OzCoasts is a web-based database and information system managed by Geoscience Australia that draws together a diverse range of data and information on Australia's coasts and estuaries. Maps, images, reports and data can be downloaded and there are tools to assist with coastal science, monitoring, management and policy. A Tropical Rivers module is the newest major feature of the website and was developed in partnership with the Griffith University node of the Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge (TRaCK) consortium and Boab Interactive. The module contains the Australian Riverine Landscape Classifier (AURICL) and provides links to the TRaCK Digital Atlas. AURICL will assist researchers and policy makers make better decisions about riverine landscapes. It is a dynamic and flexible system (i.e. can be updated as new data layers become available) for classifying and comparing tropical catchments and their rivers based on the similarity, or dissimilarity, of a wide range of parameters. Importantly, AURICL provides researchers with: (i) data-sets to link stream segments from the National Catchment Boundaries database to estuary point locations for north Australia; (ii) a collection of riverine attribute data that sum their upstream contributions to an estuary; and (iii) an amalgamation of inputs for estuaries with multiple contributing streams. To date, researchers have only had access to very general data on the catchments that feed estuaries (e.g. catchment areas). The Mangroves and Coastal Saltmarsh of Victoria: Distribution, Condition, Threats and Management report is new to the Habitat Mapping module, and constitutes the first State-wide assessment of Victoria's coastal wetlands. The 514 page report, led by Prof. Paul Boon (Victoria University), examines the diversity of wetland types and plant communities along the Victorian coast and provides analysis of the ecological condition and major threats to coastal wetlands in Victoria. OzCoasts will also soon deliver the Coastal Eutrophication Risk Assessment Tool (CERAT) for the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. CERAT will help identify and prioritise land use planning decisions to protect and preserve the health of NSW estuaries. A partnership between OzCoasts and the coastal facility of the TERN (Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network) is also currently under negotiation.

Scientists within Geoscience Australia (GA) create complex 3D models of geological structures, using specialised 3D modelling software. Very few people outside of GA have access to this specialised software. To provide clients and stakeholders with access to 3D information GA has developed VRML-HTML-JavaScript interfaces. These interfaces allow GA to share large volumes of complex 3D geological information via the Web, with data volumes up to 22 MB. A number of methods are employed to allow users to interact with such large amounts of data. The geometric features within VRML are used to represent a wide range of geological features. The interfaces are user friendly and provide users with a high level of interaction with the complex information.

Advances in computer technology have provided the opportunity to present geoscience information in new and innovative ways. The use of web-based three-dimensional interactive models, animations and fly-throughs significantly enhances our ability to communicate complex geometries and concepts not only to the geoscientific community but also, just as importantly, to the general public. Projects within Geoscience Australia currently use a range of GIS, remote sensing, and modelling packages for visualisation of fundamental and derived data. In the main each of these packages also has the ability to produce, as an output, some form of model or animation sequence displaying the results of the visualisation. In most cases however, these outputs are generally not of sufficient quality or do not provide adequate functionality without further processing or editing. Geoscience Australia has adopted a multi-disciplinary approach to 3D visualisation encompassing cartography, GIS, remote sensing, graphic design, programming, web, and video editing to the post-processing of these visualisations. This paper examines the benefits of using models and movies for the visualisation of geoscience and briefly discusses the current workflows and presentation techniques used by the Geo-Visualisation team within Geoscience Australia.

This web service provides access to the National Judicial Courts dataset and presents the spatial locations of all the known Australian High Courts, Australian Federal Courts and the Australian Federal Circuit Courts located within Australia, all complemented with feature attribution.

This web service provides access to the National Detention and Correctional Facilities datasets, representing the spatial locations of all known immigration detention and correctional facilities located within Australia, all complemented with feature attribution.

This web service provides access to the National Local Government Area Council Offices dataset and presents the spatial locations of all known Local Government Area council office facilities within Australia, all complemented with feature attribution.

This web service provides access to the National Desalination Plants dataset and presents the spatial locations of all the known major desalination plants within Australia, all complemented with feature attribution.

This web service provides access to the National Aviation Facilities Datasets, representing the spatial locations of air traffic services centres, along with all known aviation control towers, major hangars, major fuel depots, major terminals and fire fighting and rescue facilities located within Australia, all complimented with feature attribution.

Petroleum Blocks cut to the AMB 2014a epoch. The service contains the Blocks as defined under Section 33 (3) of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006. Coverage includes indicative areas of coastal waters and land, within the constitutional limits of the States and territories.

X3D Earth is a planned virtual globe application from the Web3D Consortium. It will differ from Google Earth (GE) (and other existing virtual globes) in the following ways: it will use an existing open source standard 3D file format (X3D); be truly 3D (most other virtual globes do not currently handle sub-surface data); allow distributed storage of the 3D data; and allow agencies such as GA to create and distribute their own data. One motivation for developing X3D Earth is to provide a mechanism for long term and open access to public 3D geospatial data. Development is planned for 2006/07. This whitepaper is Geoscience Australia's contribution to the X3D Earth requirements workshop, November 2006.