Minute of the Fiji Geospatial Information Council (1ST Quarter FGIC) Meeting Held at the Banyan Room, Holiday Inn. Time: 10.00 am, Friday 28th March, 2014 Attendees: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18) 19) 20) 21) 22) Mr Tevita Boseiwaqa (Chairman) Mr Alipate Qetaki Mr Opetaia Ravai Mr Josua Wainiqolo Mrs Nelly Snow Mr Conway Pene Mrs Vasiti Soko Mr Michael Gloeckle Mr Atunaisa Kove Mr Jovesa Matakasa Mrs Reijeli Taylor Mr Nick Rollings Mr Wolf Forstreuter Emily Artack Mr Paserio Samisoni Mr Conway Pene Mr Samuela Naicegucegu Mr David Chang Mr Asakaia Tabua Mrs Akata Takala Mr Malakai Vakautawale Mr Lorosio Raikivi PS-Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources General Manager TLTB CEO-Water Authority of Fiji WAF TLTB MWH Global Fiji Sugar Tribunal NDMO NDMO DTCP DTCP USP SOPAC SOPAC SOPAC MWH Land Use Unit Lands Department Lands Department Lands Department Lands Department Lands Department Apologies: 1) Mr Tim Brown 2) Mr Viliame Gucake 3) Mrs Seini Tabete Fiji Sugar Tribunal Ministry of Sugar Ministry Finance 1) Welcome The Meeting opened at 10.10am. The CEO for WAF opened the meeting with a prayer. 1.1) The PSLMR and chairman, Mr Boseiwaqa, welcomed all council members and invitees to the 1st Quarter 2014 FGIC meeting. o Appreciation towards the senior government officials and private organisation for seeing the importance of attending this meeting. o FGIC has noticed that the GIS curriculum has now being taken in by the Scholarship body of the government. o Chairman has requested support by the membership and to keep abreast with Geospatial Information management. Because the world is looking at Fiji is the catalyst for development of GIS in the Pacific. o The council has adopted the international way of holding meetings by questioning those who disagree (second the motion/No) and not on the old system, makes the meeting short. o The University of the South Pacific have formally written to the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources for the support of the 2|Page 2) Review of minutes of last meeting: o Mr Opetaia requested on the explanation on Satellite Imagery (Presentation 2 ,Discussion (2),Page #6) : Respond by Mr Wolf (SOPAC)-Image data from Digital Globe, SOPAC is a data reseller for the Pacific .Have discount for GIS user in the Pacific, so that data can be stored on Government server and distributed for a lower price, the high resolution o GM TLTB thanked the Technical committee for their presentation at their Senior Management Meeting.  2.1 : Dialogue on the Resolution of the last meeting : (Resolution 1)Draft MOU with TLTB and Lands Department. (Resolution 2)Geodetic change-Committee and consultant to be engaged, Lands Department working on it and looking for a project officer to take the lead role in the coordination ,to liaise with national and regional body  2 officers will go to Malaysia to attend a workshop relating to the above. Mr Qetaki requested that we be prompt in doing this as other Pacific nations are far ahead. (Resolution 3)GIS in National Level to be captured in framework:  A draft has been prepared by the Technical Advisory committee, comments and suggestion will be discussed on the later agenda.  Appreciation for those organisations that had responded to the draft, which were good comments and it shows the interest by the organisations. (Resolution 4) Terms of Reference:  TOR has been completed, TOR attached on the Papers circulated. (Resolution 5)New members to be invited for join the Technical Invited.  Has been done, they have met but some are not present during the meeting. (Resolution 6) Meeting with AG’s office on “Data Sharing” clause :  Technical Committee had a Meeting with SG’s office; message by the SG’s office is that the clause on the constitution is open to interpretation. Organisations will share data based on their own relevant acts or legal framework.  TLTB commented on the “Clause” of the Constitution, especially on number 3-on the freedom of legislations which will limit and the extent of the data being free or the rights to access it.  Mr Conway stated the council should stand on the distinctions of data and information, for most organisations it’s the raw data. And also the recognition that information technology plays in facilitating the transfer of data, for data provide does not satisfy the person asking. (Resolution 7) Technical Committee to advocate on FGIC :  Visitation to organisation that have requested the committee to present to them. (Resolution 8)Present the idea of GEO Net to ITC:  Letter has been written to ITC Manager, formal request for assistance and no feedback from them. Chairman requested for committee to follow up on it. (Resolution 9)Annual GIS Conference for Fiji:  Fiji own GIS Forum to be held back to back in November because the GIS companies who come for the regional conference can also showcase during the Fiji GIS Conference.  Mr Ravai stated if during the conference if there could be an expo for the students to promote that GIS is a viable career. 