National Freight Data Hub: New $16.5 million interactive tool set to improve freight sector

The federal government has worked with geospatial specialists to develop an interactive tool that provides valuable insights on Australia’s freight system.

The National Freight Data Hub (NFDH) will ‘improve the efficiency, safety, productivity and resilience of the freight sector’ by making key data available, according to the commonwealth.

The data covers areas such as congestion, imports and exports, the number of trucks on the road, and roadworks.

NFDH director Georgia O’Cianain said the data can be used to answer ‘enduring freight questions’, including what, when and where freight is being moved.

“The hub features interactive insights and uses cutting-edge geo-spatial visualisation tools so industry and governments get a national picture of freight movements,” she said.

“Over the next four years we will work with industry and governments to make these data samples more complete, more up to date, and more useful for decision makers.”

Last month the government committed $16.5 million over four years to establishing the national data hub.

Geospatial company Geoplex worked collaboratively with the commonwealth to develop the tool, according to the organisation’s business manager, Danny Haipola.

“The Geoplex team used the best spatial and analytical tools in an agile and user-friendly method to deliver open access to freight data,” he said.

“The team was able to bring together freight data from many sources and allow us to work on solutions to visualise this freight data and make it available to stakeholders and the public.”

Geoplex noted that one data sample showed congestion adds approximately 25% more time on key freight routes in Sydney in the morning peak and evening peaks. It found that the highest peak congestion sample was in Melbourne at 5pm, where journeys were calculated to take 38% longer across the city on key freight routes.

This article was first published by The Mandarin.