A Word from The Boss

Connected for Life, Race to Launch

Welcome to our Spring newsletter for 2025!

In this edition read on to discover how Mipela GeoSolutions “Launch” digital Transformation Stage revolves around the cloud to enable our clients to Implement and Scale their day-to-day activities. Recently Graham Budby, Director at Barada Barna Aboriginal Corporation, visited the Mipela team and presented an overview of the Cultural Heritage Services his team delivers across more than 20 mining, gas, and exploration tenements on Barada Barna country. We also showcase how Mipela is supporting Australia’s Renewable Energy Zones.

With the confluence of two key generational challenges well underway – the energy transition and the growth of artificial intelligence – pressures from rising electricity demands, geopolitical shifts, and digital advancements are converging to redefine the way we produce, manage, and consume energy. Energy and infrastructure projects are notoriously complex, spanning diverse stakeholders including cultural advisors, regulators, landowners and environmental groups. What’s more, these assets stretch across geographically dispersed locations, have multiple lifecycle phases, and often operate for decades. With such complexity, fragmented systems and siloed data breeds inefficiency, miscommunication, delayed decisions, mounting costs, and elevated risk. Organisations are scrambling to manage people, visualise spatial relationships, and optimise assets across portfolios, often without a unified approach. Effectively managing land access and stakeholder management is critical to achieving your social licence to operate and is fair to say would be one of the key issues for developers of infrastructure in Australia and elsewhere in the world. The build out of transmission and distribution networks, onshore renewable generation and firming and the investment increasing capacity of existing gas infrastructure, with development of supporting infrastructure for offshore wind, will all impact upon significant parcels of Australian land. Appropriate identification and engagement with indigenous custodians of this land and local community groups will be critical to these projects proceeding on time. If you are interested in a solution that bridges these gaps. By “Connecting for life” what we call the three “P’s”, ‘People’ (enhancing stakeholder engagement and communication), ‘Places’ (enabling spatial data visualisation and location based intelligence) and ‘Portfolio’ (managing diverse assets and activities across their lifecycle), centralising everything in one coherent whole, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Client Success Team for more information.

On an exciting note, Adam Herbert, Alek Hillier, Jaci Button, Justin Fielke, Karen Thompson and Hayden McDonald look forward to seeing our clients and industry colleagues in our hometown of Brisbane 18-21 October for the 2025 Australian Pipeline Gas Association Annual Convention & Exhibition. This is the event for anyone serious about shaping the future of Australia’s pipelines, energy infrastructure, and gas sectors. We look forward to catching up with you over the course of the event and invite you to our comfy lounges to understand your most pressing cloud hosting or data management needs. Drop by Stand 47 in the exhibition to fuel your business sessions with some M&M’s on us.

Hayden McDonald
Founder and Managing Director

Kamapim Update

The convergence of people, process, and technology

As we lead up to Christmas (only 10 weeks away), reflection on our recent Kamapim sessions has been thought-provoking, with a diverse range of presentations, discussions, and insights that have highlighted the critical intersection of technology, regulation, and cultural responsibility in our sector.

Client Insights: Efficiency in Compliance with X-Info Connect SPEAR

We began the quarter with a client-led perspective, Gail from Jemena kindly shared her experience using X-Info Connect SPEAR. It was valuable to see how our clients are using the system in real time, ensuring that every referral is tracked, actioned, and completed with full compliance. Gail noted that the efficiency gains are significant, with X-Info Connect SPEAR saving around 25 minutes per application.

Strengthening Cyber Resilience: Lessons from the Global Threat Landscape

The quarter also brought important discussions on security. The Fortian Security Update examined the dynamics of the global cybercrime ecosystem, with the Qantas breach as the point of discussion. This incident highlighted both the sophistication of attackers and the vulnerabilities within large organisations. The update also introduced the concept of vishing (voice phishing), outlining practical strategies to mitigate against this increasingly prevalent threat.

Policy and Legislative Updates: Staying Informed in a Changing Environment

In July, Di Evans provided a comprehensive overview of the Annual Policy updates, including the latest changes in workplace legislation. With an ever-evolving regulatory environment Di keeps our team informed and educated.

Driving Operational Improvements: Change Management in Practice

Adam Herbert introduced the new Change Management software and process. With transparency, both for clients and for internal teams. This process provides consistency, transparency and minimal disruption for both clients and internal teams.

Written by Jacqueline Button

A Word from The Boss

Energy Transition, Align to Innovate

Welcome to our Winter newsletter for 2025!

In this edition, we are delighted to share AGIG Multinet Gas Networks “Asset Protection” client success story, herald the announcement of new tools to transform our services, recent Kamapim sessions, wrap up our 2025 #projectMAD MS Brissie to Bay initiative, present another X-InFocus tech tip and update of our teams’ activities in connecting people with information.

