The Council therefore strongly encourages Governments to resource these agencies adequately in recognition of their importance to the nation's future across a wide spectrum of areas, which include:

	providing an independent assessment of the nation's minerals, petroleum and water potential;
	providing pre-competitive data and information to reduce exploration risk, encourage investment in Australia, and promote the sustainability of minerals and petroleum supplies;
	facilitating accurate and efficient collection of geoscientific data to provide reliable data bases;
	setting standards in consultation with industry and international bodies to increase the efficiency of data and information management and exchange, and
	increasing the community's level of understanding of the importance of geoscience through targeted awareness programs and by making available balanced factual information to the public.