Photo: Google Maps with autoevolution edits
Millions of people rely on Google Maps every day to find directions to a specific destination and explore a certain location.
But if you’re turning to Google Maps to explore some parts of outback Queensland in Australia, you might come across a series of inaccuracies that local mayors are already fed up with.
As it turns out, the errors on Google Maps go as far as claiming that the town of Eromanga is some 85 kilometers from its actual location, so drivers who may use the navigation to drive to this city could end up in a completely different place.
Furthermore, according to local reports, the local Street View imagery is more than a decade old, and officials say this affects them more than you could imagine because they rely a lot on tourism.
“If you're looking at really old pictures, you might go, ‘Well I don't really want to go there’,” Winton Shire Council tourism and economic development officer Adam Head has been quoted as saying.
“I can share the sentiments of tourism operators who've invested significant money in infrastructure to upgrade and that's not being accurately reflected, whether that's on Street View or a rating system,” Barcaldine Regional Council Mayor Sean Dillon added.
Some of the errors on Google Maps have actually been fixed, but local officials claim it sometimes takes weeks for Google to update the location with the correct information.
As a result, the authorities recommend people stick with the traditional way of navigation and use the street signs to find a specific location.
“If you see a signpost saying a town is ‘this way’ and Google Maps is telling you something different, don't trust Google Maps,” Quilpie Shire Council Mayor Stuart Mackenzie said.
As seen in the screenshot in the article, the Winton, Queensland images available on Street View are dated 2008, so they’re already 13 years old.
As it turns out, the errors on Google Maps go as far as claiming that the town of Eromanga is some 85 kilometers from its actual location, so drivers who may use the navigation to drive to this city could end up in a completely different place.
Furthermore, according to local reports, the local Street View imagery is more than a decade old, and officials say this affects them more than you could imagine because they rely a lot on tourism.
“If you're looking at really old pictures, you might go, ‘Well I don't really want to go there’,” Winton Shire Council tourism and economic development officer Adam Head has been quoted as saying.
“I can share the sentiments of tourism operators who've invested significant money in infrastructure to upgrade and that's not being accurately reflected, whether that's on Street View or a rating system,” Barcaldine Regional Council Mayor Sean Dillon added.
Some of the errors on Google Maps have actually been fixed, but local officials claim it sometimes takes weeks for Google to update the location with the correct information.
As a result, the authorities recommend people stick with the traditional way of navigation and use the street signs to find a specific location.
“If you see a signpost saying a town is ‘this way’ and Google Maps is telling you something different, don't trust Google Maps,” Quilpie Shire Council Mayor Stuart Mackenzie said.
As seen in the screenshot in the article, the Winton, Queensland images available on Street View are dated 2008, so they’re already 13 years old.
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