Computerworld Smithsonian Award

[Arthur Chapman]

Australian Nature Conservation Agency Media Release
***************************************************
International Award for Australia's Environmental Resources Information Network


>From root Mon Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
Mr Mike Hill, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Nature
 Conservation
Agency (formerly the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service) today
congratulated Australia's Environmental Resources Information Network (ERIN)
 after
winning a Computerworld-Smithsonian award for the development of the
 Environmental
Resources Information System (ERIS). The award was accepted by Dr Peter
 Bridgewater,
Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Nature Conservation Agency, at a
 dinner in
Washington DC, USA on 7 June 1993.

Founded five years ago by Computerworld, a leading newspaper of the information
technology industry, and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of
 American
History, the Computerworld-Smithsonian Awards recognise creative uses of
 information
technology that benefit society.

Innovators are recognised for contributions in ten defined categories. ERIN was
nominated by SUN Microsystems, Inc. in the category 'Environment, Energy and
Agriculture'.

Mr Hill said that 'this has been an outstanding team effort, a blending of the
 best
of the new breed of young specialists with experienced team leaders, sharing the
 same
vision for the future.'

'ERIN, a group within the Australian Nature Conservation Agency, has achieved a
 high
level of international recognition in a remarkably short period. The project
 started
in 1989 with the broad objective of providing environmental information of an
 extent,
quality and availability required for planning and decision making' Mr Hill
 said. The
Environmental Resources Information System (ERIS) was developed over 2.5 years.
 This
time included a comprehensive user requirements analysis, system design, and
implementation across a wide area network.

ERIS is a network of environmental information systems, providing users with
 access
to geographically-related information through an easy to use interface.

Mr Hill said that 'ERIN has always demonstrated a commitment to providing high
quality and innovative information services. I am pleased to see that Australian
environmental information systems are gaining world-wide plaudits and that ERIN
 is
being recognised as the most advanced integrated environmental database today.

ERIS was also awarded a Gold Australian Government Technology Productivity Award
 in
February 1993.

8 June 1993

Contact:        Wayne Slater, ERIN (06) 250 0368

_________________________


The Environmental Resources Information Network
================================================
Background
-----------
The Environmental Resources Information Network (ERIN) aims to provide
 geographically
-related information of an extent, quality and availability required for
 planning and
decision making. The ERIN Program is based on co-operative efforts with those
agencies interested in environmental information and effective decision making.
 To
achieve these aims, ERIN developed the Environmental Resources Information
 System.

System design
-------------
The Environmental Resources Information System (ERIS) is a network of
 environmental
information systems, providing users with access to geographically-related
information through an easy to use interface.

Broad system design objectives dictated that the Environmental Resources
 Information
System (ERIS) must:
-       have an easy to use graphical user interface;
-       be able to integrate data from many sources and of many types, including
                tables, maps and images;
-       be accessible from a number of computing platforms including UNIX
                workstations, and IBM-compatible and Apple Macintosh personal
                computers

System components
-----------------
Major components of the ERIS include a form-based interface to a relational
 database
management system, ORACLE; geographic information systems - ArcView, ARC/INFO
 and
ERDAS; a network of UNIX based SUN computers, and IBM-compatible and Apple
 Macintosh
personal computers; and high speed networking infrastructure. The network
 includes
64KB ISDN connections linking the Australian Nature Conservation Agency, the
Australian Heritage Commission, the Commonwealth Environment Protection Agency,
 and
the Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories. These groups have
 access
to the Internet through the Australian Academic and Research Network (AARNet).
 Links have also been established to CouncilNet, a network of local government
 groups
established through the Pegasus network.

Application of the System
-------------------------
ERIS is improving the environmental decision making process by providing fast
 access to environmental information in an easy to use system. Some outputs from
 the system
have already been used:
-       by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment,
                Recreation and Arts Inquiry into the Role of Protected Areas in the
                Maintenance of Biodiversity;
-       to support the endangered species legislation - by providing access to
                information on the distribution of endangered species and
                environments around Australia;
-       to estimate forest cover across Australia for the Resource Assessment
                Commission;
-       to monitor bush fires in Northern Australia;
-       to monitor drought and map vegetation change over time;


Contact:        Stewart Noble, ERIN, (06) 250 0368