I cannot believe that it is July already and our digital Transformation Stages continue with the “Alignment” phase of improving our cloud platform and services are coming together and being realised. We’re thrilled to share an important update about our support process. To provide you with a more streamlined and transparent experience, we have transitioned to our new IT Service Management (ITSM) tool, JIRA Service Management, to allow you to self-service and monitor Support Requests and access all your solution details in one place. This last quarter also see our Products team complete the rollout of our automated deployment pipeline (Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD)) for our X-Info Suite of software and solutions. This sets us up to increase our operational efficiency for our Cloud-first hosted clients and accelerate innovation by streamlining the software development lifecycle by automating the integration, testing, and deployment of our software and solutions for our clients. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our Client Success or Support Team at any time for further information.

From all the team at Mipela GeoSolutions, we would like to thank you for your continued partnership, and we look forward to delivering an even better solutions-as-a-service experience in providing technical assurance of your day-to-day activities!

Hayden McDonald
Founder and Managing Director

A Word from The Boss

Align to the Future – Delivering Assurance

Welcome to our Summer newsletter for 2024!

In this edition, we learn how maps are “Powering the future of Energy” with a GIS Uplift program of work for an Australian energy company; share Gas Pipelines Victoria’s mobile field data capture client success story; highlight how Viva Energy are streamlining their pipeline patrol and sightings management; and provide both a security and product update.

2024 was a big year for Mipela GeoSolutions. 41 solutions projects were delivered. We implemented our Security Information Event Management (SIEM) and established our Information Security Management Systems (ISMS), as part of our ISO27001 certification journey. This all culminated with the soft GoLive of our new Information Technology Service Management System (ITSM) to more efficiently support our growing Client base. The end is in sight.

As you can tell, it’s been a year of tremendous investment and a year of tremendous change. Thank you for your support and feedback throughout. We know change is not always easy today, even for the promise of something better in the future. We are listening – and will keep listening to your feedback as we go – and strive to keep getting better, as an assurance platform for your business, and as a purpose/values-driven company.

It has been such a pleasure to catch up with so many clients personally – whether it was in meetings, an event, sharing a bite to eat or a coffee – across the country over the last few weeks. It is such a privilege to be able to travel and I am reminded how lucky we are to live in this part of the world.

We are proud to be able to service the dynamic energy and infrastructure sectors at such a significant time, as we all persist to navigate the hugely complex and challenging energy transition that is well and truly underway. This in turn is accelerating our digital Transformation Stages. Challenges include (but are by no means restricted to) hiring and retaining the resources to deliver on our commitments while keeping up to date with the risks of cyber incidents, business disruption, changes in legislation and regulation.

2025 will see us Race to Align the next generation of X-Info suite with our new AWS Platform. You will see us identify capability gaps and cross-organisational dependencies. Doing so will also help us create strategies for improving our cloud platform operations, ensure stakeholder alignment, and facilitate relevant organisational change management activities. It is certainly exciting to be heading into the new year.

I would like to acknowledge and welcome our most recent new client, AGIG’s Multinet Gas Network in Victoria. Thank you to the significant number of clients who have renewed and congratulate two of our long-term valued clients for their successful migration and modernisation to Mipela GeoSolutions hosted AWS platform: AGIG’s DBP Corporate GIS and X-Info Suite and APA’s BYD teams X-Info Assurance Suite automated response and third party works solution. These migrations enhance stability, user experience, data integration and provide scalable performance – while preparing these clients for future growth. These projects have marked an incredible end to 2024. Hats off to all involved in what was an incredible team effort.

In closing, Mipela GeoSolution’s success is a team effort. We are proud of our culture and the contributions people make on a daily basis and as such special recognition goes out to, Alana O’Connor for 10 years of Service, Adam Herbert and Jaci Button for 5 Years of Service in 2024. These three Wantoks go above and beyond in supporting all they work with and who I enjoy coming to work with every day, thank you for all you do.

On behalf of the Mipela team thank you to all our Clients, Suppliers and Partners for your trust and support through-out 2024. Wherever you might be with family and friends over the Christmas period, we send our best wishes for a rewarding and successful New Year which we look forward too with excitement and confidence, travel safe!

Hayden McDonald
Founder and Managing Director

A Word from The Boss

Energy Transition, Race to the Future

Welcome to our Spring newsletter for 2024!

In this edition, read on to discover how Mipela GeoSolutions Alignment digital transformation stage revolves around the cloud to enable our Clients’ to Sustain and Innovate their day-to-day activities. We hear from our most recent client success story, Inner West Council’s use of our X-Info Assurance suite to migrate their legacy Before You Dig enquiry response system to add value to their business. We also hear how, long term client, Epic Energy continues to contribute to renewable energy, supporting South Australia’s ambitious target to achieve 100% of electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030.

As the Energy Transition race gains momentum, largely fuelled by environmental sustainability concerns, we recognise that its success hinges on ensuring it simultaneously provides energy security and access, while also promoting economic growth and development.

For us the journey to our third generation X-Info platform began two years ago with the decision to move to the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS). Offering over 200 plus fully featured services from data centres around the world, AWS has allowed us to Migrate and Modernise our products and services.

Work started late 2022 with a proof of concept (PoC) that our X-Info suite would operate as required in the AWS ecosystem, with our Cloud service provider iTOC at the time, who are now part of ThoughtWorks.

