[talk-au] data.gov.au datasets and PSMA Administrative Boundaries

[cleary]

A few months ago, I wrote to the Department of Prime Minister and
Cabinet seeking access to datasets published by data.gov.au including
the PSMA Administrative Boundaries. The response was that "due to the
large number of datasets on data.gov.au and, in some instances,
obligations on the government due to its licensing arrangements with its
data suppliers, we are unable to amend the licence terms, or provide
exemptions on an individual basis."

Since clarification of OSM's requirements relating to data published
under the CC BY 4.0 licence, I have written again asking if there is any
possibility of reconsideration but I am not hopeful that the response
will be positive. I also requested that the limitations of the CC BY 4.0
licence be addressed in the context of any future review of Government
policy regarding community access to public data. 

If I receive any helpful response, I will share the information on the
talk-au list.

In regard to Commonwealth Government agencies, the best approach appears
to be submission of requests to individual agencies - as has been done
successfully with the Department of the Environment and Energy and with
GeoScience Australia.

In regard to the PSMA boundaries, it appears that the data owners are
the respective state and territory governments. I think we have access
to that data in ACT, NSW and SA and it will be necessary to get
permission from the other state and territory governments for their
boundaries data. The data owners are listed at
https://www.psma.com.au/psma-data-copyright-and-disclaimer    

As far as I can ascertain, in the United States, the US federal
government policy (adopted also by some but not not yet by all states of
the US) is that data collected with taxpayers' money is published in the
public domain without any copyright restrictions. Our government is keen
to follow the United States in many areas, and I suggest keen Aussie
mappers may like to send letters or emails to their local members of
parliament, both federal and also in states where we don't yet have
access to data, highlighting difficulties with licences such as CC BY
and commending the American approach to copyright on government data, so
that public data is truly open.  You can point out that it won't cost
them money -  and while government would be making a compromise on
attribution, most users will still choose to attribute the source in
some way in order to attest to its authenticity and accuracy.  It is
unlikely to get immediate results but we can tell them now and tell them
again at election time so that we are planting seeds that may germinate
when the issue is reviewed at government level.  When politicians come
door-knocking at election time, tell them about OSM and how concerned
you are about  the current copyright restrictions on public data. That
is, of course, if the copyright restrictions on public data bother you
as much as they vex me.