Awards

In 2011, Les Searle received the Individual Award for Service  to the Surveying and Spatial Sciences Community.

Les Searle has contributed to his profession as a member of the founding bodies since 1985, and very actively since joining SSI as a Foundation Member in 2004. He has been a long time member of the Northern Group and the Far North GIS Interest Group (FUNGis), and has taken responsibility by chairing both groups. He has also served for nearly four years on the Queensland Regional Committee where he currently holds the position of Treasurer.

Les has been a stalwart in his own community, writing course material for the TAFE, assisting in the setting up of the Atherton Council GIS, guiding teachers in the STiS competition, and conducting in-service GIS training for teachers at Trinity Bay State High School.

Despite the distances, Les has still managed to contribute extensively to the Queensland Region, chairing the Queensland Surveying and Spatial Conference (QSSC), participating in the QSIC Spatial Imagery Working Group, and now setting up the interest group for the South Pacific Small Islands Developing States.

Les' keen interest and willing participation in all spatial activities has made him an invaluable member of the spatial community, where his contribution has been continuous and invaluable over many years.

In 2009, True 3D and RPS won the "People and Community" Industry Award at the annual Queensland Spatial Excellence Awards. They won the award for a National Heritage Trust funded pilot land use planning project. The purpose of the land use plans was to help ensure that planning for the future development of the Torres Strait Islands is sustainable and considers ecological and social information, risk and existing infrastructure.

True 3D provided replica models of the islands and they were used in capacity building and extensive consultation that ensured the successful project outcomes, as well as the ongoing success of sustainable planning in the communities.

In 2008, True 3D won the "Small Project" Industry Award at the annual Queensland Spatial Excellence Awards. True 3D won the award for the creation of a digital 3D terrain model to assist in the planning of an Eco-tourism development. The client had this to say about the model: