Australian Spatial Analytics

11/06/2026

This is a great opportunity for anyone involved in the disability space to have their story told to a massive audience. Great to see this ABC Australia and International Day of People with Disability - Australia partnership come to life.

We can vouch for how invaluable media coverage from the ABC can be for not-for-profits like us. One example was this story that aired in 2024 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-19/autistic-employees-excel-at-innovative-software-company/104368190. Let's just say our website visits spiked a bit after the story reached over 750,000 views on ABC's TikTok channel, one of their most popular posts for that year!

If you are an emerging content maker or journalist with disability and have a story to tell, now is your chance to work with the ABC to tell it.

08/06/2026

John Holland is one of Australia’s leading construction companies, building critical infrastructure across multiple sectors.

They engaged our young analysts to deliver over 4,000 As-built drawings and conformance reports for a major project on the Gold Coast. Our analysts used digital engineering and task management programs such as 12d, 12d Synergy and ClickUp to deliver this essential work. It also provided on-the-job training opportunities for over 20 analysts or eight full-time equivalent positions! You can see some of the team involved with the project in the photo!

Andrew Fenwick, the Senior Survey Manager, said, "When ASA came on board during a crucial point in the project, they quickly became an essential part of our workflow, focusing on survey As-built support. ASA were thorough, dependable and helped us push through a significant backlog of requests. I was so impressed with their performance that I expanded their scope of work, and they continued to deliver excellent results. ASA has been a standout partner, and I look forward to working with them again in the future."

We would like to thank everyone involved for giving our analysts this invaluable opportunity to build their skills, while creating enormous social impact through their supply chains for autistic Australians facing a 34% unemployment rate.

03/06/2026

Meet our analysts who treat Nintendo Mario Kart like a peer-reviewed study!

Every month, our team organise a Friday afternoon social event, and last week was Mario Kart May! This might seem unusual, but an interest in computer games is one of the transferable skills we value highly for the and professions.

Why? Because computer games help with:
🗺️ Spatial reasoning
🎯 Precision under pressure, and an
🍌 Excellent banana peel placement strategy 😊

Computer games, especially those involving racing, constantly demand that players mentally rotate objects, navigate 3D environments, judge distances, and understand elevation and topology. Many use maps and route planning. Most involve systems thinking and pattern recognition. These skills are crucial for ‘big data’ professions such as Geographic Information Systems analysis, LiDAR processing, and digital twin construction.

At ASA, we actively celebrate the gaming skills of our analysts! Neurodiversity + geospatial/digital skills + Mario Kart dominance = an unbeatable team! 🏆

F1 World Champion Lando Norris started on a simulator. Just saying! 🏎️🍄

Find out more about what we do at our website: https://www.asanalytics.com.au

01/06/2026

34%. That's the unemployment rate for autistic people in Australia. Eight times the national average. Not because of a lack of ability. But unfortunately, due to archaic hiring practices.

Our CEO, Geoffrey Smith, the 2025 Queensland Australian of the Year, decided to do something about it. In 2020, he co-founded Australian Spatial Analytics (ASA) to provide long-term unemployed young autistic adults with high-demand tech skills in the geospatial and engineering fields. Six years later, ASA has supported over 250 ‘big data’ careers and over 100 successful employment transitions.

The irony is that the changes required to make workplaces neuroinclusive are surprisingly simple and have little to no cost.

Here's what every HR department can learn from ASA right now:

🔹 Ditch the traditional job interview. Providing questions 48 hours in advance eliminates anxiety and reveals actual capabilities. You'll discover talent you've been screening out for years.

🔹 Ask everyone about their needs at work, not just your neurodivergent cohort. Accommodations like structured days and hours, reduced lighting, or clear task lists benefit the entire team. Inclusion isn't a special favour or a ‘nice to do’ action. It’s good management and increases productivity and profitability.

🔹 Stop waiting for the ‘right’ candidate. Neurodivergent people represent 20% of the population. That’s five million Australians and 1.6 billion people worldwide. If your recruitment process is filtering them out, you're not being selective. You're being wasteful.

We often hear many organisations complain about the ‘talent shortage.’ But the talent is there, right under their noses. The question is whether your hiring process is designed to find it.

Want to find out more? Check out this interview with Diane Strand from Authority Magazine.

📖 Click here: https://medium.com/authority-magazine/how-tech-pioneer-geoffrey-smith-is-dismantling-archaic-hiring-practices-to-unleash-an-untapped-a00815980eb8

“My challenge to every organization in the world is to make neurodiversity fit by tweaking a few things, because you are missing out on an…

26/05/2026

Data, data, and more data.

That was the overwhelming theme of the Future of Construction FCON conference last week in . The event brought together over 1000 people in the construction industry who are all dealing with the same challenges: workforce shortages, digital transformation, delivery certainty, and the enormous opportunity of Queensland’s largest-ever infrastructure investment, Brisbane 2032.

Here's what it means for us.

1. Data is critical for construction. Your ‘single source of truth’ needs to be accurate and connected to enable efficiencies and better decisions. The ‘digital twin’ of a project is as complex as the physical one. Someone has to build and maintain it.

