Chapter 5 Infrastructure and the environment
5.1
The Committee heard a range of evidence about the opportunities for
Australia to increase its use of innovative ICT applications to better manage
its built and natural resources and to improve environmental sustainability.
5.2
The Committee was told that an expanded digital economy, supported and
enhanced by the NBN, can provide a means to ‘dematerialise’ the traditional economy.
That is, it can replace ‘physical goods and activities with network based
alternatives’,[1] allowing the economy to
grow with less need to consume physical resources or to damage the environment.[2]
SAIC Pty Ltd described a critical development from broadband expansion as:
… the ability to better manage our consumption of critical
natural resources. Population growth, changing environmental conditions, and
technology expansion itself continue to stress the regional and global supplies
of oil, gas and water to limits that threaten sustainability. Ultimately, our
ability to counter the stress we are putting on our natural resources will rely
on our abilities to reduce demand for power and energy, better predict storms
and floods, and more effectively provide food and water to our populations.[3]
5.3
There are a range of broadband-enabled technologies that can be employed
to achieve more efficient use of resources. For example, ‘smart
infrastructure’, which involves combining ICT technologies with infrastructure
such as electricity grids, road networks and water systems, enables that
infrastructure to be used more efficiently and sustainably.[4]
Infrastructure Australia has identified a national broadband network as one of Australia’s
key infrastructure priorities, largely because of its ability to enable smart
infrastructure technologies that make better use of Australia’s existing
infrastructure.[5] A ubiquitous NBN will
serve as an enabler for this type of convergence between the physical and
digital world, providing the network that is required to transport the extremely
large amount of data generated by these activities.[6]
5.4
Access Economics has estimated that employing intelligent technologies
into five key infrastructure areas could increase Australia’s labour
productivity by 0.5 per cent, create more than 70 000 jobs and increase GDP by between
$35 and $80 billion over the first 10 years of implementation.[7]
5.5
This chapter will initially discuss some of the ways the NBN can lead to
energy savings and reduced carbon emissions by promoting activities such as
tele-working and green data centres. It will then explore how the NBN will enable
better management of resources through the use of intelligent sensor networks. Finally,
it will discuss how the NBN can increase the accessibility of spatial data,
satellite and mapping services.
Reducing energy use and carbon emissions
5.6
The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) told the
Committee that ICT initiatives, supported by a world class national broadband
network, have the potential to cut Australia’s carbon emissions by 21 per cent.[8]
5.7
The Federal Government has identified as one of the key goals of its National
Digital Economy Strategy that ‘by 2020, the majority of Australian
households, businesses and other organisations will have access to smart
technology to better manage their energy use’.[9]
Direct energy savings through more efficient networks
5.8
Several submitters and witnesses told the Committee that the NBN’s FTTP
network offers significant environmental advantages over alternative network
technologies.
5.9
Huawei told the Committee about its own research that suggests moving
from traditional phone networks to next-generation fibre-based networks could
reduce network energy consumption by about 40 per cent.[10]
5.10
The Institute for a Broadband Enabled Society (IBES)’s supplementary
submission provided a representation of the relative power consumption of seven
different fixed line and wireless broadband technologies. It showed that the
fibre-based technologies that will make up the majority of the NBN—PON and
PtP—are by far the lowest consumers of power at fast broadband speeds.[11]
Professor Rod Tucker, Director of IBES, explained to the Committee FTTN and HFC
networks use more energy than FTTP because of the amount of equipment that
needs to be deployed onto streets and power poles, and that wireless
technologies (UMTS and WiMAX) are the highest consumers of energy due to the
number of towers required to provide fast broadband speeds to each user.[12]
5.11
The Committee acknowledges the views of some contributors that the NBN
also has the potential to harm the environment and therefore supports
constructive advice to mitigate any negative impacts. Mr Tom Worthington
submitted that the technology being deployed in the NBN is relatively energy
efficient; however, as the NBN will be overall a very large user of
electricity, the network should be designed in such a way to minimise energy
consumption:
