Inaccurate NSW Topo Maps

[thejungleisneutral]

I don't usually look at the GPS as I walk, but I noticed today some big errors on the NSW eTopo map

I thought I might create a thread where folks who track their route while using NSW LPI eTopo mapping can post inaccuracies via screenshots.

Here's the one from today - McCallum's walking track from Long Point near Tallong NSW, down onto McCallum's flat on the Shoalhaven River. According to the GPS track this well-formed track is way off course on the map.

MAP - 8928-3N CAOURA 1:25k eTopo

ERROR/S - McCallum's Walking track is shown way off course after it passes Kingpin Mountain.

SCREENSHOT OF TRACK -

[GPSGuided]

I get the impression that the map office cares little about walking tracks as they seemed to be more keen on removing tracks from their latest edition than correcting them.

[kanangra]

Yes I noticed the same thing when I was down there recently but does it really matter? It is pretty obvious on the ground that you're not following the marked route of the track.

k.

[michael_p]

Over time tracks can change. Some changes are on purpose and some incidental. My bet is that the track in question was added to the map decades ago and has never been reviewed and is never likely to be reviewed.

Similar thing happened several years ago to me after NPWS changed the Coastal Track in the RNP. The new track is way off from the old and my GPSr track log looked very "off-track".

Nowdays I treat all tracks published on a topo as a guide only and expect that some change may have occurred since publication. This includes any e-version of topos, which are just an electronic version of the paper map and will contain the same errors as a paper version.

Cheers,
Michael.

[GPSGuided]

Agree. As for significant changes after a major bushfire.

[tom_brennan]

BWRS was tracking some things like this, though more about features than tracks. I don't think it's been updated recently
http://www.bwrs.org.au/?q=MapErrors

You could ask LPI whether they want to get feedback on issue like yours.

I agree that LPI is a bit useless on this. There was a long standing error with the old Grassy Hill Fire Trail near Canoe Creek on the Colo. They seem to have "fixed" that by removing the incorrect section of fire trail altogether! Even though it's there on the ground.

I've prepared numerous sketch maps for my bushwalking web site http://bushwalkingnsw.com/ and in marking tracks (off GPS/local knowledge) I've certainly noticed numerous times when the LPI tracks are out, sometimes by quite some way.

And then you get tracks that they do have on their map, like the one up Glenbrook Creek from the Duck Hole, which is really just a way of route...

[GPSGuided]

Have been in touch with LPI on a similar issue. Whilst they are courteous, I also get the impression that they are short of resources and these are not their priority.

[Allchin09]

The tracks on Open Street Maps are usually more reliable than those provided by Lands. Unfortunately, I think that updating the OSM maps would be of greater benefit than trying to get Lands to make changes to their maps.

[DaveNoble]

It was common for commercial maps - e.g. street maps, to have deliberate errors (e.g. a small lane added, or a road connected the wrong way) in order to detect any copyright infringements. So if another company produced a map of the same streets and reproduced the same errors - then this would show that they have not done independent research.

Dave

[puredingo]

The Ensign/Barallier track on the Nattia sheet has a doozy. It sends you over a big chunk of land through some hellish scrub, it done me for a few extra hours of the day and a heap of precious energy!

[andrewharvey]

The tracks on Open Street Maps are usually more reliable than those provided by Lands. Unfortunately, I think that updating the OSM maps would be of greater benefit than trying to get Lands to make changes to their maps.

Yes, this track shown is just waiting to be added to OSM http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=15/-34.7762/150.0559

[GPSGuided]

Yes, this track shown is just waiting to be added to OSM http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=15/-34.7762/150.0559

That's a hard one without actual GPS track log. The available aerial imagery does not have enough information for manual entry.

[andrewharvey]

That's a hard one without actual GPS track log. The available aerial imagery does not have enough information for manual entry.

The original poster did seem to have the logged the track via GPS. Otherwise someone else will come along sooner or later with the track logged.

[sharpstones]

I've also found that the present Auto-generated series of the printed maps to be a bit bizarre. I often look at the Katoomba map so I've picked up on the changes like: inclusions of extra tracks eg. Dark's Caves at Leura...some labeling changes...elimination of the little warning about the Horse Track at Blackheath being unmaintained...and then what I found to be the worst was was the inclusion of the Lindeman Pass with some seemingly huge inaccuracies - eg. Gordan Falls. I did notice that some of the track inclusions that occurred are what sits on the NSW Map layer at SIX maps but these changes were not interpolated into the "Topo Maps (current)" layer until some months back. What I'm wondering is - where did they source the track information from!

I think that on the printed maps they should add a disclaimer below the warning on trespass:
"Map users should not rely on track accuracy without prior investigation."

Besides that I dislike the way the current series look - slight changes to the text, colouration etc.

As once was written on their maps:
Department of Lands
"Reliable from the ground up"

[tom_brennan]

What I'm wondering is - where did they source the track information from!

I think they just make it up!

See
http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=15767
for another example of great mapping in action.

[jeremy089786]

We got stung by this very trail. We were planning on hiking up the ridge to find it but we never go there and had to go all the way back down to the river!

Trip report, showing the same cut out that you provided:
http://adventuresandtinkerings.blogspot ... eater.html

[ribuck]

After walking the path from Long Point both ways over the last couple of days and recording a GPS track, I've edited the path on OpenStreetMap to reflect reality. Unfortunately I can't do anything about the fiction on the LPI maps.

[GPSGuided]

After walking the path from Long Point both ways over the last couple of days and recording a GPS track, I've edited the path on OpenStreetMap to reflect reality. Unfortunately I can't do anything about the fiction on the LPI maps.

Good on you! More the merrier on OSM and it's for a whole world to see.