Government report says public sector info should be "free"

By Ben Grubb on Dec 7, 2009 3:44 PM
Filed under Strategy

"Australia must do better" in order to keep up in the online world.

A Federal Government taskforce headed with reporting how government should engage online has released a draft report indicating that public sector information should be "free".

The taskforce recommended that in order to make public sector information more open, accessible and reusable, it should be free (in the absence of substantial marginal costs), based on open standards, easily discoverable, understandable, machine-readable and freely reusable.

It made the recomendation in a 129-page draft report posted on its website.

"Australia must do better" if it is to realise the Government's aspirations, the report said.

The Australian Government announced the taskforce in June. Finance minister Lindsay Tanner said at the time that it would "help drive government in this country into the leading ranks around the world of governments that are both open and transparent and using new technologies."

The taskforce was asked to provide advice on how government information could be made more accessible and usable in order to establish a pro-disclosure culture around public sector information.

Government report says public sector info should be "free"

1 comment in this discussion

"How true. One only has to use the Sydney Public Transport iPhone app, instantly showing you how many minutes till your next five buses or trains on your normal routes, to see how useful public ..."

By Graeme Harrison (prof at-symbol post.harvard.edu)

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Comments: 1

Graeme Harrison (prof at-symbol post.harvard.edu)

Dec 8, 2009 11:32 AM

How true. One only has to use the Sydney Public Transport iPhone app, instantly showing you how many minutes till your next five buses or trains on your normal routes, to see how useful public information can be if 'let free'. I cite this particular private sector re-use of public information, because Sydney Buses originally forbade the re-use of its 'copyright information' (timetable data). The minister overrode management.

Now let's put all that other public data out to electronically enable us all. If the valid public concern with 'standards' is safety, then all standards should be available on-line, without spending thousands of dollars to get paper-only versions... That source data was all contributed for free by experts in their field donating their time. So it is 'just plain wrong' for the government (or any associate) to charge for that data to go back to the people. Such government charges are just a 'monopoly rent'.

And how about having all channel markers and other detailed safety info for entering any of our ports being allowed for free onto Google Maps et al, rather than having state-based maritime departments claiming such safety information is their exclusive copyright - which is a nonsense anyway as anyone can re-map where such devices exist.

"The truth shall set you free."

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