The 2032 Olympics, Digital Twins and decision making

By Adam Beck | Executive Director, Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand | Secretariat, Centre for Data Leadership | Administrator, ANZ Digital Twin Hub

With this weeks announcement of Brisbane and Southeast Queensland as the 'target' candidate for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games starts to ask questions about where the Digital Twin can play a role in infrastructure and service planning and delivery.

In 2018 Infrastructure Australia released the document Infrastructure Decision Making Principles to provide a clear set of guidelines intended to drive greater transparency and accountability in infrastructure decision-making. Their intent is clear - identify the best solutions (projects) to solve our key problems.

The 11 Principles in the document recommend that project proponents identify potential infrastructure needs in response to quantified infrastructure problems, and invest in development studies to scope potential courses of action and associated risks.

The guidelines aim to promote greater accountability and transparency, and reduce instances of major projects receiving funding before appropriate planning and assessment.

Here are the 11 principles:

1. Governments should quantify infrastructure problems and opportunities as part of long-term planning processes

2. Proponents should identify potential infrastructure needs in response to quantified infrastructure problems

3. Proponents should invest in development studies to scope potential responses

4. Where an infrastructure need is identified, governments should take steps to ensure potential responses can be delivered efficiently and affordably

5. Governments should undertake detailed analysis of a potential project through a full business case and should not announce a preferred option or cost profile before undertaking detailed analysis involving multiple options

6. Proponents should assess the viability of alternative funding sources for each potential project

7. Project proposals should be independently assessed by an appropriate third party organisation

8. Governments and proponents should undertake meaningful stakeholder engagement at each stage, from problem identification and option development to project delivery.

9. Governments and proponents should publicly release all information supporting their infrastructure decisions

10. Governments should commit to, develop and release post-completion reviews

11. Where projects are funded as part of a broader program, the corresponding decision-making processes should be robust, transparent and prioritise value for money.

Highlighted above in bold are just some of the principles where Digital Twin capabilities can deliver meaningful outcomes.

In the coming months the Smart Cities Council will explore further the value add of Digital Twins in helping identify infrastructure opportunities through the application of region-wide Digital Twin.