A Local-State Government Spatial Data Sharing Partnership

A Local-State Spatial Data Sharing Partnership Model to Facilitate SDI Development
1980s, the multipurpose cadastre concept spurned major topographic and cadastral
mapping “megaprograms” to support land administration at the local, state, and federal
levels (Coleman & Nebert 1998; Dalrymple et al. 2003). With the advent of more
powerful mini and mainframe computers, and the development of more effective data base
structures, a number of state government agencies proposed the development of centralised
land information systems or land “hubs”.
In addition to bringing together the various disparate sets of land administration data
(aspatial component), the land information systems initiated the development of
comprehensive digital cadastral bases (spatial component). Paper-based cadastral index
maps had been used by state government agencies to manage land related activities since
the late 1800s. The conversion of these paper “working” maps into digital cadastral data
bases was a logical progression and critical to the role of managing land related data
(Bullock 1978).
State Land Information Coordination Era (1980s-1990s)
In the early 1980s, state governments operationalised their LIS visions through the
conversion of their cadastral map holdings. By 1990, most state and territory governments
had made substantial progress towards completing their capture programs with the states of
Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, ACT and NT nearing completion, whilst
Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania had made limited progress (Hesse & Williamson
1990). In New South Wales and Victoria the progress of building these data bases was
slowed due to the separate organizational responsibilities for maintaining cadastral
mapping across the urban and regional areas. The subsequent capture and conversion of a
range of other spatial data sets including topography, drainage, roads, vegetation and soils
enabled the expansion of GIS technology to most areas of government, and progressively
to the private sector.
These early efforts to compile a single authoritative cadastral map base highlighted the
need for a coordinated and cooperative approach. In 1985, New South Wales moved to
create the State Land Information Council (SLIC) to provide an integrated approach to
land data management. In a similar approach, Queensland established its Queensland
Land Information Council (QLIC) in 1991 after a statewide review of information
technology and the delivery of government services. The QLIC was established to provide
more effective policy advice on land information management and facilitate an integrated
and coordinated approach to the development of the state’s land information system (Eden
& Barker 1992).
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