Smart ICT could transform Australia's infrastructure

Australia has the potential to take the lead in one of the defining industrial developments of the 21st century — the transition to a digital and smart city economy — a House Standing Committee has heard.

The House Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications held a hearing on Friday focused on the role of smart ICT in transforming the design and planning of public infrastructure.

The committee commenced its inquiry in May and has so far received 33 submissions from organisations including IBM Australia, Telstra, the National Archives, the Australian Technology Network of Universities and Aurecon Digital Advisory.

Aurecon, which specialises in the delivery of social and economic infrastructure, presented its submission during Friday's hearing.

In its report, the company recommends that the government mandate the use of building information modelling (BIM) — involving using digital technologies to unlock more efficient methods of designing, creating and maintaining assets — in all public information projects.

Aurecon noted that by investing in smart infrastructure, Australia would also generate the data required to create a digital and smart city economy with the potential to transform the lives of all Australians.

The federal Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development's submission was also presented at the hearing. Its submission calls for the integration of smart ICT into the deployment and operation of transport infrastructure.

Technologies could be used to better manage freight and passenger movements, increase safety for all road users and decrease demands on both infrastructure and the environment. The submission notes that the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System has been used since the 1970s to help detect traffic flows and manage jams.

The Australasian Procurement and Construction Council, the peak body representing the organisations responsible for construction, procurement, property and asset management for state and territory governments, stressed the need for a national focus on transforming infrastructure.

In its submission, the council said it is concentrating on developing industry-wide use of BIM as well as project team integration (PTI) in Australian building and construction. The impetus is to help reduce construction costs and promote modern building practices.

The national framework for the implementation of PTI and BIM calls for the adoption of new technologies and smart ICT both to help reduce construction costs and to improve efficiency in related fields such as disaster planning.

Engineers Australia noted that while Australia’s approach to infrastructure management and development has improved over the past 15 years, change has been piecemeal and hesitant. The organisation recommended a more systematic change in the way infrastructure is managed.

While smart infrastructure is likely to cost more in the short term, it will also provide substantially greater benefits over the long term, the organisation's submission states. It recommends courses of action including exploring using big data analytics to improve infrastructure productivity and using spatial information including information modelling to aid in the overall planning of infrastructure.

According to committee chair Jane Prentice, smart ICT has the power to transform the way critical infrastructure is planned, developed and interacted with.

"With careful management, appropriate resourcing and targeted incentives, we have the opportunity to radically improve the efficiency and effectiveness of transport systems, public utilities and the urban environment," she said.

The Terms of Reference for the inquiry involve identifying innovative technologies for the mapping, modelling, design and operation of infrastructure, identifying new capabilities and examining the productivity benefits of smart ICT.

The committee will identify international best practice for employing smart ICT in the design and planning of infrastructure, and explore harmonising data formats and creating nationally consistent arrangements for data storage and access.

Image courtesy of Simon_sees under CC