Use Case

• Bureau of Meterology: Geofabric

  Summary 

  The Bureau of Meteorology is Australia's national weather, climate and water agency. Its expertise and services assist Australians in dealing with the harsh realities of their natural environment, including drought, floods, fires, storms, tsunami and tropical cyclones.

  The Bureau’s Improving Water Information Programme is building a comprehensive and reliable picture of Australia’s water resources to support policy and
  planning. It collates, manages and publishes water information as part of its water information role and responsibilities under the Water Act 2007. 

  Date 

  Wednesday, 15 February, 2017

  Agency/Working Group or Committee 

  Bureau of Meteorology

  Version 

  1.00

  Activity Diagram 

  water.png

  Benefit Realised 

  The Geofabric is suitable for a wide range of water information applications. Streams can be traced upstream or downstream to identify drainage networks, catchment areas, and other features of interest such as monitoring points and water storages.

  These features are used by natural resource managers and the Bureau for water accounting, assessment, modelling and forecasting. The Geofabric provides a standardised authoritative information source that works seamlessly across Australia. It enables efficient and repeatable spatial hydrological capability for streamflow analysis and creation of contributing catchment areas. Using the Geofabric also removes the need to process digital elevation model data.

• Emergency Management Australia

  Summary 

  The Crisis Coordination Centre (EMA) is responsible for providing whole-of-government situational awareness to inform national decision-making during a crisis. The centre:

  • Centralises and coordinates information across the Australian Government, states and territories during a crisis in Australia
  • Coordinates Australian Government physical and financial assistance for disaster relief - it is responsible for managing national disaster recovery payments and ensuring states and territory governments, individuals, businesses and primary producers impacted by disasters are well supported through the Commonwealths relief and recovery programs
  • Supports the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade during major emergencies and events overseas
  • Maintains Australian Government response plans and arrangements for responding to domestic and international incidents
     

  Date 

  Thursday, 16 February, 2017

  Agency/Working Group or Committee 

  Emergency Management Australia

  Associated Stakeholder or System 

  Attorney-General's Department

  Benefit Realised 

  Baseline data - geographic datasets to support situational awareness and analysis for response and recovery.

  • NEXIS data - for an EMA Exposure Report Product – This is a profile of what is in the footprint of an event (footprint could be hazard or LGA) which calls upon useful "baseline data" as social and economic indicators. This product would be fed into EMA's "National Impact Assessment Model (NIAM)" that needs baseline data to make an assessment of an event’s severity.
  • "Footprints" of a disaster event (observed for flood and bushfire or modelled if observed isn't available) - from states/territories or satellite, or modelled. This would be used to refine the application of the NIAM (benefits in constraining assistance to area impacted than LGA impacted).
  • They need to make an impact and damage assessment for NDRRA – to estimate the impact of an event’s overall initial cost and then assess the level of govt financial assistance (based on infrastructure damage and community impact, or benchmark cost)
  • To know that mitigation efforts and spending are infact reducing the recovery costs (narrow the nexus between mitigation and recovery). Need to determine the cost benefit analysis of mitigation measures and hotspots for mitigation efforts.
• Great Artesian Basin Atlas

  Summary 

  The Great Artesian Basin (GAB) is one of Australia's most significant hydrogeological entities covering more than 1.7 million square kilometres, underlying 22% of Australia and intersecting 4 state and territory boundaries. The GAB contains a vast volume of underground water and is the largest groundwater basin in Australia.

  Groundwater resources in the GAB are used to support the pastoral, agricultural and resource sectors as well as supplying water to inland communities. Traditionally, there has been limited accessible scientific information available to decision makers, where properly managing these groundwater resources for competing interests requires a good understanding of how the system works at a regional scale. The GAB Atlas provides valuable information in a geospatial format to assist water managers and communities in making more informed decisions towards sustainable management of this vast water resource.

  Associated Stakeholder or System:
  State government water managers

  Non FSDF datasets: National Surface Geology

  Date 

  Friday, 27 October, 2017

  Agency/Working Group or Committee 

  Geoscience Australia

  Benefit Realised 

  The GAB Atlas and associated datasets combine to form a valuable information resource base for water managers and communities to support informed management decisions for the GAB. The Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines used the GAB Atlas as a basis for developing their water management plans and policies, as well as to inform outsourced regional hydrogeological assessments. It provides previously inaccessible baseline information against which future changes can be assessed, and a reference point to evaluate the effectiveness of management activities. The GAB Atlas also makes valuable scientific data available to a much wider and non-scientific audience than before, and its geospatial format is an accessible way to communicate the GAB’s complex characteristics.