… for a given technology, as the data rate increases, so does
the power consumption. Most of the time, most of the NBN will be carrying
little or no data. The equipment used should therefore be designed to switch to
a low power mode to conserve energy when possible.[13]
5.12
Mr Worthington also told the Committee that ‘in the absence of
sufficient planning and investment, there is a risk the NBN will harm the
environment through the creation of electronic waste’, in particular the
back-up batteries provided with NBN Co’s household units and equipment such as
ADSL modems that will be made obsolete under a FTTP network.[14]
Citing similar concerns, the Communications Alliance indicated to the Committee
that it ‘strongly supports’ an ‘opt-in’ policy for NBN back-up batteries to
help minimise the potential for improper disposal of such waste.[15]
Supporting green data centres and consolidated ICT provision
5.13
The Committee heard that the NBN will enable large organisations to
consolidate their databases and application servers into centralised locations,
potentially leading to significant savings in energy and equipment. For
example, the South Australian Government submitted:
Improved bandwidth into schools and government locations will
support centralised provisioning of applications and storage of data. This will
result in a significant reduction in ICT equipment and lead to associated
reduction in the use of power for the equipment and necessary cooling.[16]
5.14
Monash University told the Committee of its existing plans to
consolidate its ICT provision:
Data centres themselves are sizeable contributors to the
carbon footprint of a university. To reduce this, Monash University is
consolidating much of its ICT to a specialised off campus green data centre and
utilising its high speed network to link the data centre to its campuses and
some affiliated teaching hospitals.[17]
5.15
Monash has already been able to decommission 24 physical servers and
three separate data centres through this policy, and expects to migrate another
770 servers to a ‘virtual server farm’ at its green data centre in 2011.[18]
The University told the Committee that it is currently unable to consolidate
its servers at locations that do not have high speed data links, such as its
facility at Mildura Hospital, and these locations continue to require
individual data centres ‘with their own servers, storage, associated cooling,
backup power equipment and travel for support personnel’.[19]
This limitation is even more acute outside university premises:
This lack of connectivity is particularly acute within
industry, businesses and the broader community. Schools in particular require
their own data centres again with associated backup cooling and backup power
equipment contributing to the overall carbon footprint of the educational
sector. Readily available, affordable broadband connectivity could allow
schools to pool resources utilising server virtualisation technology. Regional
hubs could also act as backups for other hubs, increasing the resilience of the
network and reducing the need for additional backup equipment at each site.[20]
5.16
The NBN will enable this type of consolidation to increasingly occur in
other sectors, particularly as applications are increasingly delivered through
cloud services, as discussed in Chapter 2 on government services and Chapter 6
on economic development. The environmental benefits of data centre
consolidation are maximised if data centres are located close to sites of
energy generation, particularly renewable energy, and the extensive fibre
network provided by the NBN will help make this possible in more locations. Mr
Tony Brun, Chief Executive Officer of the City of Greater Geraldton, told the
Committee that his Council is looking at opportunities for green data centres
to be set up in the small community of Mullewa, which has recently been
connected to fibre backhaul.[21]
Reducing the costs of travel
5.17
One of the goals identified in the Federal Government’s National
Digital Economy Strategy is that by 2020, ‘at least 12 per cent of
Australian employees report having a tele-working arrangement with their
employer’.[22]
5.18
As discussed in Chapter 2, tele-working may provide benefits across a
range of areas, including for the environment. The reductions in fuel use that
are possible through tele-working could have a significant impact on reducing
carbon emissions. Citing a recent Access Economics report,[23]
DBCDE told the Committee:
It is estimated that a 10 per cent increase in Australian
employees that tele-work 50 per cent of the time would save an estimated 120
million litres of fuel, avoiding 320,000 tonnes of CO2 … and would reduce
traffic at peak periods by 5 per cent, resulting in a reduction of $470 million
in congestion costs. These outcomes would have a flow-on benefit of reducing
strain on infrastructure.[24]
5.19
A number of other submitters and witnesses told the Committee about the positive
