October 2006 eNews
Highlights include GIS Day, draft WALIS Strategic Plan available for public comment, CRCSI courses and university cadetships
What’s Happening in the WALIS Community?
Draft WALIS Strategic Plan 2007/2010 Available for Public Comment
Women in Geographic Information Technology
WALIS Stakeholders in the News
Latest Achievements for the Shared Land Information Platform
DLI Shares its Satellite Remote
Sensing Expertise with Indonesia
Australian Angle
Nairn Gives Industry a Spatial Special
Water Quality Monitoring through Satellite Imagery
ALOS available from ACRES in October
News from Around the Globe
Ordnance Survey Bridges Road Data Gap
Global Positioning Tech Inspires Do-It-Yourself Mapping Project
Real-Time Traffic Routing from the Comfort of Your Car
Universities Launch Online Source for Coastal and Marine Data
Canada Shreds Plan to Scrap
Paper Maps
Upcoming Events
Details of events in Australia and around the world
Interesting Website of the Month
What’s Happening in the WALIS Community?
Spatial Technology in Schools
All
school projects have been submitted – twenty projects from high schools, and
two from primary schools – a wonderful turn out! The projects will now be judged by an
independent panel of experts and the winners will be announced at a special
awards ceremony on world GIS Day
on 15 November. The ceremony will
include presentations by PSMA and Young Professionals, and vendors have
been invited to display their wares.
Anyone
spatial vendors, suppliers and consultants interested in participating (free of
charge) in the GIS Day celebrations are invited to contact Bronwen Channon in
the WALIS Office on 9273 7036 or bronwenc@walis.wa.gov.au.
Draft WALIS Strategic Plan 2007/2010 Available for Public
Comment
A
new draft WALIS Strategic Plan 2007/2010 is currently available for public
comment. The purpose of the Strategic
Plan is to outline the direction in which the public sector in Western Australia will move in relation to
the management and provision of geographic information. The vision of WALIS is “seamless access to WA
spatial information, from anywhere, for any use, by anybody”. The Shared Land Information Platform is a
significant component of this future direction.
Submissions
or comments on the draft Strategic Plan can be forwarded to the WALIS Office at
walis@walis.wa.gov.au by Friday
27 October 2006. The Strategic Plan
will be considered by the WALIS Executive Policy Committee at its next meeting
in November. To view the Plan, visit http://www.walis.wa.gov.au/news_and_events/latest_news/StrategicPlan.
JPEG2000
The
final JPEG2000 report has been received (to view the report, please see the
JPEG2000 project on the WALIS website: http://www.walis.wa.gov.au/projects/JPEG2000/index.html).
Presentations will occur towards the end of October to both the working group
and WALIS Council. For more information,
contact Dan Sandison on (08) 9273 7037 or dans@walis.wa.gov.au.
Drainage Dataset Review
The
panel is finalising the tender applications. It is anticipated that
the chosen consultant will start in late October. For more information, contact Dan Sandison on
(08) 9273 7037 or dans@walis.wa.gov.au.
Women in Geographic Information
Technology (WinGIT)
In
November 2005, it was found that only 8% of the Spatial Sciences Institute
(SSI) membership was women. This came as
a surprise to most people and consequently it was decided to find out how
accurately the SSI membership mirrored the participation of women in the
spatial industry. In addressing this
question, the SSI are running forums in each of the regions within Australia
and New Zealand to collect information on the participation of women in the
spatial information industry and to specifically acquire data on (but not
limited to):
- mechanisms by which women have entered the profession (education pathway);
- discipline specific numbers;
- industry sectors where women are working;
- age profiles;
- average salaries;
- barriers to spatial careers; and
- involvement in governance.
To
access the survey, visit http://www.walis.wa.gov.au/news_and_events/latest_news/women_in_the_spatial_sciences_survey_2006. All survey responses will remain
confidential.
The
outcome from these forums and survey responses will be a collated report
outlining the status of women in the spatial industry. It is hoped this will be a reference report
for many in the profession and inform the Education and Skills Formation
process. The completed report will be
made available through the SSI website.
