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Appendix 11: Technical Note on Developing the Distributed System

The de-centralisation of the Australian Natural Resources data library and atlas will occur in stages and be based on existing systems used by data custodians.

Stage 1. Linking Australian Spatial Data Directory nodes to data download facilities

Data custodians making available the data and products for download through their node of the Australian Spatial Data Directory. This will help ensure that the community has on-going access to the vegetation information.

Implementation issues

Many data custodians do not yet have facilities that allow direct online access to their data products.

Actions

• Audit will provide the full data set back to all nominated data custodians.
• Data custodians to make vegetation information available on-line with documentation available through their Australian Spatial Data Directory node and with Australia-wide views also available through the Audit's Australian Natural Resources Atlas.
• The Atlas and Data Library will also link to those nodes containing vegetation information to give an apparently seamless set of access points.

Stage 2. Streamlining data custodians database systems

Efficient processes and systems are required to transfer data between the National Vegetation Information System and whatever vegetation data systems are maintained by the custodians. For some States this implies an adoption of the National Vegetation Information System as their data base structure. This is already underway in several States, including South Australia. Migration to the National Vegetation Information System will enable custodians to effortlessly make available up to date data to the community, linking to all the data sets collated already across Australia.

For other States, recognising the ownership of that State to their existing data structure, the State might, at least in the short term, maintain two data structures (e.g. Queensland). In these States there will need to be a data protocol for migration of data between data systems. This is far from ideal, may lead to confusion and errors between data sets and some confusion in the community as to which data set to access. To encourage all States to migrate to a common data structure, the Commonwealth will restrict its support funding in vegetation mapping to those States displaying commitment to move to the Australia-wide system.

Implementation issues

Data custodians will need time and resources to adopt the National Vegetation Information System as their lead and preferably only database system.

Actions

• National coordinator to work with data custodians to improve database storage and translation systems. This will also form the base for continually improving the National Vegetation Information System functionality, ensuring it meets custodian needs in all States.
• Data custodians to plan for and then secure resources for adoption of the National Vegetation Information System database and translation systems.
• National Vegetation Information System database structures to be continually improved and these improvements implemented in a planned fashion Australia wide.

Stage 3. Linking spatial data servers

As standards for Open Geographic Information Systems evolve and are adopted by Australia and New Zealand Land Information Council, the Audit will implement these standards in the Australian Natural Resources Atlas. Implementation of distributed online mapping applications will commence in 2001-2002 for those States with compliant systems.

Implementation issues

• Technological. None-the Open GIS Consortium Web Map Server Interfaces Implementation Specification (April 2000) provides basic functionality to view and integrate images generated by map services available over the Internet.
• Data quality. Mapping and presentation standards for mapping vegetation data and products across Australia need to be agreed and developed by Australia and New Zealand Land Information Council.
• Institutional. Data custodians need access to these systems based on a working relationships with their Australian Spatial Data Directory lead agency, often a separate agency to the agency that is vegetation data custodian.

Actions

• Data quality. National Coordinator and Australia and New Zealand Land Information Council to facilitate further development of mapping standards with data custodians based on those developed by the Audit.
• Institutional. Data custodians to work closely with their agency responsible for the Australian Spatial Data Directory node.

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