Many users of digital mapping and spatial information understand the difficulties faced when trying to get hold of spatial data from government agencies.
Finding the right person to contact, undertaking onerous paperwork, paying through the nose and poor service are many of the experiences that users of spatial data often face.
In responding to user needs, the Federal Government mapping agency – AUSLIG, is introducing a number of initiatives to make it much easier to access important spatial data.
One recent initiative by AUSLIG is a huge reduction in prices for digital map data including AUSLIG’s TOPO-250K national dataset at 1:250,000 scale. The new price for the data is $100 per map tile covering about 150km by 100km. The previous cost was $300 per tile.
AUSLIG completed basic national coverage of the TOPO-250K dataset four years ago and is now revising the data and adding many additional features.
The new TOPO-250K product (Series 2) includes vegetation, contours and conservation reserves in addition to comprehensive drainage and transportation networks. This product, containing 138 different types of features, can be used by Councils for a range of regional planning and management activities.
Another product at a discounted price is a new satellite imagery product for GIS called SPOT-LITE. It comprises satellite images acquired by AUSLIG’s Australian Centre for Remote Sensing from the French SPOT earth observation satellites.
Satellite imagery provides unique benefits as it covers vast tracts of land and provides accurate, detailed views of the earth’s surface.
AUSLIG is introducing electronic purchasing and delivery using the Internet. The SPOT-LITE product is the first of many datasets to be offered online. SPOT-LITE Data can now be obtained within moments of placing an order.
For more information, see AUSLIG’s web site at www.auslig.gov.au or Freecall 1800 800 173. Free sample data is available on the web site.
*Copy supplied by AUSLIG
Click here to visit the AUSLIG web site