SLICP Review
The
SLICP review was presented to WALIS Core Management Group and was
endorsed. This effectively calls the SLICP review closed. The next
phase will be implementation of the SLICP review findings and will involve the
formation of a SLICP Review Implementation team. This team will comprise
of high level stakeholders from various WALIS agencies, and will ultimately be
responsible for driving the implementation of the review. For more information, contact Dan Sandison on
(08) 9273 7037 or dans@walis.wa.gov.au.
WA Atlas
A review
of current Atlas datasets is underway to make sure the datasets are suitable
and up to date. Data custodians are nominating datasets to be migrated to
the new environment and if any data needs to be archived. It is
anticipated that, where possible, the datasets migrated to the new environment
will be SLIP data services to reduce duplication of data. Only current
data is being assessed, with potential future data to be investigated once the
migration is complete. For more
information, contact Dan Sandison on (08) 9273 7037 or dans@walis.wa.gov.au.
“Interragator +”
The
majority of current work on the new Interragator+ is focusing on final workflow
processes and getting ready for the metadata migration into the new
environment. Interface design and backend system processes are being
finalised with the feedback provided through the user feedback session with key
stakeholders. For more information, contact Dan Sandison on (08)
9273 7037 or dans@walis.wa.gov.au.
Clearinghouse Replacement
Due
to priority focus on the WA Atlas and Interragator + migrations, the
Clearinghouse Migration has taken a low priority. The project will
proceed but progress is slowed as the other projects reach critical milestones.
WALIS
Stakeholders in the News
Latest Achievements for the Shared Land Information Platform
The
Shared Land Information Platform (SLIP) portal can now be used to access a
range of SLIP services and information.
Register
with the Shared Land Information Platform and preview the trial WMS Service
that has been made available only to registered users.
https://www2.landgate.wa.gov.au/slip/portal/home/home.html.
Electronic Land Development Process (eLDP)
(Lead Agency: Department for Planning & Infrastructure)
The
eLPD Business Case for Phase II was finalised in late August 2006 and signed
off by all participating agencies and groups.
It will be submitted under DPI's Strategic Information Plan and Capital
Investment Program to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure and the
Department of Treasury and Finance for funding in 2007/08.
Emergency Management (EM)
(Lead Agency: Fire & Emergency Services Authority)
HAZMAT
Release 2.1 was successfully rolled out on 11
September 2006, release 2.2 is expected to occur in November. A live test of the EmerGeo product in an
incident will occur when a desk exercise is conducted on 10 November. FESA
operational staff has been given an overview of SLIP and an introduction to
EmerGeo at their annual Special Equipment Tender (SET) Training during October.
Customisation
for Land Search and Rescue support has been completed, and should be rolled out
at WAPOL during November.
Bushfire
Management requirements analysis has now concluded. Bushfire Management support tools will be
customised over the bushfire season and full implementation is scheduled to
occur during 2007.
Requirements
analysis for an Emergency Services Diretory over the South West DEMC will be
conducted in early November. Production
of the directory has commenced by staff at DLI and DEC.
The
SLIP-EM team recently moved to new offices located on the fourth floor of FESA
House. All contact details remain the same.
Natural Resource Management
(NRM)
(Lead Agency: Department of Agriculture)
The
refinement of Information Products delivered through the SLIP NRM Interface has
continued with input from Agency Custodians.
The second release of “NRM Info” is scheduled for October 2006 with
facilities for Regional upload of data due in early 2007.
Interest Enquiry (formerly
Register of Interests)
(Lead Agency: Department of Land Information)
Following
a scope review, the project has re-entered in a business requirements analysis
period. A revised version of the
Interest Enquiry Business Case will incorporate costings and timeframes for the
proposed new functionality. Stay tuned for further developments.
The Enabling Framework (EF)
(Lead Agency: Department of Land Information)
The
Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA) (Agency 7) has now been connected
to SLIP, enabling them to deliver data services to the SLIP Community. S LIP
Infrastructure has been successfully installed at Department of Industry and
Resources (DOIR) (Agency 8), with data services due to be available from DOIR
in the near future.
For
further details on SLIP, refer to the SLIP Collaboration Portal.
