Economic rationalism in managing spatial data infrastructure: the Australian experience

One of the most interesting developments in GIS over the last few years has been the attention given to the development of spatial data infrastructures at state and national levels. These jurisdictions are moving towards holistic management of their spatial data to support both the government and the rapidly expanding spatial information industry. Paralleling this growth in spatial data infrastructure has been a move to economic rationalism and micro-economic reform in many developed countries worldwide. In Australian governments this has led to the development of a Purchaser/Provider model and the introduction of the National Competition Policy. This paper will use the State of Victoria in Australia as a case study to highlight the impact of economic rationalism in managing spatial data infrastructures. The analysis draws on current research on the diffusion of GIS, the experiences of working with governments in Australia and overseas on the development of spatial data infrastructures in general, and the key component, digital cadastral databases, in particular.