Understanding the provision of national location information in Australia: a PSMA case study

Abstract

The demand for geospatial information has risen greatly while supply is still catching up. Particularly in Australia, the availability of seamless national datasets is largely supply driven. An improved understanding of user needs is required in order for future initiatives to better account for the demand side of the location information market. This paper looks at the system of national location information in Australia, within the context of PSMA, a provider of authoritative national geospatial datasets. This is undertaken as the initial stage of a user needs assessment. Results provide a new conceptual understanding of the system with its external influences, constraints and opportunities. In particular, users are classified as a key stakeholder within the system. External influences of note are the activities of the Office of Spatial Policy, the Australian Government's whole-of-government initiatives and the need to move towards demand-driven or solutions-based spatial data themes.

Keywords::

• national location information
• spatial information
• geospatial information
• end-users
• demand-driven location information

Funding

This work was supported by the Australian Research Council [grant number LP100200199].