Infrastructure Engineering - Research Publications
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ItemLessons from the evolution of western land administration systems( 1998)The purpose of this paper is to outline the evolution of western land administration systems with a view to determining what lessons can be learnt as well what are likely to be the future trends in the relationship of humankind with land. This paper will outline the evolution of western concepts of land and property, from the tribal period through feudalism, the industrial revolution, capitalism/socialism and the current Kenyesianism/Privatisation phase. Examples will be given of the interrelationship between socio-economic changes, the dynamics of the humankind to land relationship and the legal/administrative infrastructure. The paper identifies some lessons on the development of land administration systems: 1. The relationship between humankind and land will always be dynamic. The current western trend towards tempering economic imperatives with more community-based concerns is likely to lead to a new cultural approach to land. 2. The direction which that dynamism takes is dependant on the society's priorities. 3. The extent to which a society can successfully achieve its objectives depends in part on the tools available to achieve those aims. "We have the technology" does not mean anything until our society determines its preferred relationship with land into the future. 4. Appropriate legal and administrative infrastructures are crucial to the process of delivering the changes demanded by society. These infrastructures include the social, economic and political processes. 5. Further research is required to determine the right direction for the relationship of humankind to land and the appropriate legal and institutional infrastructures for the 21st century and how this is to be achieved.
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ItemEnabling geographic information systems for the public health sector: a proposal for the research agenda( 2000)The health sector has been recognised internationally as one area of the potential new applications of geographic technologies1. Several groups in Australia and world-wide have been working with the application of geospatial information and Geographic Information Systems to aspects of health2-4.Since new applications need to address and solve issues that have not necessarily been considered or were not relevant to other applications with a longer tradition in GIS, this research agenda contributes to a more global research agenda on GIS. This paper details the outcomes of the 'Research Agenda for Geographic Information Systems and Health' project carried out at The University of Melbourne, Australia. In describing the project of a research agenda, this paper provides a summary of the major issues in need of discussion and research in the application of GIS to the Australian health sector to date, as perceived by the major stakeholders. The authors consider the issues most able to contribute to strengthening the future use of geospatial information in health service planning and service delivery. The body of what has been identified as important to a future research agenda has emerged from a consultative process. In particular, this includes the Second Symposium on GIS and Health, 'Developments in the Application of Geographic Information Systems within the Health Sector'; and a workshop on 'GIS in Public Health Research' held in June 1998. Both forum were attended by key public health, research, industry, government and education professionals from interstate and overseas, known to be interested and involved in projects of a GIS and health nature.
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ItemUnited Nations-FIG Bathurst Declaration on Land Administrationfor Sustainable Development: Development and Impact( 2002)The joint United Nations-FIG Bathurst Declaration on Land Administration forSustainable Development was prepared at an International Workshop on CadastralInfrastructures for Sustainable Development organized jointly by the FIG and theUnited Nations in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, on 18-22 October 1999.The Declaration was presented formally together with position papers prepared asbackground for the Workshop at an International Conference in Melbourne, Australia,on 25-27 October 1999. The Workshop and Conference, together with the resultingDeclaration, were part of the Work Plan of Commission 7 (Cadastre and LandManagement) and were three years in the planning.The paper will review the activities leading up to the Workshop, Conference anddevelopment of the Declaration, and will discuss the impact of the Declaration.Following on from the Workshop and Conference, presentations were made at variousUnited Nations conferences as well as the FIG General Assembly. In addition therehave been numerous workshops and conference spawned by the Declaration. Thepaper will also look to the future to consider how the Bathurst Declaration can be builtupon to the benefit of all countries as well as professional surveyors. Importantly thepaper will discuss the impact of the overriding outcome from this initiative in that ithas stated a clear relationship between land administration and sustainabledevelopment.
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ItemLand administration and Spatial Data Infrastructures( 2005)Internationally the spatial data infrastructure (SDI) concept has focussed on national SDIs.However SDIs are increasingly focussing on large scale people relevant data (land parcelbased data or build environmental data) with the result that today it is suggested most SDIactivity worldwide is at this level. A central aspect in understanding these developments isthe evolution of mapping, and the growth of land administration systems and nationalmapping initiatives in different countries.The objective of this paper is to discuss the evolving nature of SDIs away from a simplenational concept to a complex hierarchy where large scale SDIs are the major influence. Thepaper concludes with a discussion of policy development and the impact of institutionalarrangements in managing spatial information.