2. The workforce problem won't be solved by the same talent pipelines that created it. The construction industry critically needs new sources of skilled, loyal, precise data professionals. But they already exist – young autistic adults facing a 34% unemployment rate. They're just overlooked.

Australian Spatial Analytics has the answer to both of these problems. If we spoke at FCON26, it was great talking to you. If we didn't, please get in touch with us to find out more.

Find out more at https://www.asanalytics.com.au/

20/05/2026

We’d like to welcome two new ASA board members – Jolie Baasch and Mudit Srivastav! They are both passionate about creating social change and will bring a wealth of experience to help shape our future!

Jolie is a data and analytics executive with extensive experience in strategy, having led and transformed organisations across software, financial services, property, and government sectors. Currently at The Australian National University, this expertise, combined with her governance credentials and demonstrated commitment to inclusive workforce development, makes her a valuable addition to the ASA board.

Mudit is an executive with experience across technology, data and AI across multiple sectors. He has been recognised as a thought leader in building data-driven organisational cultures. His combination of deep expertise in AI, advanced analytics and executive leadership across large, regulated industries will also bring invaluable insights to ASA.

We look forward to working with Jolie and Mudit alongside existing board members Alex McDonald, Alice Walker, Emma Charlton and Susan Bannigan to drive our mission to make mainstream! Welcome!

ASA would also like to thank departing board member George Curran, who was there right from our inception in 2020, for helping us reach where we are today!

19/05/2026

Geoffrey Smith and Andrew Fenwick are at the Future of Construction conference today! Check out their roundtable at 3pm. Details below!
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Brisbane 2032 is Queensland’s biggest ever opportunity to create an enormous social impact for disadvantaged people. It’s not just a ‘big construction project’. It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

As the Queensland Government embarks on its largest-ever infrastructure investment, it can leverage multi-billion-dollar supply chains to dismantle employment barriers for disadvantaged Queenslanders, including young autistic adults facing a staggering 34% unemployment rate.

But how do we do it? Our CEO, Geoffrey Smith, the 2025 Queensland Australian of the Year, and Andrew Fenwick, Senior Survey Manager at John Holland, will host a roundtable titled ‘Creating Impact through Social Procurement’ at the Future of Construction Summit (FCON26).

Find out how everyone involved in the delivery of Brisbane 2032, from government to consultants and contractors, can transform the lives of countless people by sourcing goods and services from social enterprises.

When: Wednesday 20 May 2026
What: Track 3 Project Delivery, Roundtable 4, Creating Impact through Social Procurement
Where: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

As a teaser, check out our Brisbane 2032 Capability Statement here!https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63588a662749b87e7afb9765/6837ba1eb5dc05aecd36bbcb_Brisbane%202032%20Capability%20Statement.pdf Inside, you’ll discover the relevant real-world projects that are directly applicable to delivering Brisbane 2032, whilst creating a social legacy like that generated by Paris 2024.

Find out more about the conference and download the program here: https://futureofconstructionsummit.com/. See you there! P.S. Use the code SPEAKER10 for 10% off the current ticket price.

18/05/2026

Will your Brisbane 2032 infrastructure projects be remembered for their budget or their impact?

The true measure of success for Queensland’s largest-ever infrastructure investment won't be the venues, athletes' villages or upgraded transport infrastructure—it will be the social legacy that’s left behind.

Things like the number of new careers for disadvantaged Queenslanders. New housing for those who don’t have one. Expanded grassroots sports participation.

ASA is already delivering the digital foundations for Queensland’s future, creating new and careers for young autistic adults facing a 34% unemployment rate. By integrating social enterprises into the supply chain right now, we can ensure that every dollar spent creates a positive impact. In our case, a ‘big data’ career pathway for a young neurodivergent adult.

Let’s build a Games that everyone can be proud of, starting with the data that defines it by building the digital foundation for a decades-long legacy.

Heading to the Future of Construction Summit today? Connect with our CEO Geoffrey Smith and Marketing and Communications Manager Anthony Bianco to discuss social procurement strategies.

13/05/2026

The clock is ticking on Brisbane 2032!

Every Olympic and Paralympic venue, transport corridor, and precinct upgrade will generate huge volumes of and data. Someone has to create it, manage it, and make it tell a coherent story.

That's exactly what Australian Spatial Analytics does — and we've built a specific capability statement just for Brisbane 2032 stakeholders.

What can ASA’s young autistic data analysts offer?
✅ BIM modelling and clash detection for major venues
✅ GIS mapping of transport and infrastructure corridors
✅ Asset Information Management across the project lifecycle
✅ 100% onshore services — zero data sovereignty and modern slavery risks
✅ Embedded social procurement that boosts your IS ratings

Our CEO Geoffrey Smith and Marketing and Communications Manager Anthony Bianco will be at the Future of Construction next week. Please come and say hi!

Find us at the Creating Impact through Social Procurement Roundtable 4 (Day 2, Track 3) and let's talk about the critical data backbone of Brisbane 2032.

Download our Brisbane 2032 Capability Statement now and find out more at our website: https://www.asanalytics.com.au/

07/05/2026

We're really curious! Does your organisation have a formal neurodiversity hiring strategy?

A) Yes?
B) No?
C) We're working on it