November 2007 eNews

What’s Happening in the WALIS Community?

Registrations open soon for the WALIS International Forum 2008

Spatial Technology in Schools competition

SSI Regional Seminar Geraldton November 2007

State Land Information Capture Program (SLICP) for 2008/2009

Interragator+

Routable Road Centreline Network (RRCN)

Drainage dataset

Continuing Professional Development Seminar – Michael Goodchild

Teachers Expo at the WALIS International Forum 2008

WALIS Stakeholders in the News

WA towns selected for tsunami study

Major bushfire research findings launched

Latest Landgate products available online

NGIS to launch report at national forum

MillMapper wins WA Inventor of the Year 2007

New GIS tool for the cotton industry

Australian Angle

Australian Spatial Consortium

Canberra benefits from enhanced online thunderstorm warning service

Ocean robots network achieves universal coverage

Have you felt an earthquake?

Migrant data matrices

CSIRO and Queensland Government to workshop smart exploration techniques

Newcastle installs world’s first ClimateCam

News from Around the Globe

OGC adds Microsoft as Principal Member

Release of Global Rainfall Map in near real time

Intermap Technologies enable European Union with geospatial data in support of INSPIRE initiative

GIS helps multiple agencies respond to southern California fires

Mapping the most fertile soils in Europe

Ekahau delivers visitor tracking solution for Dubai theme park

Upcoming Events

Details of events in Australia and around the world

Interesting Website of the Month

Australian Election Google Map

What’s Happening in the WALIS Community?

Registrations open soon for the WALIS International Forum 2008
The WALIS International Forum 2008 will be held at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre on 12-14 March 2008. The theme, Public Private Partnerships, aims to demonstrate initiatives in the use of geographic information involving collaboration and sharing of information across government and the private sectors. The Forum promotes the importance of working together to build a strong geographic information infrastructure and network in a cooperative environment. Registrations for the Forum will be open very soon at http://www.walis.wa.gov.au/forum/registration. Early bird registrations will remain open until 15 January 2008.
For more information, visit the Forum website at www.walis.wa.gov.au/forum or email forum@walis.wa.gov.au.

Spatial Technology in Schools competition
The winners of the Spatial Technology in Schools competition were awarded their prizes at a prize giving event held on 8 November at Kings Park. The prize winners were:

WA Winner
John Calvin Christian College, “Rottnest Island Sustainability Project”

Primary School
Nyindamurra Family School, “Species Mapping opens the door to our Future”

Second place
Perth Modern School, “Obesity and Socio-economic Status”

Third place and best new entrant
Shenton College, “MS Bushland Study”

Most community minded
Ocean Reef High School, “Energy Saving Light Bulbs”

Most original idea
Guildford Grammar School, “GISGGS Optibus”

Special commendation
John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School, “Is JSRAC School a travel smart school?”

Special commendation
Methodist Ladies’ College, Mrs Quesnel’s class, “Rising Seal Levels at Cottesloe Beach”

Encouragement award
Methodist Ladies’ College, Mrs Lussick’s class, “MLC River foreshore changes”

Best presentation
Unable to allocate as all entries were excellently presented!

SSI Regional Seminar Geraldton November 2007
The Spatial Sciences Institute (SSI) WA Region conducted a regional CPD seminar in Geraldton on 16 November 2007 at the Geraldton Surf Live Saving Club, Mahommets Beach. The program consisted of half a day on survey related topics and the second half on general spatial topics covering a wide range of spatial issues designed to suit all spatial professionals in the region. The presentations were from both industry and government and covered areas such as satellite imagery, the latest developments in air photography, WALIS Office overview, Landgate customer service update and cadastral survey update. The day was well attended by local GIS professionals.
SSI is conducting their 2007 Asia Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards. This will be held in November at Luna Park Sydney and its iconic smiling face will welcome members of the Asia-Pacific spatial network, NSW Government and Sydney’s corporate fraternity to the annual Asia-Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards (APSEA).
More information is available in the Upcoming Events section below, or visit http://www.spatialsciences.org.au/.

State Land Information Capture Program (SLICP) for 2008/2009
The annual call out for SLICP will be released in the next week. This year, we are strongly emphasising that ANY and ALL spatial data to be used in the next financial year (2008-2009) be listed through SLICP regardless of whether it may or may not be captured via SLICP mechanisms. This will enable Landgate and WALIS to better gauge the potential size of SLICP. Even if you think, “I won’t put in an application because they capture the metro area anyway”, we would encourage you to do so anyway. Future funding may be at stake so please enter ANY and ALL requests this year! Contact Dan Sandison for more information on 9273 7037 or dan.sandison@walis.wa.gov.au.