2023 saw us plan, build, deliver our AWS framework and migrate 100 plus critical infrastructure clients successfully to our new Platform as a Service (PaaS), which includes our Security Operations Center (SOC), managed by our Security partner, Fortian.

2024 has been the year of Alignment in our product roadmap, as we continue to modernise and leverage the services AWS has to offer – with security being our number one priority. We are centralising user management into Microsoft Azure Entra ID from an infrastructure and system perspective. The completion of our Security Information Event Management (SIEM) and the establishment of our Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) policies mark important milestones, and we are well on track with the next phase of procedures, governance, and compliance as we work towards achieving ISO27001:2023 certification by 2025. This is crucial to ensure that our solutions continue to address how our clients:

• Standardise data about their business processes
• Manage change in a responsive manner
• Execute work processes in a repeatable fashion
• Drive quality so they can make reliable decisions
• Connect stakeholders whether in the office or field.

On an exciting note, Adam Herbert, Jaci Button and I look forward to travelling south to see our clients and industry colleagues in Adelaide 12-15 October for the 2024 Australian Pipeline Gas Association Annual Convention & Exhibition. We will be focusing on this year’s compelling theme, Future Pipelines. We look forward to catching up with you over the course of the event and invite you to our cosy Psychiatrists’ Office to help diagnose your most pressing cloud hosting or data management ailments. Drop by Stand 37 in the exhibition to fuel your business sessions with some M&M’s on us.

Hayden McDonald
Founder and Managing Director

A word from the Boss

Increase performance

Welcome to Winter’s GeoSolutions News

In this edition, we are delighted to share Mipac’s “Field Asset Auditing” client success story, say Kia ora (Welcome) Santana Minerals – our most recent new client in New Zealand to the extended Mipela family with their implementation of X-Info Stakeholder Management solution, welcome a new Wantok in our Solutions Team, herald recent Kamapim sessions, wrap up our 2024 #projectMAD MS Brissie to Bay initiative, welcome a new Wantok in our Solutions Team, present another X-InFocus tech tip and update of our teams’ activities in connecting people with information.

I cannot believe that it is June already and our digital Transformation Stages continue with the “Alignment” phase of improving our cloud platform and services well underway. One of the key pieces of this work has been the review of our Information Security Management System (ISMS) policies to continually protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information by building a culture of security, manage and minimise risk exposure, provide consistency in the delivery of our service and solutions. We do this because Mipela are committed to the security of the organisation, including our client’s information. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our Client Success or Support Team at any time for further information.

To close it gives me great pleasure to introduce our most recent Wantok, Silke Nawrocki joining us as Senior Solution Specialist in March from her most recent role as a Senior Cartographer/GIS Specialist with Hema Maps. Silke has Bachelor of applied Science from University of Berlin and a Master of Science in GIS from the Uni Salzburg and over twenty years professional experience in the geospatial and mapping industry gives her an eye for detail and a lot of passion for map creation and analytical thinking.

To close it gives me great pleasure to introduce our most recent Wantok, Silke Nawrocki joining us as Senior Solution Specialist in March from her most recent role as a Senior Cartographer/GIS Specialist with Hema Maps. Silke has Bachelor of applied Science from University of Berlin and a Master of Science in GIS from the Uni Salzburg and over twenty years professional experience in the geospatial and mapping industry gives her an eye for detail and a lot of passion for map creation and analytical thinking.

From all the team at Mipela GeoSolutions, stay safe!

Hayden McDonald
Founder and Managing Director

Providing you that extra level of assurance

Nearly all of Mipela’s clients are part of the critical infrastructure sector. We understand the obligations for our clients around mandatory cyber incident reporting.

We feel strongly that we have a social responsibility to provide our clients with the assurance that the systems we provide or manage on their behalf are done so with their obligations considered, as well as other compliance regimes that are quickly becoming everyday mandates.

The Mipela team takes this commitment very seriously and is committed to providing the assurance that the industry expects as a baseline around secure availability, reliability, confidentiality and maintained data integrity.

We proactively monitor our cloud hosted client servers in a number of ways to ensure we are providing a secure and well protected environment.

Ask us for more info on how we are assuring your data is protected if you’re keen to learn more.

Do you have reporting fatigue?

As we head towards the end of the financial year, many of our clients have found themselves navigating an increased web of reporting requirements. Whether it’s monthly reporting, regulatory compliance, or shareholder reports, the demands for data are unrelenting.

Now is an opportune moment to re evaluate your reporting processes and ask yourself: What am I reporting on, what is my team reporting on, how frequently, to whom, how long is it taking us and what data are we capturing for these reports?

The world of data collection and data distribution is evolving, and there’s a clear trend towards reducing reliance on traditional tools like spreadsheets and word documents. Instead, there is an increase in requests to automate the reporting of critical data sets. Why? Because it’s about safeguarding your valuable information from residing in unsecure documents in vulnerable locations on desktops, laptops, mobile devices, and more. It’s also about automation, accuracy and security of information.

Our team are acutely aware of the importance of data sharing and reporting for the Critical Infrastructure sector.

This Easter, instead of wishing for more time to compile reports, or thinking of a more secure way – why not send your wish list to your Client Success Account Manager or give them a call.