LANDSEARCH: better access to Commonwealth land and geographic information

Abstract

Almost all Commonwealth Government agencies hold and use information which can be related to location or geographic position. This information is called land (or geographic) information. The major problems facing policy and other decision makers, and also researchers, in government and the private sector, are finding out what information is available, where it is held and gaining access to it. The coordination of Commonwealth land information is directed at maximising the utility of data collected by Commonwealth Government agencies, and improving access to these data. One of the ‘vehicles’ for Commonwealth coordination is LANDSEARCH, the Directory of Locationally Referenced Commonwealth Data, which is recognised as a model land information directory. This paper re-examines the Commonwealth coordination initiative and the development of LANDSEARCH, with particular reference to the second edition, both printed and online versions.