3|Page  Mr Chair requested Technical Committee to discuss and to present on next meeting on the details of the proposed Fiji GIS Conference. (Resolution 10)Presentation to TLTB by the committee:  Have been done and suggestion/comments discussed later in the agenda. (Resolution 11)Change the title for the “Land use master plan”:  Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources still working on the cabinet paper for the above 2.2) Council members have agreed to the remedy and amendment of the resolutions. 3) Update by Technical Advisory Committee Presented by the Chairperson-Mrs Akata Takala (Lands Department) The committee met twice for the 1st quarter of 2014.They had met to discuss and resolve the resolution of the 4th quarter meeting. o For the domination of Lands staff in the Technical Committee, this has been resolved; only 2 senior officers are part of the committee, together with Mr Conway Pene as the consultant, Vasiti from Fiji Sugar Tribunal. o The committee has sent invitation for organisation to attend a meeting for the discussion of the Terms of Reference, GIS Framework and FGIC. o Visited TLTB /DTCP/Fiji Sugar Tribunal and Commissioner Northern and presented on FGIC/National Geospatial Strategy/Data Sharing& Data Custodianship policy. o 4) Items for discussion: o 4.1) Comments on National Geospatial Strategy Comment 1-NDMO o Needed to include emergency management and/or disaster risk management on Strategy: Committee will factor in changes accordingly. Comment 2: WAF o The CEO Water Authority agreed to the respond by the Committee on their comment for the National Strategy. o On that note, for the Technical committee to take on board the comment by WAF on the provision of the socio-economic status for them to liaise with Bureau of Statistics. Comment 3: PSC o Discussed the comment with the floor, GM TLTB underline the need of a legal framework. o Mr Conway Pene suggested that we be mindful of the 5 strategic goal and should be for the proper coordination of the GIS industry and to ask if we “NEED” legal framework. o Mr Nick Rollings contributed that GIS proficiency is for the Council to support for it. 4|Page o GM TLTB suggested that the strategy can be a foundation for the legal framework, Mr Chair suggested that the committee paper on it, and research on other countries stand or action on the above. Comment 4: TLTB GM TLTB wishes to engage genuine consultation on data information with the technical committee. o Mr Chair suggested that the committee to extend an invitation FNU and University of Fiji for the next meeting and for part 9 of comment 4: Ministry of Lands was given Secretariat role since the FLIS section is under the Ministry of Lands, and also because of the budgetary implication. o GM TLTB commented that in the long run we will need an independent body for the administration of FGIC,if the council could agree on now and establish it later, but Mr Chair has said that this was approved by cabinet, if there is to be a change another submission needed to be made for cabinet approval. o Mrs Taylor of DTCP, contributed that all areas of consideration for the setup of an independent body should be explored. The grounds of strategy/formwork/policy and acts must be adhered to so it can be the benchmark for it. o Mr Pene stressed about the 5 principle of the Strategy in which the council should adhere to : : Spatial information is easy to understand, easy to integrate, easy to interpret, easy to use : Spatial information is collected once to agreed stands to use by many : spatial information is easily discovered and easily accessed : Spatial information that is of national importance is readily available and not unduly restricted : Spatial information is preserved and protected is an archive. My Pene added that even thou we operate under different policy/act and legislations, we should all think about the bigger picture for the FGIC. CEO WAF contributed that the membership of the council is made up of people from organisations, if a protocol is to be signed and the basic of the protocol to be the legal framework, this for the case of data sharing instead of doing individuals MOU. o o o Comment 5: Land Use Unit o FGIC is taking in the revised strategy of 1990 that was approved by Cabinet.DLU stressed that cabinet need to be made aware that the strategy is being revised. The Ministry of Lands is doing this as the secretariat of the council. 4.2) General comments on Data Sharing and Data Custodian policy. Comments: o o 5|Page Mr Chair emphasised that data sharing processes be dealt with after the strategy has been endorsed by cabinet.GM TLTB suggested that a skeleton of the processes be included with the submission to cabinet since it will be another disturbance to do another submission. (Technical committee to further elaborate during the discussion with TLTB).For data sharing, each organisation can liaise with SG’s office of the vetting of the MOU. Council have agreed that there is need for more consultation with relevant stakeholders on the issue of data sharing. o Mr Nick Rollings elaborated on the strategy of Australia; it was a long process because of the different state with different legislations, because legislations are complex. 