Open Data and
Sustainability
LYNDAL THORBURN
CHAIR, INNOVATION TASKFORCE
What is Open Data
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1. Data that can be freely used, distributed and re-used by others ot create value
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2. Made available by government in a form that enables it to be modified and used
for these purposes
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Usually a by-product of government data collection for other purposes –
non-identifying, aggregated, non-sensitive
Big Data Value Chain
How have others used open data?
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UK – 41,162 data sets on www.data.gov.uk
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412 apps, of which 249 developed by private sector
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64m people = 6.4 data set per 10,000
USA – 191,866 data sets of which 123,000 are geospatial; 152,030 federal
government
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Australia – 33,500 discoverable data sets on www.data.gov.au, 23,500
licensed, 6,600 API-enabled
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318m people = 6.0 data sets per 10,000
23.3m = 14.4 datasets per 10,000
ACT – 376 data sets
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26 sub-categories
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400,000 people = 9.4 datasets per 10,000
Examples – transport and planning
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Worldwide – GateGuru – provides real time flight status and airport
content
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USA - A to B trip planning with real-time departure information on all
modes of transit.
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ACT – Nextbus app – real-time ACTION bus info
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UK – Doorda – brings government data into a single map that provides
info about properties, hygiene reports, crime, car accidents, schools and
road safety
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UK – Geolytix – mapping and boundary information
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BuildingEye in San Francisco – citizen platform to provide easy to use
interface to access building permits, planning applications, code
enforcements, and business licences
Examples – environment and
liveability
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USA - Climate FieldView – operating and financing decisions for
farmers by data on hyper-local weather monitoring, agronomic
modelling, and high-resolution weather simulations
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Australia - Elder’s Weather – access to current and historical climate
and weather data by postcode
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UK – Walkanomics – how walkable is your street – find shortest, most
beautiful (etc) route between two points and points of interest
along the way
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Australia – MyEnvironment – overview of environmental issues based
on user’s location, including details of heritage sites, wetlands,
national parks, and protected plants and animals
Examples – energy and waste
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Australian government offers Australian waste management database –
landfills, waste transfer stations and processing facilities
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City of Toronto – Waste Wizard lookup table – how to dispose of 1500
types of waste (for households and businesses)
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Open Sky Data – Irish company building web-based integrated waste
management solution for local councils based on UK open data,
providing real time data tracking, stock management, reporting,
compliance
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UK Environment Agency What’s in Your Back Yard – interactive web map
of waste layers and historic landfills
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University of Leeds global Waste Atlas – search dump sites, landfills etc
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UK – Renewable energy map – major renewables and alternative energy
projects in the UK
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US – benchmarking to compare building performance to comparable
building classes based on energy consumption and efficiency statistics
Examples - social
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UK – FillThatHole - single site for reporting potholes and other hazards
across the whole UK
NSW/ACT – Fires Near Me app from rural bushfire service
USA – WeMakeIt Safer – direct notice of product recalls of a product
you own
FunDay Genie – plan a free day in a city as a visitor
USA – DataFerrett – tailored data analysis and extraction tool to
customise federal, state and local data
Australia – Queensland – CrimeMap – search for address to find
offences committed nearby
Canada – NewRoots – enables migrants to input information on their
education and qualifications and suggests cities where work is
available
Examples - resilience
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Open Data for Resilience Initiative (Global Facility for Disaster
Reduction and Recovery)
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UGANDA – information about drought risk
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NEPAL – open data for understanding seismic risk
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TANZANIA – used open street map to map flood prone areas and
associated buildings (materials, floors), roads, drains, water points, and
public transport
US Climate Resilience Toolkit – integration of data on flooding,
coastal flooding, human health, energy infrastructure, transport and
Arctic data