The Community Access to Natural Resources Information (CANRI) program is a NSW whole-of-government initiative to establish an information sharing framework and to provide information products which support the needs of NSW communities in undertaking sustainable management of the state’s natural resources. The four year Program will be addressed, with respect to the six themes: coordination; quality and standards; data; systems; information products and services; and communications/ marketing.

CANRI is overseen by a Program Board with representatives from all major natural resources and environmental agencies. The Board is supported by the Program Implementation Group, focussing on detailed implementation issues, and a Community Reference Group which focuses on the needs of users.

• Ensuring the consistency of CANRI projects within the CANRI technical framework;
• Reviewing and advising the Board on the feasibility, technical alignment and progress of projects;
• Ensuring that the data requirements of the CANRI projects are met in a coordinated way;
• Assisting with any technical and data issues raised by Project Managers; and
• Sharing ideas to achieve synergy through discussions between members.

Key data suppliers, application developers and other stakeholders may also attend specific meetings as invited by Group members.

The Group will:

• Meet every two months or more often as required;
• Communicate between meetings by way of email discussion, using direct email to members or the public CANRI-Talk list as appropriate;

• Report to meetings of the CANRI Program Board through the Chair;
• Maintain close coordination with the Community Reference Group and the NRIMS Systems Working Group through the Chairs of each Group;
• Liaise closely with other Project Managers and committees responsible for coordinating groupings of CANRI projects; and
• Circulate meeting minutes and other reports to members, all CANRI Project Managers, the CANRI Community Reference Group and others as decided by any Group member, bearing in mind any commercial or other sensitivities.