Introduction National baseline geochemical surveys have been conducted in most developed countries, but not yet in Australia. In a country as large and diverse as Australia, an initial step in the development of a national low-density geochemical atlas needs to be the pilot testing of geochemical survey methodologies in representative regions displaying contrasting topographic, drainage and climatic conditions. To date, we have conducted or are conducting-pilot geochemical surveys in four regions of south-eastern Australia: the Riverina, Curnamona, Gawler and Thomson regions (Figure 1). The main focus of the surveys is to sample fine-grained transported regolith (sediments). In all but the Curnamona cases, the sampling strategy adopted consisted of collecting sediment samples at two depths from floodplains near the outlet of (mostly large) large catchments. In the Curnamona, only surface fine-grained soil was collected mostly from depositional plains (Caritat & Reimann 2003). Other sampling media are also being tried in these surveys, including groundwater, plant tissues, and lag. Various sampling densities are being tested (Table 1), and modelling is planned to test what minimum sampling density would be required for a national coverage. The most recent survey, which is still in a preliminary stage, is in the Thomson region, for which only reconnaissance sampling has taken place so far. The most advanced pilot project is the one from the Riverina region, the subject of the remainder of this article. Table 1. Overview of sizes and sampling densities of pilot geochemical surveys. Pilot survey Distance east-west (km) Distance north-south (km) Approximate area (km2) Number of sampling sites Average sampling density (1 sample per X km2) Riverina 288 427 122,976 142 866 Curnamona 305 203 61,915 199 311 Gawler 212 253 53,636 48 1117 Thomson 664 316 209,824 19 (preliminary) ~200 (target) 11,043 (preliminary) 1049 (target)

Land use map of Australia and more regional state based maps were based on the ALUM (Australian Land Use and Management) Classification. Nationally agreed land use mapping principles and procedures are being used to assist agencies in the production of land use maps at regional and catchment scales. These datasets, available as at January 2006, were also used to create a combined 50m raster dataset for Australia. Metadata for the contributing datasets is available from the BRS website (http://www.daff.gov.au/content/output.cfm?ObjectID=4F38CF24-41B6-4E99-97A489F722F7AC24#catchment). The 1992/93 and 2001/02 Land Use of Australia grids, Version 3, is part of a series of land use maps of Australia for the years 1992/93, 1993/94, 1996/97, 1998/99, 2000/01 and 2001/02. The non-agricultural land uses are based on existing digital maps covering four themes: protected areas, topographic features, tenure and forest. Time series data at relatively high temporal resolution were available for the protected areas and forest themes. The agricultural land uses are based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics' agricultural censuses and surveys for the years mapped. The spatial distribution of agricultural land uses is interpretive and has been determined using Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) satellite imagery with ground control data.

A national review of existing literature on palaeovalley systems and their groundwater resources in the arid and semi-arid parts of Australia. The review has been compiled by John Magee as the Milestone 3 output for the Palaeovalley Groundwater Project.

This service includes world bathymetry, elevation (hillshade), and satellite imagery data, and ocean, country, population and natural features. The information was derived from various sources, including Natural Earth and Landsat Imagery. It is a cached service with a Web Mercator Projection. The service contains layer scale dependencies.

This report provides regional information on hazard and risks posed by landslides to communities within the southeast Queensland area. Research is based on the mapping of landslides that resulted from the January 1974 rainfall event. It firstly identifies areas of potential landslide using two methodologies and then undertakes a quantitative assessment of landslide hazard and risk.

The comprehensive Landslides Kit contains the following education products; - Landslides student activities booklet of 11 reproducible activities and suggested answers (catalogue item 23853) - Australian Landslide slide set - (item 25330) - Landslide A4 paper 3D model - class set of 30 (item 33165) - Slump A4 paper 3D model - class set of 30 (item 33186) Suitable for primary Years 5-6 and Secondary Years 7-10.

The important role of information management in improving baseline data for natural hazards has been demonstrated through a collaborative pilot project between Geoscience Australia, Mineral Resources Tasmania and the University of Wollongong. The result is a 'virtual' landslide database that makes full use of diverse data across three levels of government and has enabled landslide data to be collated and accessed from a single source. Such a system establishes the foundation for a very powerful and coordinated information resource in Australia and provides a suitable basis for greater investment in data collection. This paper highlights the capacity to extend the methodology across all hazards and describes one solution in facilitating a sound knowledge base on natural disasters and disaster risk reduction.

The cost of landslide is underestimated in Australia because the impact and loss associated with these events are not readily reported or captured. There is no reliable source of data which highlights landslide cost to communities and explains who currently pays for the impacts and associated costs. The aim of this document is to investigate and analyse landslide costs within a Local Government Area (LGA) in order to highlight the varied landslide associated costs met by the local government, state traffic and rail authorities and the public. It is anticipated this may assist in developing a baseline awareness of the range of landslide costs that are experienced at a local level in Australia. Local government authorities across Australia are required to manage and mitigate landslide hazards. The Illawarra region of New South Wales (NSW) is one example of an area in Australia continuously affected by slope failure, often resulting in damage to property or infrastructure as well as occasional injuries and fatalities. Landslide losses are described for the region of Wollongong in NSW using a series of case studies to highlight the different types of landslide cost met by different parties, the variations in the landslide types that occur and the different cost components arising from them. This approach was chosen due to variations across the quality, availability and consistency of data. It was found that many generic natural hazard cost models are inappropriate for determining landslide costs because of the differences in the types of landslide movement and damage. Further work is recommended to develop a cost data model suitable for capturing consistent landslide cost data. Better quantification of landslide cost is essential to allow comparisons to be made with other natural hazard events at appropriate levels. This may allow for more informed policy development and decision making across all levels.

Arcview GIS containing a regolith-landfrom map with associated site database. Most sites have a field photograph hot linked into the GIS. Complementary datasets include, digital elevation model and enhanced Landsat TM imagery.

This set of Australian landslide images illustrates the causes of landslides, both large and small, and other earth movements. A set of 15 slides with explanatory text; includes images of Thredbo, NSW, Sorrento Vic., Gracetown WA and Tasmania.