Interragator+
Interragator+ is now live: https://www2.landgate.wa.gov.au/interragatorplus/.

Routable Road Centreline Network (RRCN)
Recently a meeting was held to reenergise the RRCN. A bare minimum specification put forward in February 2007 was largely adopted with a few amendments. The next stage is to ensure that it can be utilised within the current Landgate roads framework. If and when this is built into the Landgate roads, much work will be required to bring local councils on board to update the data itself. This RRCN will be a base for future routable information to be added. Please contact Dan Sandison for more information: dan.sandison@walis.wa.gov.au.

Drainage dataset
It is likely that Department of Water (DoW) and WALIS will progress a business case to scope out what it would take to deliver drainage data through a SLIP data service. In the first instance this may be a pilot project with only a few select local government datasets being linked through DoW and the SLIP Enabler technology to deliver a sample pilot dataset. For more information, contact Dan Sandison: dan.sandison@walis.wa.gov.au.

Continuing Professional Development Seminar: The Spatial Web – Visions for a Geographically Enabled World
The popularisation of the Internet and the advent of the Web have had enormous impact on geographic information technologies, making it possible for researchers and the general public to access unprecedented amounts of information through digital libraries, clearinghouses, and geo-portals. Google Earth is only one example of a process of technological democratisation that has occurred in the past two years. Dr Michael Goodchild will sketch a vision of a Spatial Web, in which objects in the world know and report their locations, along with useful information about their surroundings. This vision has powerful implications for new kinds of science, for “citizen science”, for surveillance, and for many other areas of human activity.
Dr Goodchild is currently the Director, National Centre for Geographic Information and Analysis and Head of Department – Geography, University of California. He was recently inducted into the GIS Hall of Fame, Urban and Regional Information Systems Association, 2007, and awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, Geospatial Information and Technology Association, 2007. SSI through Curtin University and Landgate have arranged for Dr Goodchild to speak to members on this topic while he in visiting Perth in late November.
To find out more and register, please see information below under Upcoming Events.

Teachers Expo at the WALIS International Forum 2008
A new stream specially designed for teachers has been incorporated into the WALIS International Forum 2008, which will include workshops with ESRI Australia, MapInfo, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Western Australian state government departments. Geography teachers, especially those interested in GIS and spatial technology, will learn a lot and have the opportunity to network with the industry.
Visit the Forum website to find out more about the exciting keynote speakers and workshop: www.walis.wa.gov.au/forum.

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WALIS Stakeholders in the News

WA towns selected for tsunami study
Busselton, Bunbury, Perth and Geraldton are four of the major cities along the West Australian coast that have been selected for a detailed tsunami risk assessment. The study, which will be carried out in a collaborative agreement between the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) and GeoScience Australia under the Natural Disaster Mitigation Program, will assess areas of the coast from Broome to Geographe Bay. The program provides an opportunity for all levels of government to work in partnership to reduce the impact that floods, storms, bushfires and other natural disasters have on Australia’s communities. Geoscience Australia will do further research to help develop a tsunami warning system for the State.
FESA Project Manager Gordon Hall explained the importance of establishing an integrated system for tsunami alerts. “The tsunami risk assessments will help in developing disaster mitigation and response strategies and help town planners to make informed decisions. With the identification of high-risk areas complete, we are now using extensive modelling to see the effects a tsunami may have on different communities in the State.”
For more information, visit http://www.fesa.wa.gov.au/internet/upload/-852684397/docs/media_release_tsunami_study_FINAL_221007.pdf.

Major bushfire research findings launched
Australian forest fire managers will be better equipped to handle inevitable summer bushfires following the release on 2 November of the findings of a multi-million dollar research program. Environment and Climate Change Minister David Templeman released the findings of Project Vesta, Australia’s largest and most comprehensive research project into the behaviour and spread of high-intensity eucalypt forest fires. Mr Templeman said it was the most critical bushfire research project undertaken in terms of safety of fire crews on the fire ground and the protection of private property, community assets and biodiversity values. “Although existing scientific knowledge on fire behaviour is excellent, particularly for fires of low and moderate intensities, Project Vesta has shown these models under-predict the rate of spread of intense summer wildfires by a factor of three or more,” he said. “Accurate predictions of fire behaviour, particularly the rate of spread, intensity and ‘spotting’, are critical to responding to bushfires and protecting fire crews and the community.”
Find out more at http://www.naturebase.net/content/view/3083/770/.

