Geoscience Australia is the nation’s trusted advisor on the geology and geography of Australia. In its role as the provider of fundamental geographic information for the nation, Geoscience Australia is coordinating new efficient and consistent approaches to cross-government location information supply chains to meet requirements for more detailed and frequently updated national data. This presentation will explore these approaches with a focus on how and why land, property and transport network information can be enabled to ultimately improve outcomes to meet the triple bottom line in the national context - Australia’s environment, its people and economic prosperity. In this presentation, Geoscience Australia will outline how it is collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders in response to increasing demands and expectations for detailed, timely, consistent and interoperable location information throughout Australia. The presentation will describe how existing vehicles for change such as the Foundation Spatial Data Framework, Open Data principles and the Location Index are being used to identify current and future information needs and gaps, examine existing supply chains and identify opportunities to lubricate the flow and integration of vital information underpinning important decisions and policy development.

The SDE Transport Database (STRANSPORT) is a subset of the former SDE Best Available Geographic Database (SBAGD). STRANSPORT contains only the transport feature datasets and feature classes such as aviation, marine, road and rail. SBAGD is a historic database comprising the GEODATA TOPO 250K Series 3 data and any updates that were made from 2008-2013. This vector data represents major topographic features and has been sourced through many programs such as the National Topographic Information Coordination Initiative (NTICI). The topographic data complies with the Topographic Data and Map Specifications for the National Topographic Database & NTMS Series 1:250 000 & 1:100 000 scale topographic map products version 6.0. To use this dataset please contact the Spatial Platforms team (eGIS), spatialplatforms@ga.gov.au, and obtain an SDE login for use within your selected GIS software.

The SDE Best Available Geographic Database (SBAGD) is a historic database comprising the GEODATA TOPO 250K Series 3 data and any updates that were made from 2008-2013. This vector data represents major topographic features and has been sourced through many programs such as the National Topographic Information Coordination Initiative (NTICI). The topographic data complies with the Topographic Data and Map Specifications for the National Topographic Database & NTMS Series 1:250 000 & 1:100 000 scale topographic map products version 6.0.

The railways that link urban and regional Australia have played a significant role in the development of our nation. Rail transport contributes many billions of dollars every year to Australia`s economy. Many of the products we use every day have travelled by rail at some stage in their journey. From home to work or across the country, passenger trains carry more than 500 million people each year - that`s around 25 times Australia`s population! With the opening of the Alice Springs to Darwin line in February 2004, all mainland capital cities and their ports are now connected by a 9420 kilometre network of standard gauge track, known as the Interstate Rail Network. The Railways of Australia thematic map reflects Australia`s impressive rail network. Whether it is used as a functional reference map or simply an outstanding wall-piece, Railways of Australia is a must for all rail enthusiasts and industries that rely on the nation`s rail network. Railways of Australia shows major passenger and freight lines, selected tourist railways, and metropolitan rail networks. Travelling times and distances, length of track, passenger loads, freight tonnage, and fabulous facts about Australia`s rail network are also included. This map was produced with the help of the Australasian Railway Association and Railpage. Product Specifications Coverage: Australia Scale: 1:5,000,000 (1 cm on the map measures 50km) Currency: November 2003 Coordinates: Geographical Datum: GDA94 Projection: Simple Conic on two standard parallels 18S and 36S

<div>Major Roads is a subset of the National Roads by Geoscape dataset, filtered for highways, arterial and sub-arterial roads. National Roads by Geoscape is a digital representation of the road network of Australia. National Roads contains linear features to describe surfaces that have been improved to enable vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle transportation on land and ferry routes that enable vehicles to cross water bodies. National Roads does not include railways, tramways, driveways or passenger ferry routes.</div><div><br></div><div>This dataset provides an optimised aggregated national view of road geometry and attribution. The dataset is created from multiple sources including jurisdictional data which is revised regularly and supplied in varying formats and at different levels of quality.</div><div><br></div><div>The area covers the land mass of Australia, including offshore islands. Norfolk Island is currently not included.</div>

<div>National Roads by Geoscape is a digital representation of the road network of Australia. National Roads contains linear features to describe surfaces that have been improved to enable vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle transportation on land and ferry routes that enable vehicles to cross water bodies. National Roads does not include railways, tramways, driveways or passenger ferry routes.</div><div><br></div><div>This dataset provides an optimised aggregated national view of road geometry and attribution. The dataset is created from multiple sources including jurisdictional data which is revised regularly and supplied in varying formats and at different levels of quality.</div><div><br></div><div>The area covers the land mass of Australia, including offshore islands. Norfolk Island is currently not included.</div>

<div>GeoInsight was an 18-month pilot project developed in the latter part of Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future Program (2016-2024). The aim of this pilot was to develop a new approach to communicating geological information to non-technical audiences, that is, non-geoscience professionals. The pilot was developed using a human-centred design approach in which user needs were forefront considerations. Interviews and testing found that potential users wanted a simple and fast, plain-language experience which offered basic information and provided pathways for further research. GeoInsight’s vision is to be an accessible experience that curates information and data from across the Geoscience Australia ecosystem, helping users make decisions and refine their research approach, quickly and confidently.</div><div>In the GeoInsight pilot, selected products for energy, minerals, water, and complementary information from Geoscience Australia’s Data Discovery Portal and Data and Publications Catalogue were examined to (1) gauge the relevance of the information they contain for non-geoscientists and, (2) determine how best to deliver this information for effective use by non-technical audiences.</div><div>This record documents the technical details of the methods of the four sections listed below:</div><div><strong>Indigenous Regions:</strong> This dataset provides a regionalised representation of data relevant to the water, minerals, and energy themes, as well as summary information, which includes, statistics and regional summaries. The Indigenous Regions provide the geographic boundaries from which the GeoInsight pilot was built upon.</div><div><strong>Population Centres:</strong> Summary information showcasing the top three population centres for each region.</div><div><strong>Top Industries:</strong> Summary information showcasing the top three industries ranked by employment for each region.</div><div><strong>Infrastructure: </strong>To show complementary information relating to infrastructure (e.g., roads) and their context to energy, mineral and groundwater resources. Infrastructure is particularly useful in supporting the extraction and transportation of commodities of Australia’s mining and energy industry.</div><div>This record will be updated, including a change log, when the scope of information or methods for generating the data change.</div>