australian government working towards a spatial data infrastructure

ENHANCING AUSTRALIA’S ECONOMIC PROSPERITY

Australian Government Working towards a Spatial Data Infrastructure

Drivers at the federal government level

LawrenceReview

GeoscienceAustralia Review

APS 200 Location Project

Regional Australia

Spatial Accounting

Address

FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Australian GovernmentICT Strategic

Vision

ANZLIC Spatial Marketplace

APS 200 Location Project ReportRecommendations“The APS 200 Location Project Team recommends a range of measures to address the policy, governance and technical issues within a whole-of-government framework.

The Strategic Review of Geoscience Australia complements the outcomes of the APS 200 Location Project recommending:

• that the APS 200 Location project consider the case for designating a central policy centre or office to provide direction at

a whole-of-government level for the creation, purchase and management of spatial data across departments and agencies;

• the office should absorb the functions of OSDM.”

APS 200 Location Project ReportOutcomesAs a result of these recommendations the Office of Spatial Policy (OSP) was established and is located within the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism.• OSP will develop a whole-of-Australian Government location information framework.• The Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism will provide

the policy lead (consistent with the Cabinet decision resulting from the Review of Geoscience Australia) and develop a detailed

implementation plan (including formal governance arrangements) supported by key stakeholder agencies for Secretaries

consideration by February 2012.

APS 200 Location Project Report

Principle

One

Good governance National leadership and coordination is essential for the development of an integrated location information environment which can better assist government to undertake its business

Principle

Two

Fundamental location data Fundamental datasets that are critical should be geocoded, linking information to location

Principle Three

Stewardship & custodial responsibilities

Established roles in data stewardship and custodianship will realise greater integrity and confidence in the administration and delivery of authoritative location information

Principle

Four

Location information access & sharing

Government is committed to the implementation of transparency reforms and sharing principles

Principle

Five

Standards & interoperability Consistent guidelines on location information standards and interoperability frameworks will optimise access, reduce costs, remove duplication, and improve data quality

Principle

Six

Licensing & investment An open data licensing culture for location information can realise innovation, productivity, and investment gains in areas not traditionally considered

Principle Seven

Government capacity & capability

Government will increase its knowledge, capacity and capability in acquiring, managing and delivering location information

Location information principles

APS 200 Location ProjectAPS 200

Steering Committee

Secretary DRET

Office of Spatial Policy

Spatial DataManagement Group

ANZLIC GeoscienceAustralia

WorkingGroups

WorkingGroups

WorkingGroups

WorkingGroups

WorkingGroups

Council

Location information principles

ANZLIC Council and the SDMG have specified twelve datasets as fundamental:

Geodetic

Cadastre

Address

Transport

Names

Elevation

Imagery

Administration Boundary’s

Hydrography / Bathymetry

Hydrology

Built

Landcover

Location information principles

OSP and ANZLIC are undertaking a stakeholder review of the existing Guidelines for Custodianship with a view to adopting best practice.

Location information principles

OSP is currently developing open source solutions for access and sharing of data as a proof of concept for the Australian Government.- GeoNetwork- xMET- harvesting metadata from other repositories including Geoportal

Location information principles

The policies developed by OSP will recommend the use of appropriate national and international standards.To this end OSP will continue to represent the Australian Government on Australian and international standards committees.- International Organisation for Standardization (ISO)- Standards Australia- Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC)

Location information principles

www.ausgoal.gov.au

AusGOAL, the Australian Governments Open Access and Licensing Framework, provides support and guidance to government and related sectors to facilitate open access to publicly funded information.

OSP has been tasked to investigate a Whole of Government licence for G-NAF and the tools required to support the use of this dataset.

Location information principles

OSP will develop a roadmap that will• Identify where agencies have gaps in their understanding of ‘spatial’• Work with the champions to test and develop implementations of the policy• Develop a migration path to assist less spatially literate agencies to advance their understanding• Where appropriate provide an alternate means for publishing agency data

OSP’s Role

OSP will develop • a whole-of-Australian Government location information

framework.”• guiding policy around obtaining and sharing data to

inform policy decision• provide guidance on implementation of the policies and

framework• liaise with groups developing domain specific spatial

coverages to ensure alignment

ANZLIC – the Spatial Information Council

• Partner in developing the specifications for the twelve framework datasets

– ICSM and working groups

• Spatial Market Place demonstrator• Continued support of the current Spatial Standards

Policy implementation

GA will partner with OSP to • lead the development of the specification for the twelve

framework datasets• take responsibility for development and maintenance of

a subset of those datasets• Work with OSP, ANZLIC and PSMA, as appropriate,

to deliver those fundamental datasets

Spatial Data Management –Metadata Entry Tools

ENHANCING AUSTRALIA’S ECONOMIC PROSPERITY

Challenges over time• Different data models and systems for access and discovery across

every jurisdiction

• Emergency response coordination across borders

• Planning for infrastructure and services

Possible solution spatial metadata

Spatial Metadata• A Short History

• Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS – early 1990’s)

• Metadata Transfer protocols (Z39.50 – 1995)

• Australian Coastal Atlas – (1996)

• Australian Spatial Data Directory (ASDD – operational 1996, Launched 1998)

Why (Spatial) Metadata?

