The document discusses the role of web mapping in e-government, providing an overview of location information and its applications, including GIS technologies and the NSW Six Portal as a case study. It highlights the benefits of web mapping for decision making and accessibility, while also addressing challenges such as data management and user needs. The content emphasizes the importance of interactive and up-to-date spatial information for efficient government services and public engagement.

1. Web mapping - exploiting location based information through eGovernment By David Hayward Consulting Principal Ajilon

2. What is location information? What is web mapping? Typical web mapping technology What problems can you solve? Where is web mapping used? Web Mapping in e-Government: Benefits? Challenges? Case study – NSW Government SIX Viewers Agenda Aim – provide overview of how web mapping can be successfully delivered through e-Government

3. Acknowledgements Thanks to the NSW Department of Lands for giving permission to feature the SIX portal within this presentation

4. Simple definition: Information about anything that is referenced to the Earth. Also known as “spatial information” Location data is comprised of: Location (where) Attributes (e.g. road name, road type etc) Spatial context – point, linear, area Where does location data come from?: Maps (used since 2300 BC – Babylonian clay tablets ) Aerial photographs & Satellite imagery Surveys Address information “ Geotagging” What is location information?

5. 2 key types of location data Source: www.innovativegis.com

6. Delivery of location based information via the internet But it’s more than just a map! Fundamental to the development of the “Geoweb” Characteristics Leverages Web 2.0 concepts / philosophy – location can be considered as a key element for making the internet closer to the real world. Strong visualisation of information Large amounts of information stored/delivered Potentially rich with functionality Interactive Distributed & dynamic Bandwidth intensive Examples: Commercial – Google maps/Earth, Whereis.com.au Government – SIX portal, WA SLIP portal, GA Sentinel & GA Map Connect What is web mapping?

7. AJAX (group of technology: Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) Server side technology (thin client) Rich Internet Application Spatial Web services that follow the Open GIS Consortium (OGC) eg WMS, WFS Web services e.g. SOAP Mash ups (content derived from third parties) Typical web mapping technology

8. How does it work?

9. What questions can be? Location: what is at, where am I, how do I get to? Temporal: what has changed since? Proximity: what assets are located within x km of…? Query: where is something found…? Modeling: what if….? What business questions can you answer? Source: www.lagunasalada.biz

10. Google Maps & Google Earth, Whereis, livemaps, Multimap Mobile phone (location based services) Government portals- e.g.: Where is web mapping used? Demonstration of SIX Viewer portal…..

11. Nielsen report that Google maps had 71.5 million unique hits during October 2007, & GE 22.7 million users . Microsoft have purchased the UK “Multimap” web mapping site Nokia purchased Navteq for > USD $8 Billion “ Location information is worth $1.37 billion to the Australian economy & adds up to $12.6 billion to the GDP” (source – SEGS’08 conference) How big is the web mapping market?

12. Why use web mapping in e-Government? . . . And Making It All Accessible Managing Complexity . . . Location – answering the where is? accessibility Use Source: www.esri.com adapted by NSW Department of Lands

13. How does Government use web mapping? Source: Adapted from www.esri.com Planning quickest routes, asset management Emergency departments Identifying areas of risk from e.g. fire, flood Environment agencies Health impact assessments Health Manage land titles State government Exploration license location, ore movement Mining Managing pipe networks Utilities Monitoring routes Transport To link clusters of disease to sources Epidemiology Crime mapping to target resources Police Inventory and management of resources Forestry Use of location information Industry

14. Benefits of web mapping in e-Government? Massive demand for timely, relevant information – “picture says a 1000 words” Support decision making Provide users with all the information required to make an informed decision (Simple complex) Ability to integrate vast amounts of data within one environment (direct links to source of truth Govt DB’s) Exploit visualisation techniques to present information according to user preference (Raster, vector, 3D, tabular etc) Visualise /identify patterns/trends etc Personalisation

15. Identify clear business purpose (who are you targeting?) What information & functionality to provide? Information Up to date, accurate, supported with metadata How to deliver 1000’s of datasets? Volume of data (storage) …pressure on bandwidth Usability Balance needs of Business users & “Mums & Dads” Technology What to use? Information architecture? Storage Client bandwidth Data access Governance Security, Privacy, Policy & copyright Challenges to web mapping in e-Government

