Topographic Mapping

• Our Maps and Data
• Mapping in partnership
• Geoscience Australia and Defence cooperation
• Feedback
• Quality

Topographic maps have been critical to the development of Australia and will continue to be important to our future development.

Topographic mapping is a vital resource for a wide range of applications including:

• emergency and disaster response,
• national defence,
• asset and facilities management,
• demographics analysis,
• environmental monitoring,
• mineral and energy exploration,
• fleet and logistics management,
• graphic presentation of thematic data,
• infrastructure planning,
• other map production,
• market analysis, navigation and positioning,
• route planning,
• risk assessment,
• surveillance, and
• teaching.

People who use topographic maps range from recreational users such as bushwalkers and 4WD clubs through to various government, resource and environmental agencies.

Our popular NATMAP Raster product is being used in areas as diverse as emergency management and environmental monitoring.

Our Maps and Data

Our topographic and thematic products are available in a range of formats suited for different applications.

• Printed paper maps, folded and flat
• Digital map images
• Digital GIS and mapping data
• Digital text files

Many Australians know about our range of printed topographic map products. For many years, the NATMAP paper topographic maps have provided the information needed to explore and develop our vast continent.

Geoscience Australia produces a topographic map series of the entire country at a scale of 1:250 000. Other scales include 1:100 000 and 1:1 million.

Geoscience Australia's general reference maps provide a complete look at Australia in one map. They show similar features to the topographic maps with less detail. These maps range in scale from 1:2.5 million (wall size) down to 1:20 million (A4 size). This series of maps also includes thematic maps. A thematic map represents a theme, which is the occurrence of a particular feature or phenomena across, on top of, or underneath the earth. The feature being shown on a thematic map does not necessarily have to be a physical feature, for example state government boundaries.

Geoscience Australia's topographic products now extend well beyond the printed map. As computers are now commonly used to make maps, the resultant digital topographic data, more often referred to as 'spatial data', can also be delivered to customers and used in many innovative ways, such as in geographic information systems (GIS) and terrain visualisation applications. Computers store the data efficiently and allow it to be easily revised and integrated with other spatial datasets. Spatial data produced by Geoscience Australia includes GIS Data, Digital Maps, and Digital Elevation Data.

Geoscience Australia's topographic maps and data are produced with the aid of the latest satellite imagery, information sourced from local and state authorities, as well as other informed sources. We also incorporate feedback received from our map and data users.

Mapping in partnership

In 1997, as a result of a government decision, the Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG), a predecessor of Geoscience Australia, took steps to outsource the production of the Australian Government's topographic maps. This successful link with the spatial information industry has over the years lead to a panel of providers who are working with Geoscience Australia to provide 'fundamental' [ Commonwealth spatial data access and pricing policy] topographic maps and data of Australia.

Geoscience Australia and Defence cooperation

In recent years Geoscience Australia and the Department of Defence have been working together with a shared goal of achieving greater coordination and cooperation in the collection and management of spatial information covering Australia. Geoscience Australia manages the onshore topographic map production requirements for Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation (DIGO). This arrangement strengthens the spatial information industry in Australia through extended contract opportunities for the private sector map producers on the Geoscience Australia Panel. This work is now being allocated to panel contractors.

Feedback

Geoscience Australia relies on feedback from people who use our GEODATA and NATMAP products.

We want to hear from you if you find an error on our maps or in our data. You can do this by either emailing us or contacting our Sales Centre.

We value comments from customers because they assist us in providing topographic products that are accurate and reliable. Where appropriate we make changes to work-in-progress or we store the information for inclusion in the next round of revision. We contact external agencies before publishing our products and incorporate the comments as appropriate. A dedicated page on this web site acknowledges our contributors.

Quality

The National Mapping and Information Group of Geoscience Australia is committed to the quality and integrity of our data, products and services which is achieved through a quality management system. Our quality management processes underpins our commitment to improving products and services for the community.