The pilot uses pioneering artificial intelligence and satellite imagery to improve native vegetation mapping across Western Australia.
The WA Government Innovators of the Year Awards recognise public sector employees who develop innovative products, technologies or services that improve government delivery and create economic, social or environmental benefits for Western Australia.
The win recognises the partnership between DWER's WA Vegetation Extent (WAVE) Pilot and Landgate's Earth Observation team, which has developed and tested advanced deep learning models capable of identifying native vegetation in some of the State's most challenging landscapes.
A key focus of the work has been the Pilbara, where sparse and seasonally dry vegetation can be difficult to distinguish from surrounding land surfaces using conventional mapping approaches. Through the application of deep learning and earth observation technologies, Landgate has developed a novel modelling workflow that can interpret landscape patterns and context beyond traditional pixel-based methods.
The WAVE Pilot is a flagship public sector innovation under the Government’s Native Vegetation Policy and has demonstrated that semi-automated mapping of native vegetation in Western Australian landscapes at scale is technically feasible and has developed the framework for a proof-of-concept semi-automated system.
It gives government a credible pathway to produce consistent, repeatable vegetation extent information for Western Australia using satellite imagery, artificial intelligence and trusted spatial data.
Lear more about WAVE and read more about WA Innovators of the Year: 2026 Winners.
