This thesis aims to define the concept of a marine cadastre through an analysis of institutional and legal aspects of Australia’s current marine based management system. It also aims to investigate the applicability of current legal, institutional and administrative land based spatial management arrangements, including the Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure (ASDI) and cadastre, to the administration of current spatial rights, restrictions and responsibilities in the marine environment. (For complete abstract open document)

The fragmentation of administrative boundaries is a serious problem in the analysis of social, environmental and economic data. This research focuses on the development of a coordinated approach to the design of administrative boundaries that endeavours to support accurate decision making. Around the world, administrative boundaries have been structured in an uncoordinated manner, limiting data exchange and integration between organisations. The solution proposed in this research adopts the hierarchical reorganisation of administrative boundaries to enhance data integration and data exchange within the spatial data infrastructure (SDI) framework.The SDI is an initiative intended to facilitate access to complete and consistent data sets. One of the most fundamental problems restricting the objectives of the SDI is the fragmentation of data between non-coterminous boundary systems. The majority of administrative boundaries have been constructed by individual agencies to meet individual needs. Examples of the proliferation of different boundary systems include postcodes, census-collector districts, health districts and police districts. Due to the lack of coordination between boundary systems, current technologies for analysing spatial data, such as geographic information systems (GIS), are not reaching their full potential. A review of the current literature reveals that, until now, little has been done to solve this problem.The prototype developed within this research provides a new mechanism for the design of administrative boundaries. The prototype incorporates two algorithms. These are based on HSR theory and administrative-agency constraints and are implemented within the GIS environment. Such an approach is an example of the potential that is available when we link spatial information theory with the SDI framework and disciplinary knowledge.

The process of decision making is best undertaken with the consideration of as much information as possible. One way to maximise the amount of information that is being used in the process is to use metadata engines. Metadata engines can be used to create virtual databases which are a collection of individual datasets located over a network. Virtual databases allow decisions to be made using data from many different data bases at many different locations on a network. They shield the user from this fact. From the users point of view they are only using data from the one location. This thesis investigates some of the concepts behind metadata engines for Internet based Spatial Data Infrastructures. The thesis has a particular emphasis on how metadata engines can be used to create virtual databases that could be of use in the planning and decision making processes. The thesis also investigates some current spatial data technologies such as SDIs, data warehouses, data marts and clearing houses, their interoperability and their relationship to metadata engines. It also explores some of the more recent spatial data applications that have been developed in the context of metadata engines and Spatial Data Infrastructures.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia Institute of Technology, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 129-137).

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Linköpings universitet, 2006. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-70) Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Also available in print.

Thesis (MComm)--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.