Well structured and standardised metadata supports

• Discovery and Access

• Machine to Machine applications

• Resource management

• and saves time…

courtesy of www.officemuseum.com

Why spatial metadata?

Block & Section

An estimated 70-80% of all government transactions have a land or geographic component.

Rates,Power, Water

Shopfronttaking post

code on enquiry

EmployeeRecords

Income Tax

ElectoralRoll

DentalRecords

MedicareNumber

EducationRecords

Address

FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Credit Cardbilling to pay

rates…

Why not just Google it?

“PSMA, Sensis or OpenStreetMap: what makes Spatial Data “Authoritative”?

04 January 2011 | Blog | “Spatial Information in the 21st Century”

You are probably aware that recently in Australia, Google switched map data providers. They ditched the government owned data provider PSMA in favour of Sensis' Whereis, and this data will (at least in part) be maintained by users themselves.”

http://spatial21.blogspot.com/2011/01/psma-sensis-or-openstreetmap-what-makes.html

News hit the forums 09 Dec 2010 http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1593823

Why not just Google it?

“It is important for users of Google Maps to be aware of these significant changes particularly if they are requiring current or accurate address or property data. Users of Google Maps will now be using different data to Queensland Government agencies.

This could create inconsistencies in official dealings, particularly in land related matters and potentially in critical applications such as emergency response.”

http://www.qsic.qld.gov.au/advice/google_maps_data_source.html

Google Maps data source

Obstacles NOW

• Interoperability - which standard?

• How do you collect the metadata?

• How do people find your stuff?

Which Standard?

It has richness and structure

ANZLIC Metadata is a profile of ISO 19115 and is the preferred international standard for spatial resources

It has been mapped to DC / AGLS (mapping the other way does not work so well) and we’re working on AIXM and SDMX

Collecting and discovering

• to capture and edit metadata &

• to publish and discover metadata

• Provide Simple Tools, Documentation and Training

ANZMet Lite

• Based on a tool developed by Defence• Supports several profiles• Very easy to use• Recommended in the NSW Metadata Policy• Is a good stand-alone application

– Field capture– Small organisations– Contract support

• Supports upload of records to a search tool (ASDD)• Not as flexible or extensible as we had hoped

Metadata Collection tools: ANZMet Lite

ANZMet Lite: MET Settings

ANZMet Lite: Navigation & Report

xMET• Easy to use

• Open Source

• Mirrors ANZMet Lite functionality

• Uploads to ASDD

• Is configurable for

– other profiles

– other standards (If you have the XML implementation or XSD’s)

– community of interest terminology in the UI

xMET

xMET | Mandatory

xMET | publishing

xMET | Customisation

xMET | Customisation

Discovery and Access - ASDD

• ASDD is the Australian Spatial Data Directory

• 10 years old

– Old technology

– Under re-development

• Open Source – GeoNetwork

• Supports M2M searching

• Delivers data through WMS / WFS applications

Metadata Discovery - ASDD in GeoNetwork

ASDD in GeoNetwork – Advanced Query

ASDD in GeoNetwork - Results

ASDD in GeoNetwork - Visualisation

Communication with stakeholders

• ANZMet Lite– ANZMet Lite users forum

– ANZLIC Profile Guidelines update

• xMET– Sent out to stakeholders for initial bug

finding and useability

– Blog for testing and the metadata

Wiki / Forums

Communication with stakeholders -

• There are more than 20 users and developers of GeoNetwork in Australia and New Zealand.

• Already existing user mailing lists for different levels of developer / implementation

• GeoNetwork User Group

– First meeting 25 March, followedup with 8 July teleconference

– Aiming for 3 meetings a year

– Show and tell + technical workshop.

GeoNetwork Users Group

Summary• Obstacles• Which standard?• How do you collect the metadata?• How do people find your stuff?

• Solutions• Standard x-walks to ensure interoperability• Simple, easy to use tools• Open communication and preparedness to share

Questions?

John WeaverOffice of Spatial Policy