Latest Landgate products available online
Landgate’s Residential Value Watch reports provide a simple statistical analysis of the Western Australian property market. These reports are regarded as the most accurate and independent indicator of movements in the real estate market. Choose either a report covering a single suburb or town, or a summary report covering all Western Australian suburbs and towns. Visit http://www.landgate.wa.gov.au/corporate.nsf/web/Residential+Value+Watch to find out more.

Landgate’s Statistical Sales Analysis Report provides statistical and graphical analysis of property sales in Western Australia. Available as easy-to-read reports that cover sales trends for houses, vacant land and units in a suburb or town from 1995 to present day.
For the most accurate and independent indicator of movements and trends in sale prices in Western Australia, go to http://www.landgate.wa.gov.au/corporate.nsf/web/Statistical+Sales+Analysis.

NGIS to launch report at national forum
There’s an up and coming demographic within the spatial sciences industry that falls outside the typical norm. Women are beginning to become more prevalent in the industry, yet little is known about their employment status and background. So WIS, an initiative of the Spatial Sciences Institute, spent two years researching women’s employment characteristics, wages and education to snapshot where they stand today. WIS provides support networks and professional development to women working in the industry. The group looks at investigating ways to encourage women in their careers as spatial scientists, and informs peak industry bodies on the status of women in spatial industries.
The WIS forum this year will be held on Wednesday, 21 November in Sydney and NGIS’ Managing Director, Paul Farrell will be present to officially launch the report, which details the results of a WIS survey, conducted over the past two years. The forum will be the first time these details are publicly released.
Visit the NGIS website for more information: http://www.ngis.com.au/News/235.aspx.

MillMapper wins WA Inventor of the Year 2007
The Inventor of the Year Awards were announced by the Premier and Science and Innovation Minster Alan Carpenter on 19 October 2007. Scanalyse Pty Ltd, A 3D scanner, MillMapper, used to measure wear in mining machinery originating out of Curtin’s Department of Spatial Sciences and now based at Technology Park in Bentley, took the overall WA Inventor of the Year 2007 Award and was also the winner in the Ready for Market category for its MillMapper invention. MillMapper maps the inner surfaces of grinding mills on a mine sites and was developed to address a lack of suitable measurement and analysis tools to manage mill liner wear. This technology helps enhance safety, increase production revenue and reduce operating costs for the global resources industry.
Four of the seven awards have been won by companies currently commercialising research projects out of Curtin University of Technology.
http://campusnews.curtin.edu.au/mediarelease/index2.cfm?release=2603

New GIS tool for the cotton industry
terraGIS is a web-based GIS that allows cotton growers, farm managers, consultants, extension staff, researchers, state and federal government agency personnel and policy analysts access to digital biophysical data (e.g. soil, water and hydrological properties) access to biophysical data collected and generated as part of a series of Cotton Research and Development Corporation projects entitled “Understanding the salinity threat in the irrigated cotton growing areas of Australia”. Biophysical data is available in seven irrigated cotton growing areas located in five catchments.
For more information, visit http://www.terragis.bees.unsw.edu.au/index.html.

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Australian Angle

Australian Spatial Consortium
On 14 August 2007, the Special Minister of State, The Hon. Gary Nairn MP, announced in Canberra the formation of the Australian Spatial Consortium (ASC). The ASC is initially comprised of the Australian & New Zealand Spatial Information Council, The Australian Spatial Information Business Association, the CRC for Spatial Information (CRCSI), 43 Pty Ltd and PSMA Ltd. The idea for the consortium originated from the CRCSI’s strategic planning session in March 2007. This group felt that the collaborative model of the CRCSI had been so successful that it should be extended to cover a broad spectrum of spatial information activities across Australia.
The primary objective of the ASC will be to tackle issues in the national interest that can only be tackled by large public/private partnerships and is currently being guided by a Steering Committee.

Canberra benefits from enhanced online thunderstorm warning service
From 7 November, residents of Canberra and Queanbeyan will be able to view the locations of severe thunderstorms directly threatening Canberra and/or Queanbeyan over the Internet after the introduction of a new graphical thunderstorm warning service. The new maps complement detailed existing text warnings issued by the Bureau of Meteorology and will help people to take prompt and appropriate action. The online warnings now include a map showing the current location and forecast tracks of severe thunderstorm cells as they approach Canberra.
The new warning products will be available on the Bureau website as thunderstorms occur at www.bom.gov.au/weather/act. Text based warning is also available over the phone for the cost of a local call on 1300 659 218. More details about the service including examples can be found at: www.bom.gov.au/catalogue/warnings/GSTW/graphicalproductsact.shtml.

