Geospatial standards at work in Australia and New Zealand
The Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying & Mapping (ICSM) is a primary spatial coordinating body for Australia & New Zealand. It has built a new, strong relationship with ANZLIC – the Spatial Information Council as a permanent Standing Committee, ensuring nationally integrated policy and standards outcomes. ICSM is comprised of senior surveyors and cartographers from federal and state governments. A number of Working Groups work on a variety of issues including geodesy, surveying, cartography, charting and data/work practice standards.
This paper will detail some of the work undertaken by ICSM in recent times, successes, problems and new initiatives. Some of these initiatives include the successful implementation of the Geocentric Datum of Australia, creation of the Australian and New Zealand Rural and Urban Addressing Standard, adoption of a national electronic data transfer standard for survey plan information, up-grading the Gazetteer of Australia to OGC compliant and development of WEB based services for topographic maps, the Australian Tides Manual and a place names teaching package.
The paper will conclude with an outline of current work on the reinvigoration of the Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure (ASDI), its broader vision, what needs to be done, who can contribute and an invitation for all spatial professionals to contribute to ‘Spatially Enabling Australia’.