SeeGrid Demonstrator Project: improving access to minerals data

Mining is one of Australia's biggest export industries, and mining companies are continually exploring for new deposits. Before they start field explorations mining companies spend a lot of time scouring through existing geological information, such as that held by Government geological survey agencies.

Mineral deposits don't respect political boundaries, but different States and agencies sometimes use different data collection methods and data formats, making it hard to match information across State borders. Social Change Online has recently completed a project to solve this problem.

The "Solid Earth & Environment Grid (SEEGrid) and Minerals Council of Australia Information Services Demonstrator Project" is an industry-driven project to deliver a common way of presenting and accessing geosciences data held across many agencies in different States. The project combines the data standardisation expertise of the CSIRO with Social Change Online's skills in delivering standards-compliant data online. It has proven that a standards based approach is feasible, using Open Geospatial Consortium data exchange standards (GML), configurable interactive user interfaces (Social Change Online's WebMap Composer) and the Open Source "Geoserver" Web Feature Service software.

The project has been funded by AusIndustry, the Minerals Council of Australia, each of the State Government geological survey agencies and GeoSciences Australia.

The next step in the project is a national seminar series to be conducted in June-August 2005 to disseminate the findings of the Project. Along with government and industry stakeholders, Rob Atkinson of Social Change Online will be presenting at the seminars and providing technical support to each state Geological Survey agency.

Social Change Online will also be holding its "Using Shared Maps in Web Applications" workshop in Brisbane on 22 June, complementing the SEEGrid Demonstrator on 23-24 June.

For more information on workshops contact Jane Oxley at Social Change Online. joxley@socialchange.net.au