environmental and economic impacts of tele-working. For example, Regional
Development Australia (RDA) Illawarra told the Committee:
The ability to tele-commute and work remotely will decrease
the need to travel for work purposes, and will therefore decrease the impact on
our natural resources. This is particularly relevant to the Illawarra which has
the largest commuting population in the country. Some 20,000 people commute to
Sydney daily, having a huge impact on transport systems and roads, and
contributing to carbon emissions.[25]
5.20
By enabling the increased use of video-conferencing and ‘tele-presence’
to facilitate meetings, the NBN will also encourage a reduction in the amount
of business travel. DBCDE told the Committee collaboration online through the use
of high quality, high-definition video-conferencing can reduce the need to
travel for meetings:
The Australian Government and State and Territory
governments, for example, have used high-definition tele-presence technology
for numerous COAG meetings. The National Tele-presence System has been
operational since July 2010. Benefits from the use of the system for the period
from October 2010 to January 2011 include estimated savings of $3 million and
reduced greenhouse gas emissions attributed to the Australian Government of an
estimated 490 tonnes.[26]
5.21
Infrastructure Australia cited the example of CISCO, a company which by
using video-conferencing, avoided 53 788 meetings that would have involved
travel: ‘They estimated this at a $81 million annual productivity cost saving
not to mention the 116,000 metric tons of emissions.’[27]
5.22
The Committee considers that the benefits of tele-commuting and
tele-presence apply equally in the higher education sector. While the broader
benefits of the NBN to the education sector are discussed in detail in Chapter
4, it is worthwhile considering some associated impacts from an infrastructure
and environment perspective. The Committee notes evidence from Monash University
that the ‘classroom of the future can be delivered to students on and off
campus’ which ‘will minimise the need to attend campus’, a development not
supported by the current copper networks.[28]
… Monash University is already taking steps in this direction
by utilising its high-speed network connectivity with other universities to
share data and electronic versions of research materials and journals.
Initiatives such as electronic delivery of lectures to students in teaching
hospitals or conferences, contribute toward reducing the need for lecturer and
student travel.[29]
5.23
By reducing the frequency with which academic staff need to attend
conferences, including those held overseas, in order to share knowledge and
interact with their colleagues, Monash noted that: ‘video-conferencing, virtual
reality and collaborative tools can markedly reduce travel requirements. The
cost savings to universities and the reduction in carbon footprint can be
significant.’[30]
5.24
The Committee notes with interest the additional benefits which are
associated with reduced travelling, including social and community benefits as
will be discussed in detail in Chapter 8. Not only would the type of
technologies and applications described above decrease the need for travel
between cities to attend meetings, training programs and seminars, but they
could also ‘allow businesses to locate outside of the traditional central
business districts, potentially reducing the overall need to travel for
employees, customers and goods.’[31]
5.25
Increasing growth in regional centres could also ease congestion and
other infrastructure pressures in cities. The Committee understands that the
NBN will help make regional centres more economically and environmentally
sustainable. RDA Northern Rivers described the ‘natural amenity’ of its region
as a ‘key attribute which accounts for the rate of in-migration’:
The management and maintenance of our natural amenity and
environmental sustainability are a priority and the encouragement of home-based
businesses which rely on high speed broadband as opposed to travelling long
distances by motor vehicle to an office base … might ensure the sustainability
of our environmental credentials.[32]
5.26
The Committee heard from inquiry participants that the NBN would enable
efficient new technologies, such as remote mining operations and transport
monitoring systems, to be deployed in the mining and resources sector.[33]
The NBN could also increase the ability of mining companies to attract and
retain employees, for example, by enabling video links that offset the impacts
of isolation in rural and remote areas.[34] Employees and their
families would have more opportunities to access training, education,
healthcare and social services on-site, which would help encourage them to live
in remote towns rather than relying on fly-in/fly-out arrangements.[35]
5.27
The broader economic benefits of the NBN for regional Australia are
discussed in Chapter 6.
