April 2007 eNews
Highlights include WALIS International Forum 2008, Custodianship Policy Review, World Water Day, climate change
What’s Happening in the WALIS Community?
WALIS International Forum 2008
WALIS Stakeholders in the News
Where are the Targets on the Climate Change Map?
New Generation GIS For Local Government
Come and See Real Time Cameras Monitoring Perth’s Traffic
Australian Angle
GIS keeps Track of Council Trees
Climate Change View Clearer with new Oceans Satellite
Agreement Reached on Global Digital Geology Map
World Water Day 2007 New Sensor Technology Advances Australia’s Management.
News from Around the Globe
Canada’s new Government Provides Free Online Access to Digital Mapping Data
AIG Launches GPS Based Teen Driver Pilot Program
Tactile 3D Maps Could Help Blind People Navigate
Upcoming Events
Details of events in Australia and around the world
Interesting Website of the Month
What’s Happening in the WALIS Community?
WALIS International Forum 2008
Call for papers is now open! Planning for the
WALIS International Forum 2008 has progressed, with keynote speakers and a
futurist booked and an extensive programme drafted. Sponsorship
opportunities will be released shortly. The Forum will be held at the
Perth Convention Exhibition Centre on 12-14 March 2008. For more
information or to register you interest, visit www.walis.wa.gov.au/forum or
email forum@walis.wa.gov.au.
Custodianship Policy Review
Any agencies that have spatial datasets likely to
be compliant with the custodianship data standard are encouraged to download
and complete a Custodial Dataset Self- Evaluation Scorecard, now
available on the WALIS website at: http://www.walis.wa.gov.au/projects/Cust_Pol/.
Datasets are now being put forward to WALIS Council for ratification of custodianship under the new policy. A dataset list is being updated as new datasets come on board and the process for sign-off is being tightened to ensure the datasets nominated go through proper channels for approval.
For further information, contact Dan Sandison at dan.sandison@walis.wa.gov.au or (08) 9273 7037. or Fiona McCarthy at fiona.mccarthy@walis.wa.gov.au or (08) 9273 7039.
SLICP 06-07
The SLICP for 06-07 is on track. SLICP
Status Reports have just been updated and are available on the SLICP
website.
SLICP 07/08
All Applications for the SLICP have been processed. Air
photography requests have gone to Fugro Spatial Solutions for estimates of
total numbers of frames for each project. When this information gets back the
capture for the year can be priced and decided. The SLICP program will be passed through the June
WALIS Council meeting for final approval.
For further information, contact the WALIS Office at slicp@walis.wa.gov.au, or Fiona McCarthy at fiona.mccarthy@walis.wa.gov.au or (08) 9273 7039.
Interragator+
We have suspended access to
updating metadata records on the Interragator site, we are in the process of
migrating the records to the new Interragator+ metadata catalogue.
The new Interragator+ catalogue (and migrated records) will be available in early July 2007. After this time, all new metadata records will have to be entered into the Interragator+ product.
If you have any queries, please contact Karen.Barns@walis.wa.gov.au or 9273 7093.
WALIS Drainage Dataset
Review
The drainage report was presented to WALIS Council. A conference
paper on the drainage project was also presented to the Institute of Public
Works Engineering Australia (IPWEA). The next stage of the
project is to enter into discussions with the Department of Water (DoW) to
ascertain if the proposal to compile an integrated dataset for drainage within the
Perth Metropolitan Area is feasible, and whether the DoW should assume
custodianship despite the source of the data being sourced from Local
Government and the Water Corporation.
WALIS Stakeholders in the News
Where are the Targets on
the Climate Change Map?
The
Western Australian Sustainable Energy Association Inc (WA SEA) supports the
call today for the Federal Government’s to commit funds to map climate change. ‘Mapping
will give us a clear understanding of the areas at greatest risk so we can
start preparing our nation for the effects of climate change’ says Dr Ray
Wills, Chair, WA SEA. ‘Over the last 100 years, sea levels have risen in
Western Australia by 18.5 cm with IPCC predictions that this will at a minimum
probably triple (more than 48 cm) in the next hundred years. The potential for
a one metre sea level rise by the end of this century is not an extreme
estimate, but is well within the bounds of scientifically-based predictions,
and indeed this is what has been forecast by Professor Will Steffan from the Australian National University. With those sorts of
rises, much of the low lying areas around areas like Perth, Fremantle,
Mandurah, Busselton/Margaret River and Broome are under threat, and coastal freshwater
swamps will go saline’ says Dr Wills. ‘Last year, WA SEA produced simple
graphics that illustrated which areas of Mandurah and Rockingham would be
potentially impacted by 1 metre and 7 metre sea level rise. Many new coastal
developments will potentially be under water within the next 100 years. While
this simple approach raises awareness, more sophisticated approaches as
proposed today must be undertaken to inform planning decisions’ says Dr Wills. ‘Mapping
to project sea level rise as a consequence of global warming is just a start.
The Government must also make substantial commitments to the community to
get ready for the climate change that has in part already been felt
in WA, and will become more severe in the coming decades. The Federal
and State Governments response must include a strong focus on developing a
diversity of renewable energy projects that can immediately deliver
sustainable energy sources in Western Australia.’
Mandurah
and Rockingham sea level rise pictures can be found at: Western Australian Sustainable Energy
Association
Source:
WA SEA Inc
New Generation GIS For
Local Government
Join
NGIS Australia to find out how GPS, mobile computing and web based mapping is
being used in local governments for event and emergency management planning. Following
on from an exclusive project overview from the Town of Cottesloe,
NGIS senior analyst Jorg Hiltenkamp and spatial architect Peter Lo will discuss
the ever increasing importance of GIS software, GPS and PDA hardware
application in municipal management. Share your experiences and gain valuable
insight into how spatial technology is improving the business of local
government and helping to shape Australian communities.
For more information see Upcoming
Events Section of the Newsletter.
Source; NGIS Australia
Come and See Real Time Cameras Monitoring Perth Traffic
Main Roads invites groups to tour the Traffic
Operations Centre.
Main Roads uses a variety of computer applications to monitor and analyse road traffic conditions 24 hours a day and is also a central contact for real time traffic information.
To find out more, visit Main Roads Western
Australia
Source: Main Roads Western
Australia
Australian Angle
GIS keeps Track of Council Trees
Located in Melbourne’s north west, Hume City Council is
using a state of the art GIS mapping and risk management system to improve the
management and planning of its 100,000 plus trees. The Hume Tree Management
System (HTMS) uses Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and qualified
arborists to assess each tree for health, species, height, potential risk and
predicted life expectancy.
Climate
Change View Clearer with new Oceans Satellite
Australian scientists will have access to the
most detailed measurements of ocean circulation and global sea level variations
following the launch next year of a multinational ocean-observing satellite –
Jason-2. “The success of next year’s
launch will be critical for the maintenance of the global ocean-observing
system,” says oceanographer, Dr David Griffin, of CSIRO’s Wealth from Oceans
Research Flagship. Dr Griffin said the satellite’s data are used
to study ocean dynamics, with many applications including global warming and
climate prediction, monitoring of mean sea level, El Niño and La Niña events,
ocean circulation and tides and waves.
Dr Griffin said ocean and climate science is taking full advantage of new monitoring technologies such as Jason-1 and Jason-2 and the Argo robotic profilers, providing near real-time information on ocean behaviour. “When delivered in near-real time, these data form the basis of operational oceanography – in other words, forecasting ocean currents and temperatures,” he said.
http://www.csiro.au/news/ps2vd.html
Agreement
Reached on Global Digital Geology Map
Geoscience
Australia is to join similar
organisations from more than 40 countries to embark on one of the most
ambitious geological mapping programs ever undertaken.
"Each country will make its 1:1M geological map data available using web service technologies for distribution through the OneGeology portal using Google Earth and other dynamic map browsers,"
For more information, visit http://www.ga.gov.au/news/index.jsp#onegeology
World Water Day 2007 New
Sensor Technology Advances Australia’s Management.
World-class
wireless sensor network (WSN) technology, developed by CSIRO, is being deployed
to help monitor Australia’s scarce water resources.
The first phase of the network, using “Fleck” sensors, was deployed in Queensland’s Burdekin Irrigation Area earlier this month to monitor saltwater intrusion. The low-cost network can conduct wireless environmental monitoring in remote areas of Australia, thus reducing the cost of water resources monitoring and increasing water efficiency.
To
read on visit; Climate’s
challenge to marine life in a future ocean (Media Release)
Source;
CSIRO
Tanami 3DMap Released
Mining
and exploration companies interested in searching for mineral deposits in the Tanami Desert now have an improved 3D
map to help them evaluate the region's likelihood for untapped gold and other
mineralisation.
For
more information; Geoscience
Australia: What's New
Source;
Geoscience Australia
$5m for Coastal Radar
James Cook University has received $5.46 million in
Federal Government funding to install Coastal Ocean Radars around the country,
which will provide vital marine and tsunami information."This radar system
will provide data into a national archive, which will make a profound change to
coastal ocean research," MHR for Herbert, Peter Lindsay, said. To read the
full article, visit JCU -
$5m for coastal radar
Source; James Cook University
News from Around the Globe
Canada’s new
Government Provides Free Online Access to Digital Mapping Data
Experts
and other users of digital topographic data will no longer have to pay to use digital
versions of government maps and data. The Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of
Natural Resources, today announced that as of April
1, 2007,
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) began making its electronic topographic
mapping data available to all users free of charge over the Internet.
To
find out more visit; Canada's
New Government Provides Free Online Access to Digital Mapping Data
Source;
Government of Canada.