Audit into ICT Industry
The
State Government will undertake an audit of Western Australia's information and
communications technology industry to help understand the current and future
needs of the sector. Science and
Innovation Minister Francis Logan said the audit would ensure that future State
Government strategies would foster the development of a thriving and
sustainable local ICT industry. “We have
known for a long time that WA has expertise in niche areas such as spatial data
processing, mining services, health systems and remote telecommunications,” Mr
Logan said. “What we are trying to
achieve out of the audit is to obtain more precise information so that the Government,
together with industry associations, can market our strengths and increase the
industry's global competitiveness.”
The Minister said all companies and research organisations within the industry
would be invited to participate in the audit, which would be performed by the
Department of Industry and Resources (DoIR), in conjunction with the ICT
Industry Collaboration Centre and the Industry Capability Network.
http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/media/media.nsf/news/ABCDB359D83C1FD1482571F6001C7B61?opendocument
DLI Shares its Satellite Remote Sensing Expertise
with Indonesia
With
more that 2,500 “Hot Spots” now cloaking Indonesia in smoke, the Department
of Land Information’s latest international project, ‘Monitoring and
Managing Wildfires in Indonesia’ will assist our near
neighbour in monitoring and managing the wildfires via satellite. “Monitoring and Managing Wildfires in Indonesia” will run from September
2006 to April 2007. DLI Chief Executive
Grahame Searle said “’Monitoring and Managing Wildfires in Indonesia’ aims
to help reduce the smoke haze caused by Indonesia’s huge forest fires that has
plagued Southeast Asia since the 1990s, resulting in widespread health
problems.” DLI’s International Services
secured Public Sector Linkages Program funding from the Australian Government’s
overseas aid agency AusAID to develop the capabilities of Indonesia’s Forestry
and Environment Ministries to monitor the wild fires via satellite and
distribute fire maps to Indonesian stakeholder agencies.
http://www.dli.wa.gov.au/docvault.nsf/web/MR_DLI_270906/$FILE/MR_DLI_270906.pdf
Australian
Angle
Nairn Gives Industry a Spatial Special
The importance of training to support Australia’s emerging geospatial
industries has been highlighted by Special Minister of State, Gary Nairn. In a speech to the 5th Trans-Tasman Survey
Conference in Cairns, Mr Nairn focused on the
importance of targeting training to the industry’s needs and ensuring there
were sufficient graduates to support a growing Government reliance on the
industry for future policy direction.
“There’s an increasing acknowledgement within Government that geospatial
solutions can provide solutions to identify where health, education, social
services and infrastructure needs are across Australia,” Mr Nairn said. He said that universities and TAFEs needed to
ensure their courses met the specific needs of an industry which was going to
play an integral role in supporting the Australian Government’s engagement with
citizens in the years ahead.
http://www.psnews.com.au/Page_414.html
Water Quality Monitoring through Satellite Imagery
Geoscience
Australia is assisting the Great
Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to monitor sediment plumes in the Great
Barrier Reef World Heritage Area on a daily basis. The plumes are produced by dredging at the
world's largest coal port, the Hay Point coal terminal in North Queensland, as the Ports Corporation
of Queensland increases the depth of the
shipping channel. The dredging will move approximately nine million cubic
metres of sediment between May and October 2006. Through daily monitoring
with remote sensing, the production and spread of the sediment plume is better
understood, including movement of the plume on the tides and the effect of strong
winds.
http://www.ga.gov.au/acres/whatnew.jsp#Haypoint
Upcoming CRCSI Courses
The
Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information (CRCSI) has scheduled a
number of upcoming courses. The courses
are being held in conjunction with UNSW School of Surveying and School of Biological Earth and Environmental
Sciences, in Canberra and Sydney throughout November. For more information, visit training@crcsi.com.au or download
brochures at http://www.crcsi.ecampus.com.au/course/category.php?id=2.
Please
note: these course can be scheduled on demand in any location.
