.
  • Australia Day Achievement Medallion in 1999.
  • Award for Continuing Professional Development from the Institution of Surveyors Australia, Queensland Division in 2000.
  • Elected a Fellow of the Institution of Surveyors Australia in 2001, which has since also been recognised as a Fellow of the Spatial Sciences Institute.
  • At the 2005 Asia-Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards of the Spatial Sciences Institute, Matt received the award for “Professional Eminence and Excellence in the Spatial Sciences”. It represents the highest personal award available in recognition of an individual’s contribution to the Spatial Sciences.
Industry Representations

In 2006, Matt was elected Vice President of the International Federation of Surveyors (Federation Internationale des Geometres - FIG) for the calendar years 2007 to 2010. He is also the FIG representative on the UN mandated International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems and negotiated the MoU between FIG and the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, which was signed in 2004.

Matt is his Department's representative on:

  • The Emerging Issues and Futures Committee of the Australia and New Zealand Land Information Council;
  • The Geodesy Technical Sub-Committee of the Inter-Governmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping for Australia and New Zealand;
  • The Working Group on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) of the Queensland Spatial Information Council;
  • In recent years, Matt has also represented the Department in research and development collaborations with the Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information (CRC-SI) and the CRC for Satellite Systems (CRC-SS);
  • Matt is also a past member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the US based magazine GPS World.
Presentations

Contacts

Matt Higgins
Manager Geodesy and Positioning
Department of Environment and Resource Management
Locked Bag 40
COORPAROO DC
Qld 4151 Australia
(Level 2, Landcentre, Corner of Main and Vulture Streets
Woolloongabba, Qld, 4102)
Tel: +61 7 389 63754 
Fax: +61 7 3896 3697 
Email: matt.higgins@nrw.qld.gov.au 
Web page: http://www.nrm.qld.gov.au/property/surveying

17 April 2009