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Federal Gov't releases data.gov.au

Federal Gov't releases data.gov.au

AGIMO calling on further data sets to increase public access to government data

The Federal Government is calling on the commercial, research and community sectors to make greater use of public sector information recently made available on the new data.gov.au website.

The data.gov.au site, with more than 200 datasets available, replaces the data.australia.gov.au beta site, which was developed for the Government 2.0 Taskforce’s Mashup Australia Contest in 2009.

In a blog post on the Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) site, special minister of state, Gary Gray, wrote the new site would play a crucial role in realising the Australian government’s Declaration of Open Government and Freedom of Information (FoI) reforms.

Along with the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Geoscience Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology and the CSIRO, other government agencies were also being encouraged to make data open and reusable for the public through the site.

Presently data sets range from the location of barbeque sites in the ACT through to world heritage areas across the country to British Convict transportation registers.

As part of the site’s release, the AGIMO is calling on the public to suggest datasets it would like released by Australian government agencies.

It is also calling for the public to participate on the site by rating and commenting on datasets, provide feedback and suggestions for site improvements, and contribute submissions of mashups or data-based initiatives they produce.

Gray said AGIMO, in conjunction with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, is also preparing best practice guidance to assist agencies with the technical aspects of publishing public sector information.

Additionally, guidelines were being developed by the Attorney-General’s department to assist agencies with licensing public sector information, with the goal of encouraging the use of open licences.

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Tags Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO)Gary Graydata.australia.gov.audata.gov.au website

More about ACTAttorney-GeneralAustralian Bureau of StatisticsBureau of MeteorologyCSIROCSIROFederal Government

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