ALOS available from ACRES in October
Geoscience
Australia became the first receiving
station outside Japan to successfully acquire
and process data from the Japanese Advanced Land Observing Satellite
(ALOS). The AVNIR-2 data, captured over Canberra, was acquired on 27
April, 2006
by Geoscience Australia’s Alice Springs Data
Acquisition Facility after extensive preparations by the Australian Centre
for Remote Sensing (ACRES). ALOS will
supply the Australian Government and the community with high quality, low cost
Earth observation data for purposes including topographic mapping and
environmental and disaster monitoring.
http://www.ga.gov.au/acres/whatnew.jsp#ALOSOct
2007 University Cadetships
In
2007 Geoscience Australia is offering a unique cadetship scheme for Canberra based students who are
embarking on their first year of university science studies. “We are looking for bright, enthusiastic
young people pursuing careers in science.
Working with the Australian National
University, we are offering a tailored cadetship program of professional
and diverse work experience placements, entwined with academic mentoring,” said
Dr Neil Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Geoscience Australia. The cadetship scheme is open to all Canberra students who have done
well in science and maths for their Year 12 Certificate and are about to apply
for a place at the Australian National University in a science related
degree. Expressions of interest are
currently being accepted, with all interviews occurring after university
entrance scores have been released.
Please send your expression of interest to Tony
Robinson, or contact him on 6249 9411 for more information.
http://www.ga.gov.au/news/index.jsp#cadetship
Map Competition: SSC2007
Spatial Professionals are invited to participate in
the SSC2007 Map Competition.
Since 1982, the Mapping Sciences Institute Australia
has recognised outstanding achievement in the Mapping Sciences, including
through the judging and exhibition of a Map Competition. In recognition of the role that the Mapping
Sciences Institute has played in the formation of the Spatial Sciences
Institute, the SSC2007 organising committee has decided to incorporate a map
competition into the third biennial international Spatial Sciences
Conference. This competition offers
practitioners an opportunity to show their best work, to demonstrate excellence
in the design and execution of map products, and to receive the acknowledgment
of their peers.
An information pack containing the entry details and
judging criteria can be accessed from the SSC2007 website. Please access the
links to these pages and get excited by the opportunities. All entries received for the competition will
be exhibited at SSC2007.
For
more information, visit http://www.spatialsciences.org.au/SSI/SSI_News.asp
News from
Around the Globe
UK Government Department
Commissions Training4GIS to Provide Flexible Geographic Information Integration
Awareness Program
Training4GIS™ announced on 19 October that earlier
this year it was selected, via a competitive tender, by Department for
Communities and Local Government (DCLG) as the preferred training provider to
support its strategy to increase the use of Geographic Information
(GI) across DCLG. The small central GI
team’s aim is to increase the use of geographic information across DCLG. The GI
forum it organises is used to spread awareness to over 300 staff and to
identify possible applications for wider use of GI. The initial aim of the training programme was
to introduce as many staff as possible to the opportunities for integrating GI
into their work activities and the benefits for policy-making, monitoring and
analysis.
For
more information, visit The GeoInformation Group: http://www.citiesrevealed.com/news/news_frm.htm
Ordnance Survey Bridges
Road Data Gap
Ordnance Survey is launching the first ever digital
map dataset showing the weight, width and height restriction applying to road
bridges in Great Britain. More than 110,000 bridges have been surveyed
for what promises to be an invaluable single information source for satellite
navigation, route planning and fleet management. The data will help freight and other heavy
goods vehicles to avoid unsuitable routes, potentially reducing traffic volumes
on quiet rural roads. It will also help
reduce fuel costs, increase efficiency and enable businesses to give customers
more precise delivery times.
”If you are driving an HGV or managing a fleet, it’s crucial to be able to
pinpoint bridge restrictions that will affect navigation en route,” says
Ordnance Survey’s Gavin Jackman. http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/media/news/2006/oct/itnhgvattibutes.html
Global Positioning Tech
Inspires Do-It-Yourself Mapping Project
Mark
Anderson writes for National
Geographic News: “’Trap’ streets, phantom churches, and typos are just some
of the dangers travelers might face when navigating the streets of Great Britain. That’s because, unlike in the United States, the British government
holds copyright on the data it produces—including maps—and it licenses that
data mostly to corporate buyers. In rare
cases, corporate map producers have added a ghost or two to the government’s
data: nuggets of false information known as Easter eggs that serve as clues for
protecting copyrights.”