Ocean robots network achieves universal coverage
Scientist’s efforts to fathom how the oceans influence climate and fisheries productivity enter a new era this month with the milestone establishment of a network of 3,000 futuristic, 1.5-metre tall ocean robots operating simultaneously throughout the world’s oceans. The Argo project has already helped Australian scientists to: closely track how fast and where the ocean is warming due to anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases; provide a core data stream for the new endeavour of ocean-forecasting; and underpin efforts to include the Indian Ocean in forecasting Australian drought/flood cycles.
Using a satellite-based data delivery system, the Argo robots provide ocean forecasters and climate scientists with a detailed sub-surface view of nearly all corners of the world’s oceans every 10 days. Vast regions of the Southern Hemisphere oceans, which were previously unmeasurable because of their remoteness and often stormy conditions, are now being systematically probed for the first time.
Visit the CSIRO website to find out more: http://www.csiro.au/news/OceanRobotsNetwork.html.
Source: CSIRO

Have you felt an earthquake?
You could assist Australia’s earthquake research by telling Geoscience Australia if you have felt an earthquake.
Geoscience Australia monitors earthquakes 24/7. It has over 39 research stations, known as seismic stations, scattered around Australia that detect movements of the Earth. All data is transmitted from these locations to the central office in Canberra, where seismologists (earthquake scientists) determine the location, magnitude and depth of the earthquake. Although Geoscience Australia’s monitoring system can determine the location, magnitude and time of an earthquake, information from community members will provide valuable information about what it “felt” like. The simple online earthquake report form gathers information about the intensity of an earthquake. It includes a series of questions to find out information about shaking windows, loud noises or any immediate building damage. This information will assist seismologists in gaining a greater understanding of this naturally occurring Earth process.
Geoscience Australias website also provides information about earthquakes, as well as a list of the latest earthquakes.

Migrant data matrices
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Migrant Data Matrices are a new, easier method to find ABS migrant and ethnicity data. Where available, this will include a broad selection of demographic, geographic, socio-economic and collection specific data items. The statistical coverage includes topics such as Crime and Justice, Culture and Leisure, Education and Training, Family and Community, Health, Housing, Labour (Employment), Personal and Household Finances and Population Characteristics.
Visit ABS to view the matrices: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mf/3415.0?OpenDocument.

CSIRO and Queensland Government to workshop smart exploration techniques
CSIRO and the Geological Survey of Queensland are combining to conduct a series of workshops on hyperspectral mapping. The workshops follow the successful release in July of a set of over 30 maps based on airborne hyperspectral data and satellite imagery covering the greater Mount Isa region. To be conducted in Brisbane and Townsville in late November and the fifth in the ‘Digging Deeper’ series, the workshops will offer exploration geoscientists an introduction to hyperspectral mineral mapping theory, a presentation on the recently completed hyperspectral maps and a hands on computer workshop featuring real case histories. “Hyperspectral imaging and analysis is becoming an increasingly important exploration technique and this is an exciting opportunity for geoscientists to learn more about using it in areas such as Mount Isa,” CSIRO’s Dr Tom Cudahy said.
Find out more at the CSIRO website: http://www.csiro.au/news/ps3n0.html.
Source: CSIRO

Newcastle installs world’s first ClimateCam
Newcastle City Council has erected a huge electronic billboard in the City Square telling residents exactly how much greenhouse gas they have produced in the past hour. ClimateCam, the world’s first greenhouse gas speedometer, displays electricity consumption information collected from 15 substations that supply homes and businesses in the Newcastle Local Government area. By tracking this usage and linking it to other greenhouse emissions from waste, natural gas and transport, ClimateCam can measure the progress of energy saving actions. Council’s City Energy and Resource Manager, Peter Dormand, said Council achieved a 40 per cent ($400,000 per annum) reduction in energy, a 25 per cent ($200,000 per annum) saving in water bills and an overall reduction in greenhouse emissions of 23 per cent. “Council has become a lot smarter with how we use energy and water and through our ClimateCam for Councils initiative, we can now transfer this knowledge to other communities,” he said.
Find out more in the Local Government Focus newsletter: http://www.lgfocus.com.au/editions/2007/november/climatecam.shtml.

