HORSHAM Rural City Council has started the process of making more data available to the public in a useful format via a community mapping project.
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The project involves using Geographic Information Systems to present data about economic, environmental and social data on an interactive map.
Horsham council has partnered with Hindmarsh, West Wimmera, Yarriambiack and Northern Grampians shire councils.
The project is also supported by Grampians Wimmera-Mallee Water Wimmera Development Association and the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority.
Horsham council chief executive Peter Brown said the project was launched online this month and resident coudl look up details about properties in the region’s shires.
“We have taken our first step, and there’s a long way to go, but what we have achieved so far is a map that looks very similar across the region,” he said.
“You can get on to each property and see data, particularly planning data.
“It will help with understanding the planning scheme for each municipality.”
Mr Brown said the map was aimed both at people in region, those who might move from one shire to another or move in from elsewhere.
“For example if you wanted to know when the garbage was collected in a new area, you could look it up on the map,” Mr Brown said.
“If the council has wards, you could look up who your ward councilor was.
“People will have more and more information available on the map as time goes by.”
The shires are interested in putting flood data on the map as well from catchment management authorities.
“If the people want to see the sort of potential for community maps, they can go on the Geelong council website,” Mr Brown said.
“It’s further advanced than us, it’s what we want to reach.
“Yarriambiack has a defibrillator map; we have a dog leash area map.”
Links to community maps :