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Vision, Introduction, Status, Goal Areas, Objectives and Activities, Background, Scope, State Context and National Context

and access to the detailed NRIMS 2002-05 Action Plan.

and a glossary of terms used in this document is available.

This draft Strategy describes the broad direction of natural resources information management in NSW Government natural resource sector agencies over the next three years from 2002. The NRIMS Steering Group will oversee its implementation. The Strategy recognises that a whole-of-Government approach is needed for the management of natural resource information.

Supplementing the Strategy is a detailed Action Plan that describes specific activities, actions and a timetable for implementation that the NSW natural resource agencies will aim to complete over the next three years.

Status

This is a draft strategy and Action Plan developed by the NRIMS Steering Group and is yet to be endorsed by natural resource agency CEOs. It reflects the current activities of the NRIMS Steering Group and natural resource agencies.

Strategic Planning and Coordination

To provide a whole-of-government approach to natural resources information management

• Take the lead role in all NSW whole-of-government natural resources information initiatives to align natural resources information management amongst Government agencies and the community
• Coordinate natural resource data activities as an integrated program
• Incorporate NRIMS strategies into agency business
• Establish strategic links within agencies
• Link up to NSW Spatial Data Infrastructure
• Link across to other NSW government sectors
• Link to local government
• Improve business processes between government and the corporate sector
  

Communication, Education and Promotion

To interact with the community to better meet their needs in relation to sharing and using natural resources data, products and services

• Develop and implement a strategy for two way communication with users regarding NRIMS products

Products and Services

To create natural resources information products and services to meet users’ needs

• Ensure alignment of natural resources information products and services to meet evolving user needs
• Provide whole-of-government natural resources information products and services to meet users’ needs
  

Quality and Standards

To ensure that standards are available for improving data quality and integrity

• Support major natural resource programs
• Develop standards and procedures for data management to facilitate data sharing
• Promote continuous improvement of data quality to meet customer and user needs
  

Data Management

To ensure the establishment, maintenance and usability of natural resource datasets

• Engage data managers directly with NRIMS
• Encourage agencies to ensure data sets are properly managed via data management plans to meet current and anticipated user needs
• Ensure metadata for natural resource data sets is complete and published for users
• Report on progress with data management
• Foster improved data exchange and integration
• Ensure consistency in agencies’ natural resource management data licence agreements
  

Data Access

To maximise accessibility of natural resource data to meet users’ needs

• Establish and develop access to core and priority natural resource data via the CANRI framework
• Streamline administrative processes by addressing customer access issues of data security, privacy, liability and pricing
  

Draft New South Wales Natural Resources Information Management Strategy 2002-2005

BACKGROUND

This is the third Strategy developed by the NSW natural resource sector agencies and builds on the successful work completed since the first strategy was developed in 1996.

The Strategy has been developed by a Steering Group of representatives from the major State Government natural resource agencies with DLWC as the lead agency. Non-government organisations, such as the State Catchment Management Coordinating Committee, also play an integral role in developing and implementing the Strategy.

To develop the Strategy, the Steering Group identified the key natural resource issues and strategic management directions for which natural resources information will be needed at national, state, regional and agency level. The Group also consulted with representatives of major natural resource information user organisations, to better define user requirements.

The Strategy and Action Plan represents the agencies coordinated response to the identified needs and provides a framework for inter-agency collaboration to achieve effective NSW whole-of-Government and agency outcomes.

It recognises that there is an opportunity, with technology now available, to manage natural resources information more efficiently and effectively. Its principal focus is on the need to organise the Government’s information assets in a manner that can make best use of this technology to increase the benefits from these assets. In particular, the Strategy recognises that all agencies can increasingly use each other’s information, and that the benefits and value of information are maximised if it can be shared and integrated.

SCOPE

The natural resource sector of agencies includes the Department of Land and Water Conservation (DLWC), Environment Protection Authority, National Parks and Wildlife Service, State Forests of NSW, Planning NSW, Department of Mineral Resources, NSW Agriculture, NSW Fisheries, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, and the Australian Museum.

The scope of the Strategy includes all natural resources and other related information.

The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) defines nineteen topic categories for describing spatial information. Natural resources information falls primarily into eight of these:

• Biodiversity

• Atmosphere

• Environment

• Farming

• Geoscience

• Inland Waters

• Oceans

• Planning

• Boundaries

• Imagery, Base Maps and Earth Cover

• Transportation

• Location

• Elevation

Proposed strategies for improved management of government information as a strategic resource include:

• development of a whole-of-government approach to information management
• integration of agency information with Government outcomes
• exploitation of the strategic value of information.

The NSW Natural Resources Information Management Strategy is consistent with this whole-of-government approach for New South Wales.

The Strategy is also aligned with key state and regional natural resource management legislation and programs including Catchment Blueprints and other regional plans, State of Environment reporting, and strategies for Salinity, Water Monitoring and Biodiversity. In this way the NRIMS supports the business of natural resource management in New South Wales.

NATIONAL CONTEXT

The NSW Natural Resources Information Management Strategy is aligned with two important national initiatives: the Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure and the National Natural Resource Management Framework.

Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure

The Australia New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC) currently manages a National Strategy for land and geographic information. The National Strategy aims to ensure that the efforts of Commonwealth, State and Territory governments are directed towards producing an Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure (ASDI), which is needed to support the economic growth and social and environmental interests of Australia and New Zealand.

Several activities under the National Strategy have direct relevance to New South Wales’ requirements, for example, the development of a National Directory network to help access Commonwealth and State/Territory data, and the development of national data standards to ensure compatibility between Commonwealth, State and Local Government data. These national programs provide the framework for any corresponding New South Wales activities.

The NSW Natural Resources Information Management Strategy is aligned with the relevant parts of the National Strategy managed by ANZLIC.

Natural Resource Management Framework

NSW Ministers for Land and Water Conservation, Agriculture, and the Environment are members of the National Natural Resource Management (NRM) Ministerial Council. NSW NRM agencies are active participants on various working groups developing a NRM Framework of standards for targets and indicators, and monitoring, evaluation and reporting. The National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality and Natural Heritage Trust 2 programs, including Landcare, Bushcare, Rivercare, Coastcare and the National Reserve System, operate under this National NRM Framework.

The NSW Natural Resources Information Management Strategy is aligned with the National NRM Framework to provide the information requirements of these programs within NSW.

NRIMS 2002-05 Action Plan

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