Key messages

Digital and data tools and practices are key to unlocking substantial productivity gains and efficiencies across infrastructure planning, delivery and operations. The infrastructure and construction sector has one of the slowest adoption rates of technology, innovation and digitally supported ways of working. 
Innovation supported by new technologies and digital transformation requires collaborative leadership between government and industry. Government, as regulators, owners, funders and benefactors of public infrastructure, can play a lead role in the transition away from ‘digital by exception’ towards ‘digital by default’.
There should be an initial focus on policies, developing digital skills to complement core professional competencies, and driving common standards and approaches. Single-purpose creation and procurement of information and data must transition towards an environment where it is shared, reused, structured, open and valued.
With these changes, future infrastructure will be better designed for end users, governments will unlock significant productivity gains, and infrastructure will cost less to design, deliver, operate and maintain.

What are the impacts?

A digital by default approach will enable the infrastructure sector to become more economically productive and effective.
Harnessing the power of real-time data unlocks innovative governance frameworks. This can be utilised to enable greater uptake of ePlanning, higher quality spatial information and establishing seamless cross-stakeholder data-sharing, storage and access.
As demonstrated by the New South Wales and Victorian Governments, there is potential for digital twin models to improve decision-making by integrating large amounts of spatial data to improve environmental outcomes.
Providing open source datasets will improve transparency across governments, industry and the community, improving societal benefits and supporting better-performing and more valued assets.

How easy is it to implement?

Implementing best technology practices could result in significant productivity improvements, modest cost efficiencies and improved data-driven investment decisions.
While governments have some capacity and capabilities to deliver the reform, new agencies will need to be established.

How certain are the outcomes?

While there is a strong appetite for innovation and digital tools in Australia, many actions such as digital twins are at the pilot level. Given the success of projects such as the level crossing removal in Victoria, there should be a high degree of confidence in the reform.
To a large extent, the reform will depend on industry’s ability to implement it, reducing government control.
Trust in data management, which is essential for this reform, will depend on public trust in how governments handle their data. This is often flagged as a challenge, reducing acceptance of the reform.