The Australian government has launched an open source browser-based map which allows citizens and businesses to easily visualise open data from agencies across the government.

“This is a central application that integrates data from various providers - including open government directory (data.gov.au), federal and state government departments - and helps users to visualise it on a central browser-based platform, said Tim Mackey, Enterprise Architect, GeoScience Australia. The prototype was showcased at the recent Data Jam.

The national map is part of an initiative by the Office of Spatial Policy to provide the public with an authoritative open-source data tool, he added. “The data service should be multi-jurisdiction, multi-vendor, multi-custodian, multi-format, and in an open framework.”

To ensure that the national map can be used by non-technical users, the user interface is made simple so users can easily browse and search for the data they want.

In the demonstration, Mackey showed how users can zoom and tilt the map, and choose data by type or source. Users can also perform 3D data visualisation.

Currently the data sets come from the Bureau of Meteorology, Bureau of Statistics and GeoScience Australia. Mackey expects to integrate new datasets in the coming months. Users can also upload and visualise their own datasets on the map.

The improved version will be featured at next month’s GovHack event, which draws people from government, industry, academia and general public to find new ways to create value out of open government data.