For
more information, visit National Geographic at http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/10/061018-street-maps.html
Real-Time Traffic Routing
from the Comfort of Your Car
Engineers have developed
a system for taking anonymous mobile phone location information and turning it
into an illuminated traffic map that identifies congestion in real time. The system takes advantage of the steady
stream of positioning cues – untraced signals all mobile phones produce,
whether in use or not, as they seek towers with the strongest signals. It is the first traffic-solution technology
that monitors patterns on rural roads and city streets as easily as on
highways. Developed by IntelliOne, the
TrafficAid system could not only help guide drivers around tie-ups, but also
tell emergency responders where accidents are or how effectively an evacuation
is unfolding by pinpointing clusters of mobile phones.
For
more information, visit the National Science Foundation: http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=107972&org=NSF&from=news
Universities Launch Online Source for Coastal and
Marine Data
The
University of Ulster in England and University College
Cork in Ireland have teamed up to launch a
new online resource containing everything you ever wanted to know about the
coastline of Ireland. Access to a wealth of information on the
marine and coastal environment, of interest to everyone from tourists to
coastal managers, is now available in the Marine Irish Digital Atlas
(MIDA). MIDA hosts over 115 maps,
displaying the locations of features such as ship wrecks, marinas, ports and
conservation areas using state-of-the-art open source software. The interactive atlas also contains an
information resource, MIDA InfoPort, which provides an insight to topics
such as water-based tourism, natural coastal features, special habitats and a
range of species, including seals, whales and dolphins.
http://news.ulster.ac.uk/releases/2006/2685.html
Canada Shreds Plan to Scrap Paper
Maps
The
previous Canadian government decided to close the map office,
which provides regional dealers with large-scale topographical maps that
show details about terrain and elevation.
The plan had been to move to digital maps only. But Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn
announced on 11 October that the map office will remain open. Kathleen Olson, a spokeswoman for Lunn,
said Natural Resources Canada received a flood of letters protesting the
planned closure. “We did start seeing a
lot of commotion around the idea of this office closing,” Olson said. “The minister wanted to find out more about
it and once he did, he quickly realised that this is not something he wanted to
see happen.”
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2006/10/12/map-office.html
Upcoming Events
Spatial
and Temporal Patterns in Syrian Bedouin Production Systems
25 October 2006, Perth Zoo Function Centre, Labouchere Road, South Perth
7:30-9:00am
NGIS Australia invites you to meet Dr Marnie
Leybourne, Acting Director of WALIS as she provides a fascinating insight into
the traditional life of one of the worlds most ancient and noble pastoralists,
the Bedouin. Marnie spent three years
working with the Bedouin in Syria
to better understand the changes that were taking place in their production
systems and lifestyles and the impacts of government intervention. This presentation will describe some of the
spatial and temporal patterns of nomadism and the reasons why change has
occurred. It will also provide a glimpse
into the lives of these still nomadic Bedouin and give a very different view of
life in the Middle East
to that which we see on television every night.
Registration is $35 and includes a continental and
hot breakfast selection. For further
information or to register, contact Amanda Udy on (08) 9355 6000 or email amanda.udy@ngis.com.au.
SSI
YP Drinks and Elections
25 October 2006, Brisbane Hotel, 292 Beaufort Street, Highgate
4:30pm
Come join the SSI Young Professionals for drinks at
the Brisbane Hotel, Wednesday 25 October, from 4.30pm - everyone
welcome! There will be a brief interlude
for the 2007 SSI Young Professional committee election at 5:00pm, and
nibblies provided by SSI. Please contact
Wing Shattock
(SSI WA YP Chair) for further information.
OZRI
2006
31 October – 1 November 2006, Melbourne
With
the theme ‘GIS - Extending the boundaries’, OZRI 2006 will demonstrate the
possibilities for extending the use of GIS by highlighting innovative
achievements in Australia and overseas. OZRI
2006 is all about the innovative use of GIS, and the
outcomes achieved, with conference sessions designed to explore the
“how, why and what” of this extended GIS use, pushing the boundaries of the
traditional view of GIS. To register
before 1st September to receive the early bird registration
discount, visit: http://www.esriaustralia.com.au/company/pages/events/ozri/.
