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On September 25, 2001 the Australia Commonwealth Spatial Data Committee announced a New Commonwealth Policy on Spatial Data Access and Pricing. This policy is consistent with the KPMG recommendations below. They include:
- Fundamental spatial data will be provided free of charge over the Internet, and at no more an the marginal cost of transfer for packaged products and full cost of transfer for customised services.
- There will be no restrictions on commercial value-adding to the listed fundamental spatial datasets, although each transaction will be subject to a licence setting out the conditions of the transfer.
- An Internet-based public access system will be developed within the framework of the Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure.
This has been announced as a Landmark spatial policy to boost industry (MS-Word) Senator Nick Minchin, the Minister for Industry, Science and Resources stated
"The initiatives will help position the [Australian spatial information] industry to capture a greater share of a large and rapidly growing global market - currently estimated at around $34 billion with a growth rate of 20 per cent a year"

See the Commonwealth Policy on Pricing of Fundamental Spatial Data for details. Datasets which will be free of charge include:
- Coastline (or marine and coastal boundaries) GEODATA COAST-100K Coastline and Borders
- Land Tenure
- Soils Classification
- River Catchments/Drainage Areas
- Digital topographic data at scales of 1:50k and 1:250k (raster format)
- LandSat
- Digital topographic data at scales of 1:50k and 1:250k (vector format)
A paper by Katalin T?h, Institute of Geodesy, Cartography and Remote Sensing, Budapest presented at the 6th European Community Geographic Informationa and GIS Workshop answers the question: The transition to market economy: Is it really possible in the case of Geographic Information ?
The conclusion:
"And now it is the time to give an answer to the initial question: is the transition to market economy possible in case of GI? In the case of core data: no. However the basket of core data must be clearly defined and kept as small as possible. High production costs do not allow any duplication, which is why the monopoly is acceptable.
On the other hand it is possible in the case of derived data. Nothing else is needed, but a clear framework for fair competition, and equal access to core data."
The European Commission Inter Service Group on Geographical Information (COGI) has published a paper Towards a Geographic Information Policy for the European Commission: A Position Paper from the Joint Research Centre
It includes this :
Information policy in the digital age is a relatively uncharted water. Digital information has properties that set is aside from other economic goods. For example it can be given away and retained at the same time, it is infinitely compressible, almost instantaneously transportable at next to zero cost, it is difficult to control effectively its use, and has a highly elastic demand, i.e. if the price is too high, potential users can do without it or seek alternatives. Moreover, the rapidity of technological change requires the development of information policies that are dynamic and not static (see for example Weiss and Backlund, 1997).
The European Community GI & GIS Web Portal has published a survey of National and Regional Perspectives: Geographic Information Policies in Europe. It includes this policy of the government of France:
Whilst France has had legislation on access to public sector information since 1978, the report makes the case for a policy of active dissemination of public sector information and recommends inter alia:
- That "essential data", defined as those necessary to all French citizens and residents to exercise their rights, should be accessible free of charge. Such data may include legislative, statistical, and geographic data such as administrative boundaries,
- That all agencies working for the public sector, i.e. including the utilities and private companies if working on a contract paid by the public sector, have the obligation of disseminating "essential data",
- That each organisation must submit to the government and to an independent panel a list of the "essential data" it holds already in digital format, and a digitization plan for that held in analogue format.
The Spatial Information Committee of South Australia has formed a Whole of Government Spatial Information Access and Delivery Working Group (what a moniker!) to address
"the formulation of whole-of-Government policy recommendations in relation to spatial data access and delivery, placing particular emphasis on issues identified by the user community. In the first instance, the Working Group will concentrate on formulating recommendations that relate to data pricing, data delivery and intellectual property. "
In September of 2000, The Australian Minister for Industry, Science and Resources, Senator Nick Minchin, announced the establishment of a Commonwealth interdepartmental committee to develop a policy on access to, and pricing of, Government spatial data.
"I have already agreed that my Department should work with the spatial information industry to develop an Action Agenda. That initiative will be enhanced by the Commonwealth developing a clear and consistent policy on private sector access to government spatial information," he said.
See Press Release (MS-Word format) for details.
Wonderful News!
The Minister in charge of Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), John Luxton, today announced large fee reductions for LINZ-held topographic information.
"Under the new pricing regime, all copyright fees for the reproduction of LINZ-held digital data, topographic maps and aerial photographs will be abolished. Previously a large map producer could have paid copyright fees of around $100,000 per year. Now the fee for digital data will only reflect the cost of its dissemination," Mr Luxton said.
See the complete Press Release from Land Information New Zealand. More detail in New pricing regime for maps and digital data. The reasons for the decision are worth reading.
The Queensland, Australia Department of Communication and Information, Local Government and Planning has a clear policy for providing government data at only the cost of providing access. See Attachment B - Guidelines for Consistent Charging for Government Information (Acrobat .PDF format).
The Principle of Free Access to Environmental Information is a European Environmental Internet Initiative.