5) USP –PLAN FOR GIS DEGREE PROGRAMME,Dr Nick Rollings o o o 5.1) o At the early stage for the establishment of the professional degree in GIS, trying to meet standards and also have started sending letters to relevant organisation that uses GIS as a working tool. At the moment the university offers a certificate and diploma in GIS, much appreciate if the council and relevant organisation gives a professional support. Getting feedbacks from organisation on the inclusion of GIS/Remote sensing units to be included, which involves spatial analysis, more remote sensing and cartography. Dr Rollings suggested that professional certification be done by the council, it would require people to be engaged in their particular field of work and continue training, and this would give them a professional certification in GIS or Surveying. GIS will also have a unit in the foundation level. Respond: The floor has all agreed for the Secretariat of the council to write a letter of support by the Fiji Geospatial Information Council to the School of Geography on the matter above. 6) PRESENTATIONS 6.1) WATER AUTHORITY-UPDATE ON WATER ADMINISTRATION o o o Presented on the data transition from paper drawing to integrated data with GIS. Have created a web map with data including sewer line, pipes, manhole, meter location and etc. Have used Lands Department cadastral data as the base map for their web map. Most of the data are translated from MapInfo format to CAD format. The main web application is being manipulated, sorted and updated, have icons that help user within the authority to use, this has help the day to day work for them. Comment 1: o Mr Michael of NDMO questioned what happens if there is a disster? How do they respond to enquiries and questions on affected areas? Respond: o CEO WAF responded on the super text that the organisation has engaged in, for example the Waila upgrade, mobile users all received text messages about it. That is another way that the organisation is moving and keeping abreast with technology. o The challenge now is for all WAF billers to provide their mobile numbers to the authority so that they can register to receive such texts. Comment 2: 6|Page o Mrs Vasiti Soko of Fiji Tribunal had 3 questions for WAF : 1.) As a consumer, whether in future WAF will be providing maps of affected areas, since most people have access to computers? 2.) If WAF have a real time monitoring with water connection? 3.) Moat f the sugar farmers have no water connection, how can WAF provide connection assistance? Respond: o CEO WAF Question 1: Yes, map can be done and put on the WAF website for viewing. Question 2: For illegal connections, there is no system in place to monitor that. Question 3: It can be done, but for service connection there is nothing online that can detect that. Farmers who need water connection will need to apply. JWainiqolo: Nearest neighbour application – In which the person calling can give his lot details and draws up the distance to the nearest water pipes available, should be less than 15 metres, it is more then the person will have to pay more for connection. Comment 3: DTCP(RT) Does water authority have any information about informal settlement around the urban areas and their water usage level? Respond: o CEO WAF-Yes they have information on them and the usage if they are connected, but it can be seen that it is used by many families. o Comment 4: o MWH(CP) The use of map for public relation tool, the map was produced by Josua and provided to MWH, that the map was very useful and accurate. 6.2 )Presentation 2 – LANDS DEPARTMENT-“Assistance to NDMO” Mr. Raikivi showed a web map that was provided to NDMO during the February flooding in the Central Eastern division; it showed the low lying areas below 10 metres that are prone to flooding. And it also included the evacuation centres, roads and bridges that were provided by NDMP for mapping. Comments: o NDMO (MG) Satellite Imagery can also be overlaid with the web map, but we will need to purchase from SOPAC. o MWH (CP) made a comment on the approval given to two companies to fly Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).On the same note, o 7|Page Mr Wolf of SOPAC has confirmed that SOPAC will be also purchasing a UAV. 7) Closing Statement: o Mr Chair stated that it has been seen that private organisation are far ahead with GIS and thus the government bodies will need to adapt ,more awareness on GIS need to done. Thus, the technical committee will need to visit other government ministries and bodies for awareness for the purpose of strengthening GIS and FGIC in Fiji. o The Chair thanked all those who attended the meeting and requested that we continue to share our views and ideas on the strategy. o Next meeting is scheduled for May 2014, Technical Committee to formalise a date and advice the council members. Meeting closed at 1.15pm. Thank you, Mr Malakai Vakautawale Secretary 8|Page