16. Case Study – NSW SIX Portal How can these issues be addressed?

17. The Spatial Information eXchange is a cross government initiative to spatially enable NSW Spatial Information eXchange (SIX) has 3 main functions: Search and discover spatial (location based) information. This includes options to search and display data using specialised viewers or through direct access via web service channels ) Real time access to up-to-date government information. Key base data include: addresses, cadastre, topography and high resolution imagery It is a secure gateway to spatial information, government registers and land and property related searches NSW SIX Portal

18. NSW SIX Portal – six.nsw.gov.au

19. Display up to date Govt data tailored to users specific needs Find and display areas of interest Integration of imagery, geographic theme and textual information with supporting metadata Query Govt databases to display descriptive information on geographic themes Personalisation for different business users Empower users to diagnose system issues Mash up Consume other Govt web services eg BOM weather info Empower users to mark up areas of interest and share with others SIX Viewer(s) key functions

20. Government information INFRASTRUCTURE Electricity Sub-stations Gas Water Hydrants Sewerage Stormwater Telecoms LOCATIONAL Police Fire Ambulance SES Schools Hospitals Aged care Community Centres Icons Key buildings People @risk ECONOMIC & RISK Demography Employment Valuations Public transport schedules Pedestrians Floor plans Hazard models FUNDAMENTAL Cadastre Roads Imagery Topography Census Admin. Bdys. Source: NSW Department of Lands

21. SIX Viewer – Business Channels Demonstration of SIX Viewer channels

22. Federated data Ideally data remains with source agency Delivery enabled between agencies by fast bandwidth Opportunity to leverage secure Govt extranet Federated authentication Trusted clients SIX Information architecture

23. SIX Viewer – Whole of Govt Access Channels Programs Data Govt Property channel Planning Channel Lands Planning Lands Planning Lands People-first channel Lands

24. SIX Viewer solution architecture Source: NSW Department of Lands

25. Choice of technology was driven by: Information architecture Leverage existing Govt architecture Need to scale Need to provide direct access to Govt source of truth systems Functionality to display and query Govt databases Leverage Web 2.0 concepts Technology – needs to be fit for purpose SIX Technology

26. Need to balance needs of “Mum’s and Dads” users with “professional users” Develop a “lite” version of the site. SIX Lite design approach Independent review by usability expert Balance user convention with innovation Ideally minimise buttons without reducing functionality Empower users to mash up and extend interface themselves Provide framework for interface to scale with user experience SIX Lite – target “Mums & Dads users” Source: http://bayramannakov.wordpress.com/2007/06/

27. SIX Usability – SIX Lite interface Demonstration of SIX Lite

28. NSW Government policy & SIX Linkages with NSW State Plan Maintain and invest in infrastructure A higher productivity economy Housing affordability Building harmonious communities Simplifying Government processes e.g. tailoring electronic services Linkages with GCIO People First Plan Integrated with Channels and Access Government Shared Service Consolidates spatial information and property holdings Provides equitable (fairness) access to core information stores

29. Ongoing review of usability SIX Lite toolbox – empower users to enrich user experience by adding additional tools to interface Increased integration (mash up) of information. Enhance mash up tools (empower agencies/users to add more of their own data) Expose / consume more web services More channels – support for whole business sectors Increased visualisation – 3D SIX API: Demand from Govt to provide a configurable API to embed in Business applications SIX Viewer - Future plans

30. Increased exploitation of visualisation technologies 3D eg. Google streetview Video display rather than static imagery Indoor visualisation Future trends in web mapping

31. Location based services proliferation - Increased availability of web services (push/pull) New technology to empower users to extend their user experience e.g. new cameras with geotag capacity Greater empowerment of users to add & integrate location information means that the future direction of web mapping is in their hands Future trends in web mapping Source: www.edparsons.com

32. More information – some key search words Web 2.0 Geoweb Neogeography AJAX Vector data Raster data Mash up OGC WMS, WFS, WCS Web services NSW State plan NSW People First NSW Government NSW Lands SIX Viewer SIX Lite Web mapping related: NSW Government specific:

33. Any questions? David Hayward Consulting Principal (Spatial Solutions National Lead) Ajilon [email_address]