GSDI-9:
9th International Conference of the Global Spatial Data
Infrastructure
3-11 November
2006, Historical & Military Museum of Chile, Santiago, Chile
The
theme for the 9th International Conference of the Global Spatial Data
Infrastructure is “Spatial Information: Tool for reducing poverty”.
GSDI-9 will provide opportunities to participate in and attend plenary
sessions, technical sessions, regional discussions groups, workshop, poster
sessions and commercial exhibits. For
more details visit: http://www.gsdi9.cl/index.html.
APSEA
2006: Asia-Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards
9 November 2006, Hilton, Brisbane, Queensland
The
annual Asia-Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards are the only awards for the
Asia-Pacific region that recognise, at the same event, the excellent
achievements of both individuals and organisations engaged in the spatial
information industry across the region.
APSEA sees a diverse range of individuals and small, medium and
large private, public and academic sector organisations vie for these
prestigious awards. For more information
contact (02) 6282 5793 or email apsea@asiba.com.au. To find out how to enter APSEA 2006, visit http://www.asiba.com.au/clients/asiba/UserFiles/File/APSEA2006/APSEA06_Entrants_InfoKit.pdf. Entries close 25
August 2006.
http://www.asiba.com.au/eventsAPSEA2006.php
Quick,
where are my assets and what state are they in?
14 November 2006, Parmelia Hilton, Perth
The
2006 GITA Perth seminar “Quick, where are my assets and what state are they
in?” will be held on 14 November. This
one-day seminar features presentations detailing case studies of innovative
applications of spatial data and location-aware technologies covering asset
data collection, emergency management, enhancing business performance, accurate
budgets for asset life, and much more.
The agenda for the seminar can be accessed at http://www.gita.org.au/Portals/42/docs/Perth%20Program.pdf.
Further
details and registration forms are available by contacting Deanna Zammit on
0418 551630 or at http://www.gita.org.au/Events/SeminarsWorkshops/tabid/1032/Default.aspx.
13
ARSPC: Earth Observation – From Science to Solution
20-24
November 2006, National Convention Centre, Canberra
The
13th Australasian Remote Sensing & Photogrammetry Conference
(ARSPC) is expected to be the largest ever staged in Australia and will bring together
data providers, modellers, researchers, policy makers and end users. The Conference will provide opportunity to
discover latest tools, technologies and applications of remote sensing and
photogrammetry. For more information,
visit http://www.arspc.org/.
Standards:
What busy managers need to know
28 November 2006, National Library of Australia, Canberra
9:00am – 4:30pm
The
Office of Spatial Data Management (OSDM), the Australian Government Information
Management Office (AGIMO), Department of Finance and Administration, and the
National Library of Australia (NLA) are hosting a full-day event on Standards:
what busy managers need to know. The
seminars will focus on the business of standards - why standards, which ones
are important, how do standards fit together, what is the business case for
adopting standards, what are the benefits, how are standards relevant to the
spatial domain: in essence, what do busy managers need to know? A selection of international and national
experts will address these issues, and a panel session will conclude the day.
The
program and venue details are available on the OSDM web site at http://www.osdm.gov.au/events/Workshop_Nov2006.html. To register for this event – email info@osdm.gov.au
SEE
Grid III Conference
30 November –
1 December 2006, CSIRO Discovery Centre, Black Mountain, Canberra
The
third SEE Grid conference in Canberra has been designed to
provide an integrated perspective of the latest international advancements
towards data access and applications.
Advancements in standards, supporting infrastructure and practical
applications will be addressed at the conference. The theme for the conference is “Computational
Modelling and Decision Support in the Solid Earth and Environmental Community”. For more information or to register now,
visit http://www.walis.wa.gov.au/news_and_events/latest_news/see_grid_iii_conference.
Interesting Website of the Month
Springfield Map
Have you ever sat
watching “The Simpsons” and thought, “Hey, I wonder how far Homer has to travel
to get to the power plant? Or Moe’s
even?” Well, now you can find out! Here’s a pretty detailed map
of Springfield. It has all the
places mentioned in the show. Springfield is a pretty large place, all in all.
Note the map isn’t
georectified or anything, so be careful when importing it into Arc!
http://veryspatial.com/?p=1159
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.