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News From Around the Globe

OGC adds Microsoft as Principal Member
On 23 October, at the annual Geoint 2007 Symposium, the Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC) announced that Microsoft Corporation has joined the consortium as a Principal Member. Government agencies worldwide are realising the power of geospatial applications to meet their missions in ways that are unprecedented - from public safety applications to famine and hunger relief. According to David Schell, Chairman and CEO of OGC, “Microsoft’s support of OGC’s standards process signifies the further maturation of world markets for products and services which require geospatial capabilities. We believe that Microsoft’s participation in the consortium is positioned to make a major contribution to furthering the adoption of geospatial interoperability in key industry and government sectors. This will strengthen OGC’s role in shaping the policies and best practices needed to grow and support development of effective spatial data infrastructure worldwide. As dependency on geospatial information resources for dealing with such global issues as climate change and disaster preparedness continually increases, it is of the greatest importance that the work of the consortium be supported by the deep infrastructure and information resources which Microsoft represents.”
Find out more at the OGC website: http://www.opengeospatial.org/pressroom/pressreleases/781.
Source: Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc.

Release of Global Rainfall Map in near real time
The Earth Observation Research Center (EORC) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has started to release image data of a high-resolution global precipitation distribution map in quasi real time (about four hours after observations) on the Internet. The map is composed by the EORC using acquired data by earth observation satellites including the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM.) The image data is updated every hour, and you can also see the animated image of precipitation distribution over the last 24 hours. The establishment of this quasi real-time provision system of image data enables Jaxa to timely offer information to regions, such as developing countries in Asia, which do not have enough data on precipitation although they are often hit by typhoons and heavy rainfall.
For more information, visit the Jaxa website: http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2007/11/20071114_trmm_e.html, or view the Global Rainfall Map.
Source: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Intermap Technologies enable European Union with geospatial data in support of INSPIRE initiative
Intermap Technologies, Corp. announced that its commercial initiative to create a uniform high accuracy 3-D map of all of Western Europe called NEXTMap® Europe can enable geospatial professionals to meet mandates spelled-out in Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament. The EU Directive mandates the establishment, within the next several years, of an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE) in an effort to provide a higher level of environmental protection that takes into account the diverse regions within the community. When the program is complete, Intermap’s mapping program will provide interested parties with affordable and uniform countrywide 3D digital elevation data and orthorectified radar images across Western Europe. Directive 2007/2/EC emphasises the importance of organisational coordination and the sharing of spatial data between public agencies across municipal, regional, and national borders within the EU.
Visit Intermap for more information: http://www.intermap.com/interior.php/pid/1/sid/306/tid/245/nid/2171.
Source: Intermap Technologies

GIS helps multiple agencies respond to southern California fires
GIS software and services from ESRI are helping local, state, and federal agencies with multiple tasks surrounding the recent firestorms in Southern California. ESRI is providing staffing, ArcGIS software, and other resources. More than a dozen wildfires in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties have resulted in half a million evacuees, hundreds of thousands of acres burned, and thousands of properties destroyed. GIS is being used at each incident command post as well as multiple command centres including Southern California operations centres and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) joint operations centre. Agency personnel take advantage of the analysis and visualisation capabilities for collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies; prioritisation and utilisation of personnel and resources; and monitoring events on the ground in near real time. Some of the emergency applications include 2D and 3D mapping of fire perimeters and fire progression, identifying critical facilities and infrastructure, allocating resources and equipment, performing property and community damage assessments, selecting locations for placing disaster relief centres, carrying out evacuations, and developing recovery plans.
For more information, visit the ESRI website: http://www.esri.com/news/releases/07_4qtr/fires.html.
Source: ESRI

Mapping the most fertile soils in Europe
A new map showing the distribution of loess sediments in Europe has been published for the first time in 75 years, in digital format. Whether they are lime-grey or dark black, loess sediments and the soils derived from them are of special importance for agriculture worldwide because they are some of the most fertile soils there are. In Germany, soil quality is given a rating using an index.
With this map, Dagmar Haase, a geographer at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), has completed the work of various researchers who had begun as far back as the 1970s and 80s to revise the last comprehensive inventory produced by Rudolf Grahmann, which appeared in Mitteilungen der Gesellschaft für Erdkunde in Leipzig in 1932. Haase and her colleagues have produced the new map with a scale of 1:2,500,000 with the help of modern digital information systems.
For more information, visit Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071115113328.htm.
Source: Science Daily

