Mapping Tool Instructions

Mapping toolinstructions

Your tender submission must include mapping. The following instructions explain howto make your map, save it, and provide it as a KML file as part of your submission. To do this you will drawone or more polygon areas (borders around a specific land area) for your project and attribute them with one or more Regional Land Partnerships (RLP) outcomes. Alternatively,polygon areascan be loadedfrom an existing KML file and then attributed with the RLP outcome/s.

Browser Compatibility:

This mapping tool is known to work with the following browsers:

- Internet Explorer version 10 and above (Internet Explorer’s Compatibility View is not supported)

- Chrome version 36 and above

- Firefox version 17 and above

If you experience any issues please ensure that you are using the latest browser version.

Contents

1. Launching the mapping tool

2. Copying and Recording your mapping tool link

3. Navigating to the general area of interest

4. Drawing a polygon area or multiple areas

5. Modifying polygon areas and clearing the map

6. Saving and downloading your map

7. Advanced features

8. More information

1. Launching the mapping tool

The mapping tool launchesvia a link inthe tender document.

The tool opens in the basic map view which showsManagement Units, roads, creeks and property boundaries. You may prefer to use the satellite image which can be accessed by clicking the ‘Satellite’ button at the top leftside of the map. If you want to go back to the basic map view at any time, click on the ‘Map’ button next to the ‘Satellite’ button.

2. Copying and Recording your mapping tool link

The link on the Austender form initiates a new blank mapping tool, every time it is clicked. It CANNOT BE USED TO RETURN TO YOUR MAPPINGif you have closed your internet browser.
To save your mapping and ensure you can access it in the future, you must click the “Save Mapping” button at the top right of your map and then follow the steps below.
When you click the “Save Mapping” a window will appear stating“Your map has been saved”. This only confirms your mapping has been received at environment.gov.au.
Youmust then click “copy” and then record your unique mapping tool URL link, before you close your browser session. You should paste (ctrl + v) the link into a text document saved on your local computer.
Toreturn later to your mapping, copy the link from where you have saved it, paste it into your browser’s URL bar and press “enter”.

3. Navigating to the general area of interest- using Search andPan/Zoom

Type a town or location into the search box in the upper left of the screen. The tool will suggest a list ofplacesbased on what you type, and you can select the closest location by clicking on the listed place.

Pan and Zoom

After the tool has taken you to the general area of your search, you can move the map in any direction by ’zooming‘ and ’panning‘.

Navigate to your area of interest by zooming and panning on the map image.
Zoom in as close as you can to your area of interest to help ensurehigh accuracy in your project mapping.

4. Drawing a polygonarea or multiple areas

Select the drawing tool at top of the map window
Your mouse will now turn into a cross symbol
Place your cross at a place where you want to start drawing and click the left mouse button to make your first point.
Continue placing points around your area until you get back to the starting point. To finish your polygon, click back on your first point.
TIP: You can pan around the map whilst in draw mode by holding down the left mouse button and dragging mouse, then release the mouse button to return to drawing.
Once you have created the polygon area an information window willappear (if you have made a mistake at this stage, you can use the ‘Delete’ button to remove the polygon and start again).
The information box gives you the area of the polygon, and the perimeter length around it.
In the information window you will be asked to add a title for the site andto select the sites regional outcome/s(by clicking on the outcome in the list) then click the ‘OK’ button.
If there will be more than one outcome achieved in this polygon area, you can hold down the Control key on your keyboard (Ctrl) and select multiple options with the left mouse button, then click ‘OK’.
In the top right of the map the total area of all your polygons is shown.

Area of this polygon Combined area of all polygons

After clicking ‘OK’ you can add another polygonarea by following these steps again.
Click the ‘Save Mapping’ button in the top right of the screen to save your work.

5. Modifying polygonareas and clearing the map

If you need to modify a polygon area, use the hand tool and left mouse buttonto click and drag the relevant white points. To make new points along the boundary click and drag the semi-transparent (partly see through) points.

To undo the last point you dragged, click the back symbol. It will appear every time you shift a point.
To edit apolygon’sTitle or Regional Outcometext, select the hand tool and then click inside the polygon. The information window (as described above) will appear and you can make edits.
Once you’ve made edits, click ‘OK’ to confirm and close the information window. Alternatively, click ‘Cancel’ if you don’t want to keep any of the changes you just made.
If you click the ‘Delete’ button you will delete the whole polygon. Beware – you cannot undo this action and will have to redraw any area intended for that location.

The ‘Delete All Polygons’ button in the bottom left of the screen is used to delete all existing polygonareas and information. Beware - you cannot undo this action.

6. Saving and downloadingyour map

Incomplete polygons will not be saved, sobefore you save, make sure you have finished drawing and that the information window is closed by pressing ‘OK’.

After clicking ‘OK’ in the information window, click the ‘Save Mapping’ button.You can save your mapping at any time by clicking the ‘Save Mapping’ button. You can return to the mapping tool to adjust your maps at any time, until you finally submit the form.

Once your mapping has been saved and you have finished all mapping, you can use the ‘Download’ button (bottom left of screen) to download a KML data file of your mapping for submission with your tender and to keep for your records. KML files can be viewed in many mapping applications, such as Google Earth ( and National Map (

Then

Upload your KML file with your submission on AusTender

7. Advanced features

Loading Google Earth KML files

Note: 1. This feature is only available on Firefox browser versions 13 and above, or Internet Explorer versions 10 and above. It should also work with most other browsers if they are upto date.

2. Please make sure KML files only contain polygon areas.

3. Take care using this feature – if you load an existing KML file it will over-ride and clear all existing mapping you have done using the tool.

4. For more information on Google Earth KML file see (

If you already have a Google Earth KML file with polygon areas for your project,you can browse to it using the ‘Load from File (KML)’ button in the bottom left of the screen.

IMPORTANT: To avoid losing any existing mapping when you load a KML (see point 3 above) you should always load an existing KML file first and then add any new polygons as required, rather than the other way around. If you have multiple KMLs that you wish to merge into one, before loading it into the tool, you can do this within Google Earth Pro, which can be freely downloaded at
Browse to a KML file on your file system and click ‘Open’ to upload the KML file to the map.

Once loaded, you can use the hand tool to edit polygon areas - any existing information from your KML file canbe edited if it is not correct. REMEMBER, after loading, or editing, and pressing ‘OK’ you should press the “Save Mapping“ button before downloading your mapping.

8. More information

For more information or assistance using the mapping tool while submitting a tender application please contact: