Framework for discussion of digital spatial data flow within cadastral systems

This is a preprint of an article whose final and definitive form has been published in The Australian Surveyor © 1999 [copyright Taylor & Francis].Current technology and digital products such as digital cadastral maps have put pressure on institutions involved in the cadastral process to cooperate to maximise efficiencies. To discuss ways that the entire cadastral process and its users can take advantage of the opportunities offered by the current and possible future technology it is necessary to study the entire cadastral process as a single system. The authors contend that the maintenance of the digital cadastral map in any cadastral system must be viewed as a process that involves all entities in the cadastral process. This paper attempts to provide a framework, which encompasses all the spatial processes of the cadastral system, to discuss and define spatial data maintenance with a focus on the digital cadastral map. The paper proposes the concept of data flows from information systems analysis techniques to establish this discussion framework. The terminology and definitions of spatial cadastral map maintenance are defined as a basis for reviewing the digital cadastral map in a number of different jurisdictions in Australia and Europe. An examination of the processes undertaken by each of the entities or institutions within the cadastral system highlights some possible future spatial data maintenance models