Ekahau delivers visitor tracking solution for Dubai theme park
Ekahau Inc. in late October announced that the Stargate, a new multi-use family entertainment centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, will integrate Ekahau Positioning Engine 4.0 with its Cisco wireless Wi-Fi network to provide a comprehensive tracking system for visitors, staff and portable equipment. One unique application being offered enables families visiting the theme park to receive a compact Ekahau T301A tag for each child, enabling parents and Stargate staff to locate them in real time, should they get lost. In addition to the 1,100 Ekahau T301A tags provided for use primarily with young visitors, the theme park also plans to use Ekahau’s forthcoming credit card-sized T301B tags for security personnel. Tags will also play an important role in locating valuable mobile equipment over the 24,000 square metre venue.
For more information, visit Ekahu’s website: http://www.ekahau.com/?id=20075.
Source: Ekahu, Inc.

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Upcoming Events

Australia Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards 2007
22 November 2007, Luna Park, Sydney
Enter APSEA 2007 - download the Entrants Information Kit here. The annual Asia-Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards (APSEA) is the premier event for recognising excellence in the industry and profession. The 2007 Presentation Dinner will be held in Sydney, on Thursday 22nd November 2007 at Luna Park. The evening's activities will commence at 6.30pm for pre-dinner drinks and the cost will be $150 or $95 for Young Professionals. For more information, contact SSI on (02) 6282 2282.

Continuing Professional Development Seminar: The Spatial Web – Visions for a Geographically Enabled World
29 November 2007, Norm Dufty Lecture Theatre – Elizabeth Jolley Complex, Bldg 210, Curtin University of Technology, Bentley
5:30pm
Cost: Members $15.00, non members $25, Students free
The popularisation of the Internet and the advent of the Web have had enormous impact on geographic information technologies, making it possible for researchers and the general public to access unprecedented amounts of information through digital libraries, clearinghouses, and geo-portals. Google Earth is only one example of a process of technological democratisation that has occurred in the past two years. Dr Michael Goodchild will sketch a vision of a Spatial Web, in which objects in the world know and report their locations, along with useful information about their surroundings. This vision has powerful implications for new kinds of science, for “citizen science”, for surveillance, and for many other areas of human activity.
To find out more and register through SSI, please visit the WALIS website and download the registration form.

Securing Groundwater Quality in Urban and Industrial Environments
2-7 December 2007, Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle
The sixth International IAHS Groundwater Quality Conference (GQ2007) will be held in Fremantle, Western Australia, and this will be the first time a GQ conference has been held outside of Europe and North America. Visit the website for more information: http://www.clw.csiro.au/conferences/GQ07/index.html.

IGNSS 2007
4-6 December 2007, University of NSW – Kensington Campus, Sydney
GNSS is entering an exciting expansion period with new signals in space, new constellations and new augmentation systems, all happening over the next few years. This symposium will provide a strong scientific program, enjoyable social functions and, importantly, an opportunity to meet with international colleagues to exchange and compare professional practices. Visit the website for more information: http://www.ignss.org/?D=1.

ESRI Asia Pacific User Conference
17-18 January 2008, Tokyo, Japan
For more information visit the ESERI website.

WALIS International Forum 2008
12-14 March 2008, Perth Convention Exhibition Centre, Perth
Registrations for the WALIS International Forum 2008 will open very soon! 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/ or email forum@walis.wa.gov.au to register your interest.

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Interesting Website of the Month

Australian Election Google Map
Australia’s federal election is on tomorrow, and the campaign is well and truly in its final stages. Google has updated the “Australian 2007 Election” feature in Google Maps so that, for all 150 House of Representatives seats, you can click on any candidate’s name to see all their Google search results, or their YouTube channel. Also included are all polling booth locations based on information from the Australian Electoral Commission, so voters can easily find their nearest polling booth on the map, together with opening hours and wheelchair accessibility.
Ben Balbo has some clues for a number of ‘Easter eggs’ hidden on the map. The Prime Minister and his opponent can be found playing around at various locations on the map. Here are instructions to find one of the Easter eggs:
Enter “Parliament” in the “My postcode or address:” box in the left column, hit “Go” and switch to satellite mode (button at top right of map). Zoom in to the second highest zoom level.
Visit Google Maps for the Australian Election Map: http://maps.google.com.au/maps/mpl?moduleurl=http://voteaustralia.googlepages.com/election.xml
Source: Virtual Tourism (http://virtualtourism.blogspot.com/)

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.