The award ceremony, held on Thursday 22 November at Luna Park in Sydney, honored the work Mr Harris undertook in supporting reconstruction and recovery activities in tsunami devastated regions.
Paul built a team of international and Indonesian national experts to establish the Spatial Information and Mapping Centre (SIM-Centre) in Aceh. The SIM-Centre ensured that those working on reconstruction activities had adequate and reliable spatial information to help support their planning and operations.
As part of this project, Extending the Limits was recognised for it's part working on the ground to restore economic security and support the social wellbeing of families in disaster affected regions in South and South East Asia.
This project was successful in the People and Community category and was also awarded the esteemed J K Barrie Award, an award chosen from all category winners that is the highest level of attainment the judges can confer at the event.
Speaking after the event, Mr Harris said the award reflects NGIS philosophy of using industry expertise to contribute back to the community.
“From the beginning, NGIS has shared a philosophy of actively participating in the industry to give back to society. That’s why the Extending the Limits Trust was established to support families and communities in regions affected by disasters to regain economic security,” he said.
The annual Asia-Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards are the only single event in the region that recognises the excellent achievements of both individuals and organisations engaged in the spatial information industry.