Thank you for your enquiry about login access to the Office of Environment and Heritage’s
(OEH’s) Atlas of NSW Wildlife database. Data in the Atlas is made available in accordance
with OEH’s
Sensitive Species Data Policy.
Logging in to the Atlas allows users to access a ‘secure’ version of the system.
Users are able to perform all the functionalities available via the public BioNet-Atlas
site, as well as to access additional functionalities and information.
There are two levels of login access to the Atlas system:
1. Registered users have a login which enables them to:
a) Upload spreadsheets of species sightings (for example to fulfil scientific licence
requirements);
b) Interrogate the Codes and Species modules for full lists of codes and taxonomic
details used across the Atlas system;
c) Interrogate the TS profiles module, to access full lists and profiles of threatened
species and communities;
d) Access the Data Analysis function in the VIS Flora survey module, in order
to export flora survey site data and carry out survey data analysis.
Registered users only see the “public” view of Atlas data. They do not have access
to any more location information than is made publicly available, without login,
via the Bionet-Atlas website. Thus the Atlas Search for public/registered users
returns ‘as-held ’co-ordinates for non-sensitive species, but coordinates for category
2 sensitive species are denatured to 0.1 degree (~10km), and co-ordinates for category
3 sensitive species are denatured to 0.01 degree (~1km). Location notes are not
provided for species occurrences. Please note that the Atlas Search module will
retrieve species occurrence records from across the entire Atlas system, including
relevant records from the VIS Flora survey and Fauna survey modules. For public/registered
users, the VIS Flora survey search provides as-held site coordinates, but does not
return records for category 2 or 3 sensitive species. For public/registered users,
the Fauna survey module is not available for independent interrogation
2. Licensed users have a login which enables them to perform functionalities
(a) to (d) above, as well as to:
e) Interrogate the Fauna survey module for information about fauna surveys or sites;
f) Enter systematic survey data into the VIS Flora survey and/or Fauna survey modules
of the Atlas (conditions apply);
g) Access more detailed location information about sensitive species than is made
publicly available (conditions apply). The Atlas Search for licensed users returns
coordinates for category 2 sensitive species denatured to 0.01 degree (~1km), and
returns coordinates for category 3 sensitive species (and all non-sensitive species)
at as-held accuracy. Location notes are supplied for all species occurrence records
except category 2 sensitive species. For licensed users, the VIS Flora survey search
and the Fauna survey search provide as-held site coordinates, but these searches
do not return records for category 2 sensitive species.
Apply to register
(if you require licensed level access, do not apply to register. Instead, apply
for a licence
here)
As a registered user, you will be able to login to the Atlas system in order to
upload spreadsheets of species sightings. Spreadsheets are uploaded to a staging
facility for checking by Wildlife Data Unit staff, prior to being imported into
the main Atlas. It may be necessary for someone in the Wildlife Data Unit to contact
you, for data validation or clarification purposes.
In order to create a registered login for you, we require the following information:
Mandatory fields are marked with an asterisk (*).
Please note the application form may not submit from a tablet computer. Tablet users
should send the required information in an email to
atlas@environment.nsw.gov.au
Application for an Atlas Data Licence
A licensed user has additional, conditional, access privileges to the Atlas database.
Like a registered user, a licensed user is able to upload spreadsheets of species
sightings. In addition, specialist licensed users may be assigned data entry rights
to enter systematic survey data into the VIS Flora survey and/or Fauna survey modules
of the Atlas. (In order to be assigned survey data entry rights, licensed users
are required to enter into a separate Atlas Survey Data Provider Agreement with
OEH – contact the Wildlife Data Unit
for more information).
Very importantly, a licensed user has access to more detailed location information
about sensitive species than is made publicly available. For species categorised
as “sensitive” under OEH’s
Sensitive Species Data Policy , location information is denatured or withheld
from public display. Access to more precise location information is only provided
under licence, for purposes of environmental assessment and planning or for non-commercial
scientific research.
In order to create a licence for you or your company/agency, we require the following
information:
Mandatory fields are marked with an asterisk (*).
Please note the application form may not submit from a tablet computer. Tablet users
should send the required information in an email to
atlas@environment.nsw.gov.au
In order to fully assess your application for a licence, OEH may need to contact
you for further information. If your licence application is successful, an Atlas
Data Licence will be sent to you for signature. OEH may refuse to grant a data licence
to any client. In general OEH will grant a data licence where, in OEH's opinion,
client access to location information about sensitive species is required for the
purposes of environmental management or for non-commercial scientific research.
If you have any questions about filling in this form please contact the data exchange
officer at atlas@environment.nsw.gov.au.
