<div class="gmail_quote">OSGeo-AustNZ's submission has been cited numerous times throughout the final report.<br><br>This is pleasing to see, given the effort involved in putting it together.<br><br><br><a href="http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/edic/inquiries/access_to_PSI/EDIC_ACCESS_TO_PSI_REPORT_2009.pdf">http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/edic/inquiries/access_to_PSI/EDIC_ACCESS_TO_PSI_REPORT_2009.pdf</a><br>
<br><br>Bruce Bannerman<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
> -----Original Message-----<br>
> From: Cameron Shorter [mailto:<a href="mailto:cameron.shorter@lisasoft.com">cameron.shorter@lisasoft.com</a>]<br>
> Sent: Friday, 26 June 2009 11:04 AM<br>
> To: Rob Atkinson<br>
> Cc: Aust-NZ OSGeo; <a href="mailto:geodata@lists.osgeo.org">geodata@lists.osgeo.org</a>; Bruce Bannerman;<br>
> Anne Fitzgerald; Donna Benjamin<br>
> Subject: Re: [Aust-NZ] Moves to free Australian Public Sector<br>
> Information<br>
><br>
> Rob,<br>
> The source report is primarily about open data with a few<br>
> comments about open source which I have highlighted.<br>
><br>
> Open Data and Open Source are two different, but<br>
> complementary issues, and supports of one tend to be<br>
> sympathisers for both.<br>
><br>
> Rob Atkinson wrote:<br>
> > This post purports to be about information, but the content<br>
> is about software.<br>
> ><br>
> > I think we are confusing two separate issues. (although<br>
> its arguable<br>
> > that availability of software is an enabler for open information).<br>
> ><br>
> > The best driver for uptake of open source will be available<br>
> data. But<br>
> > we wont get the data till we have the technology established in the<br>
> > mindset - much like the current standard of online access to<br>
> > government services was kick started by the WWW technology).<br>
> ><br>
> > I'll be going to FOSS4G with an eye to keeping tabs on how close we<br>
> > are to being able to drive the debate effectively. At the moment<br>
> > Google and other online mapping drive much thinking through<br>
> provision<br>
> > of base mapping. What should we focus on?<br>
> ><br>
> > Rob Atkinson<br>
> ><br>
> ><br>
> > On Fri, Jun 26, 2009 at 10:12 AM, Cameron<br>
> > Shorter<<a href="mailto:cameron.shorter@lisasoft.com">cameron.shorter@lisasoft.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> ><br>
> >><br>
> <a href="http://cameronshorter.blogspot.com/2009/06/moves-to-free-australian-p" target="_blank">http://cameronshorter.blogspot.com/2009/06/moves-to-free-australian-p</a><br>
> >> ublic-sector.html<br>
> >><br>
> >> The Victorian Parliament's Economic Development and Infrastructure<br>
> >> Committee<br>
> >> ("EDIC") has released a report recommending the freeing of<br>
> access to<br>
> >> Public Sector Information. Bruce Bannerman and I tabled an OSGeo<br>
> >> <<a href="http://osgeo.org/" target="_blank">http://osgeo.org/</a>> submission for this report, as did a number of<br>
> >> other enlightened organisations.<br>
> >> Anne Fitzgerald summarises the situation well, (note that Anne has<br>
> >> submitted an abstract about Open Data for the FOSS4G<br>
> >> <<a href="http://2009.foss4g.org/" target="_blank">http://2009.foss4g.org/</a>><br>
> >> conference):<br>
> >><br>
> >> I, Brian Fitzgerald and other research collaborators (including<br>
> >> those working within the Queensland Treasury's Office of Economic<br>
> >> and Statistical Research) made verbal and written<br>
> submissions, which<br>
> >> are extensively referred to with approval by the committee<br>
> >> throughout its report. This is a very important report,<br>
> as it is the<br>
> >> first in Australia to consider in depth the issue of access to<br>
> >> Public Sector Information, and is likely to provide the<br>
> template for<br>
> >> work by the Federal and other [Australian] State/Territory<br>
> >> governments. The report recommends that the Victorian Government<br>
> >> should establish an Information Management Framework, with open<br>
> >> access to Government information at no or marginal cost as the<br>
> >> default position.<br>
> >><br>
> >> Donna Benjamin noted on the Open Source Industries Australia email<br>
> >> list some of the Open Source highlights:<br>
> >><br>
> >> Recommendation 42: That the Victorian Government<br>
> require, as part of<br>
> >> its whole-of-government ICT Procurement Policy, that software<br>
> >> procured by the Government be capable of saving files in open<br>
> >> standard formats, and that wherever possible, the software be<br>
> >> configured to save in open standard formats by default.<br>
> >><br>
> >> Recommendation 43: That the Victorian Government ensure when<br>
> >> preparing guidance for procurement, ICT personnel should<br>
> be equally<br>
> >> aware of the strengths and weaknesses of both OSS and proprietary<br>
> >> software.<br>
> >><br>
> >> Recommendation 44: That the Victorian Government fully<br>
> evaluate the<br>
> >> Victorian Department of Justice open source software (OSS)<br>
> >> workstation trial to assess the potential for wider use of OSS in<br>
> >> Victorian public service workstations.<br>
> >><br>
> >> Recommendation 45: That the Victorian Government examine<br>
> its policy<br>
> >> for ICT Procurement to ensure that it continues to assist the<br>
> >> Victorian ICT industry.<br>
> >><br>
> >> Recommendation 46: That the Victorian Government ensure where<br>
> >> appropriate that tenders are neither licence specific nor have<br>
> >> proprietary software-specific requirements; and meet the given<br>
> >> objectives of Government.<br>
> >><br>
> >><br>
> >> For further information, read the press release at:<br>
> >><br>
> <a href="http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/edic/inquiries/access_to_PSI/PSI_Inq" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/edic/inquiries/access_to_PSI/PSI_Inq</a><br>
> >> uiry_Media_Release.pdf<br>
> >> The report itself is at<br>
> >><br>
> <a href="http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/edic/inquiries/access_to_PSI/final_r" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/edic/inquiries/access_to_PSI/final_r</a><br>
> >> eport.html<br>
> >><br>
> >> --<br>
> >> Cameron Shorter<br>
> >> Geospatial Systems Architect<br>
> >> Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050<br>
> >> Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254<br>
> >><br>
> >> Think Globally, Fix Locally<br>
> >> Geospatial Solutions enhanced with Open Standards and Open Source<br>
> >> <a href="http://www.lisasoft.com" target="_blank">http://www.lisasoft.com</a><br>
> >><br>
> >> _______________________________________________<br>
> >> Aust-NZ mailing list<br>
> >> <a href="mailto:Aust-NZ@lists.osgeo.org">Aust-NZ@lists.osgeo.org</a><br>
> >> <a href="http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/aust-nz" target="_blank">http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/aust-nz</a><br>
> >><br>
> >><br>
><br>
><br>
> --<br>
> Cameron Shorter<br>
> Geospatial Systems Architect<br>
> Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050<br>
> Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254<br>
><br>
> Think Globally, Fix Locally<br>
> Geospatial Solutions enhanced with Open Standards and Open<br>
> Source <a href="http://www.lisasoft.com" target="_blank">http://www.lisasoft.com</a><br>
><br>
> </div><br>