National Study: How Local Governments Use Intelligent Mapping Technology

Currently, there doesn't seem to be much industry research about how technology, especially GIS technology, is being implemented by local governments and how they are using intelligent mapping technology.

This has triggered a collaborative industry initiative to find out more and research is to be conducted by the Australia’s premier geographic information system (GIS) specialists, Esri Australia; and the spatial sector’s professional representative body, the surveying and spatial sciences Institute (SSSI).

What will be of particular interest is how local governments are using geospatial professionals to gather and map information, because according to Brett Bundock, managing director at Esri Australia, local governments are the largest users of GIS technology in an industry worth more than $2.1 billion in Australia.

Bundock pointed out that councils in the country were responsible for some of the most pioneering applications of the technology that were used during large scale events; GIS technology was being used across the country to manage asset maintenance, development planning and more, technology was being used to build intuitive smart apps, yet there was hardly any readily accessible information on how councils are using the technology.

The current research is expected to rectify this and provide a clear picture as to how intelligent mapping is used within local government and also highlight the emerging trends in GIS deployment in this sector. Also local government could gauge how their GIS technology capacity compared with their peers.

Councils from across Australia are expected to participate in the landmark study and Bundock noted that all participants will receive a detailed report so that they can benchmark their current practices against other councils and also learn how they can develop their GIS technologies for the future“We’ve thrown our full support behind what is an incredibly valuable piece of research for local governments and the spatial industry as a whole,” said Maguire, president at SSSI. Councils that want to participate in the survey need to register at the Esri Australia website. The study is open till 13 March 2013 and the results will be released in April 2013.

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