AIG Launches GPS Based Teen
Driver Pilot Program
After installing a small GPS unit, which is easily
set up in 20 minutes, parents can instantly determine the exact location of the
teen’s car via the Web or any phone. Additionally, the AIG Teen GPS Program
will automatically send the parent an e-email and/or text message if the teen’s
car exceeds pre-defined speed limits or is driven too far from a pre-defined
location (home, school, work, etc.). To facilitate the program, AIG Auto
Insurance has teamed with MobileTeenGPS (www.mobileteengps.com)
as its technology partner for the AIG Teen GPS Program.
For more information visit; AIG Launches
GPS- Based Teen Driver Pilot Program | Telematics Journal
Source; Telematics Journal.
Tactile
3D Maps Could Help Blind People Navigate
Scientific American
is reporting that a team of researchers at the Aristotle University of
Thessaloníki in Greece
have created a system that can convert video into tactile, three dimensional
maps designed to help blind people navigate.
For more information Visit; http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/07/tactile-3d-maps-could-help-blind-people-navigate/
Source; Engadget
From Junk Mail to Junk World
Geo-demographic software puts you into a group you may
not even know the name of. Are you a Corporate Chieftain or a Dignified
Dependent? Asda Woman or Mondeo Man? What links your habitus -- your voting
behavior, preferences, aspirations, characteristics -- to your geographical
location? Geo-demographic market research, the kind that targets the right junk
mail to the right people, literally puts you in your place. It also, some say,
creates junk space and junk politics.
To read on; http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/imomus/2007/03/72900
Source; Wired
Upcoming Events
Spatial
Sciences Institute International Biennial Conference 2007
14-18 May
2007, Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart, Tasmania
The
conference theme, “The Spatial Sciences Revolution - Powering the
Information Generation”, reflects the revolutionary way that the spatial
sciences have begun to permeate everyday life, and also the manner in which the
industry has re-invented itself to accommodate new challenges. The program will offer a wide selection of
local, national and international keynote and invited speakers, and a variety
of half and full day workshops will be available prior to the conference
program. Poster presentations will also
play a key role in the scientific program.
For more information, visit http://www.ssc2007.com/.
Twenty-Seventh
Annual ESRI International User Conference
18-22 June
2007, San Diego Convention Centre, California
The
ESRI User Conference is a forum for users to come together and discuss what's
new and what's next for GIS in their region or industry. Users from more than
120 countries come to learn new skills, share information and discover best
practices and tips and tricks that they can instantly use. For more
information, visit http://www.esri.com/events/uc/index.html.
Spatially
Enabled Government
14-15 August
2007, Hyatt Hotel, Canberra
Spatially
Enabled Government is the only event of its kind, specifically dedicated to
discussing key issues and challenges with the use of spatial information in the
Australian Government. The conference
will feature case studies and presentations around the growing use of spatial
data in the public sector. For more
information, visit the conference
website.
GITA Annual Conference
6-8 August, Sofitel Hotel, Brisbane
Australia in
general and the utility sector in particular is facing challenges of great
complexity and on a scale never before seen in this country .
This is particularly so in Queensland. South
East Queensland is the fastest growing region in Australia
experiencing unprecedented levels of capital expenditure on an unprecedented
number of infrastructure projects. It is fitting that Brisbane be the
venue for this year's premier asset management and spatial event. For more information visit the conference website
at: Geospatial
Information & Technology Association Australia & New Zealand >
Events > GITA Annual Conference
WALIS
International Forum 2008
12-14 March
2008, Perth Convention Exhibition
Centre, Perth
The call for papers is now open! WALIS Forum is one of the premier GIS events
in Australia, attracting over 650 participants from a diverse range of
professions. WALIS Forum is one of the premier GIS events in Australia,
attracting over 650 participants from a diverse range of professions. For more information, visit the conference
website at http://www.walis.wa.gov.au/forum/ http://www.walis.wa.gov.au/forum/
or email forum@walis.wa.gov.au to
register your interest.
Interesting Website of the Month
Cottesloe Coastcare Association
Cottesloe Coastcare Association (CCA) is a community group that works to protect
the natural areas of Cottesloe - a coastal suburb of Perth Western Australia. This website uses spatial technology to illustrate their projects.
Cottesloe Coastcare Association - Our Projects
Disclaimer: The information contained in this newsletter is provided for general information purposes. It does not constitute professional or expert advice and you must not use or rely upon it for that purpose. WALIS and the State of Western Australia, do not guarantee and do not accept responsibility for the accuracy, currency, completeness and reliability of the information contained in this newsletter. The opinions contained in the information do not necessarily reflect the opinions of WALIS or the State of Western Australia. Links to other Internet sites are provided for your convenience only and they do not constitute an endorsement, approval or recommendation of the material contained in those other Internet sites. It is your responsibility to evaluate the relevance, accuracy, completeness and reliability of material contained in those other Internet sites.