Supply of processed LiDAR spatial vegetation height data for priority areas of Australia

⁠⁠⁠The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) requires accurate vegetation height data, especially for vegetation below 5 metres, to validate areas mapped with trees that meet Australia's 2-metre forest height threshold.

ABARES is seeking recently collected processed airborne LiDAR spatial data, delivered as Canopy Height Models or vegetation height surface layers, based on the 50th percentile metric (i.e. median height), in raster format (GeoTIFF), for four areas of interest (AOI). The preference is to purchase processed LiDAR data products covering all four areas of interest. Depending on the overall quote value, we may decide to purchase data for one or more of the four of the areas of interest, so please also quote separately for each of the four areas as packages of combinations of any two areas of interest (i.e. areas 1 and 2; areas 1 and 3; and areas 2 and 3) and combinations of any three areas of interest (i.e. areas 1, 2, 3; areas 1, 2, 4; areas 1, 3, 4; and areas 2, 3, 4).

The acquired vegetation height layers will be integrated with other vegetation mapping products to assist with classifying vegetation in the AOIs into specified vegetation structure (height and density) categories.

ABARES requires data licencing to allow for our use of the data for a range of purposes and on an ongoing basis.

The specific requirements for the processed data product/s to be supplied to ABARES for each AOI are:

1. 10m resolution raster(s) (GeoTIFF format) of vegetation height, with preference given to data collected from LiDAR missions flown from the year 2015 onwards
2. Vegetation height for each pixel must be the 50th percentile (i.e. median height).
3. Vegetation height to be classified in decimetres
4. Projection (preferred) is Australian Albers GDA94
5. Include a statement on accuracy/errors estimates applicable to the vegetation height data supplied
6. Include a metadata description describing the processing methods to derive the vegetation height estimates in each layer
7. Include a description of the quality control processes and procedures that were used in the development of the vegetation datasets
8. Include documentation to show the date when the source LiDAR was captured for each AOI
9. Identify the mechanism/s the supplier can use to deliver the data to ABARES. The preferred transfer system to deliver data to ABARES is SIGBOX, with other options considered. Ensure total quoted prices include any costs ABARES may incur in accessing the purchased data
10. The successful supplier to be available for up to 8 hours over one calendar month from contract end date to provide technical support to ABARES in the use of the data.