Using multiple soil datasets to inform client decision-making

The data

The Queensland Government, through the Open Data portal, has made available a range of soil and mapping datasets in GIS (Geographic Information System) format.

The user

O2 Environment + Engineering, a specialist provider of soil and water consulting services to Queensland’s mining, gas, infrastructure and development industries, accesses the soil and mapping datasets to complete environmental assessments on behalf of their clients.

The business benefit

O2 Environment + Engineering Senior Soil Scientist, Jon Walton, describes these datasets as being fundamental and critical to the assessments he makes for his firm’s clients. His soil assessments support strategic investment and development decision-making.

The government’s Open Data website fulfils his requirement for quick and reliable access to this information. As well as soil data, Jon uses the Open Data website to download the latest digital cadastral database (DCDB) information compiled by the government. Continued and improved support for the provision of soil data on the Queensland Government’s Open Data website are essential from Jon’s perspective.

Complementary information sources

As well as accessing datasets through the Open Data website, Jon regularly approaches Soil and Land Resources staff from the Queensland Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts (DSITIA) for soil polygons, soil site data and soil profile descriptions. These are usually provided as Microsoft Access database files or in Adobe’s Portable Document Format (PDF).

Jon also regularly downloads PDF copies of reports and maps from the Queensland Government’s Environment, Land and Water library catalogue.