| To simplify the process of collecting metadata, an on-line questionnaire known as the Natural Resource Metadata Input Tool has been developed that allows data custodians to submit their own metadata details electronically to the WALIS Interragator database. Metadata is simply a record of information about a dataset, not the data itself. Importantly, although the Natural Resource Metadata Input Tool has been designed according to the ANZLIC metadata guidelines, it still retains a simple interface with logical field descriptions in a user-friendly format. Thus, it will allow custodians from a variety of natural resource fields and varying expertise to provide quality information about their datasets, without necessarily having an extensive background in the management and provision of metadata.
Successful management of Western Australia's natural resources will depend on the availability of comprehensive information systems to the whole community.
Western Australia is host to an abundance of diverse environments and a wide range of natural resources. As a result of the heavy utilization of these resources, the State Government and other non-government organizations have devoted much time and money into monitoring their condition to ensure that the integrity of the environment is being maintained. This in turn has led to a large and constantly increasing volume of data held by agencies responsible for coordinating monitoring programs.
To date, there has been very little coordinated effort to organize or manage this data on a state or even regional level. Many agencies have developed internal inventories to house information about their own data sets, however, access to these inventories is often restricted to staff within the organization. Thus, locating individual data sets or even information about natural resource monitoring programs can be a laborious and time consuming activity for those out-side of the custodial organization.
In response to these needs, the Environmental Protection Authority Service Unit in collaboration with WALIS, have created the Natural Resource Monitoring Node as a central reporting system for housing information on all of Western Australia's natural resource monitoring data.
WALIS Interragator - Natural Resource Monitoring Node
The WALIS Interragator is an interactive on-line search engine that allows web browsers to locate information (metadata) about Western Australia's natural resource datasets. With it you can search a comprehensive index of over 10,000 records of Western Australia's geographic and land information held within public and private sector organizations.
The recent creation of the Natural Resource Monitoring Node within the on-line Interragator has expanded the Interragator's traditional field of maintaining spatial information (metadata), to include information about all NRM monitoring programs occurring in Western Australia. This will ensure that natural resource datasets that provide a measure of the status or condition of Western Australia's environment are also captured.
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