Smart grids to reduce energy waste
5.28
Another way in which the NBN will enable a reduction in energy use is
through ‘smart grids’; that is, the embedding of technology, particularly
‘smart meters’, into the electricity grid to better manage energy supply and
demand. A useful description of the operation of smart meters and smart grids
was provided by the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (RET):
Smart meters are electricity meters that are capable both of
measuring and recording energy consumption in short intervals, and of two-way
communication, enabling energy providers to read and control features of the
meter remotely. Smart meters are a key component of smart grids, which combine
advanced telecommunications and information technology applications with
‘smart’ appliances in the home to enhance the energy efficiency of the
electricity power grid, while helping householders save on their energy bills.[36]
5.29
A key aspect of smart grids is that energy consumers are made more aware
of their energy usage, enabling them to make more informed choices. According
to Infrastructure Australia:
… smart energy grids help to enhance the efficiency with
which consumers use energy by enabling sophisticated choices such as time of
day consumption, pre-specified tolerance to interruptions, the defined
management of appliances, and consumers' sensitivity to price fluctuations. [37]
5.30
The Committee was advised that smart grids are becoming more essential
as the use of renewable energy sources increases. The Whitsunday Hinterland and
Mackay Bowen Regional Organisation of Councils (WHaMBROC) submitted:
Alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, hydrogen fuel
cells, clean batteries and so on will become the distributed sources of energy
in the future and will introduce greater complexity to energy generation,
distribution and consumption. This brings new opportunity to manage demand and
generation to minimise carbon outputs, but requires this new and complex
network of energy elements to be interconnected and controlled; a very
different situation from the largely passive energy networks today. The NBN
will offer an opportunity to connect many thousands of points of demand and
generation inexpensively, and bring control to the new form of energy network
that will form in the coming decades.[38]
5.31
Describing the benefits of smart grids for managing fluctuating energy
supplies, Mr Matthew Sundberg, Market Analyst for the ‘Picture the Future’
project at Siemens Ltd, told the Committee that smart infrastructure is needed:
… when you have wind and solar generation happening
whenever—and they are a lot harder to predict—you need to manage the
consumption side. That is where the smart grid comes into play. You will have
smart meters to give you a good understanding of what is being consumed where,
what is connected to the grid, whose solar PV is seeing sunshine and whose
micro wind turbine is seeing wind. There is all this data that needs to be
processed and brought into one big stability control for the grid.[39]
5.32
The Committee was told by NICTA that the NBN will provide the stable,
reliable network that is required to underpin smart grid technology.[40]
DBCDE told the Committee that while individual smart meters do not require high
bandwidth in themselves, as uptake increases the cumulative data that is
generated will require ‘ubiquitous, reliable, high-speed broadband’.[41]
5.33
Professor Tucker of IBES told the Committee that ubiquity and
reliability are more important than bandwidth for supporting smart grids.[42]
Similarly, in their joint submission RDA Hunter and RDA Central Coast told the
Committee that the ubiquity of the network is essential:
Devices that connect to the network … will need to
communicate via a common communications protocol. The NBN will be a key enabler
of a concept known as device convergence. Because all devices will communicate
via the IP protocol they will be able to communicate with one another as well.
This will lead to innovations in utility management and will
improve fault rectification, increase efficiency, reduce costs and potentially
forestall the requirement for additional utility capacity.[43]
5.34
CSIRO told the Committee that as the sophistication of smart grids
increases, the capacity of the networks underpinning them will become
increasingly important:
CSIRO is investigating systems that can switch high
energy-use appliances in homes and small businesses on and off depending on the
load on the network, price of electricity and preferences of the customer. Such
a change requires a whole-of-network approach, including integration with
thousands of components in the grid that need to be monitored and controlled.
Smart grids will become increasingly complex with high data flows. While the
data required per site is small, when aggregated these data flows are
significant and will require broadband infrastructure.[44]
5.35
The RET submission further explained the relationship between smart
grids and the NBN:
The broader adoption of smart grids is contingent on the
existence of appropriate communications technologies that enable two-way flow
of data across the entire energy delivery chain … there are a range of
potential opportunities that may be leveraged between NBN Co’s FTTP deployment
and the adoption of smart metering and smart grids. These opportunities consider
a collaborative approach to the deployment of NBN and smart meter / smart grid
services and, if realised, may deliver a more efficient commercial and
operational model than would be achieved individually …
Electricity utilities may also find benefit in utilising the
NBN for their communications requirements due to the following factors:
- its wide-scale
geographic coverage with defined communications service capability,
- the ability to
leverage pre-existing operational support processes and models,
- reliable service
delivery, and
- the need not to
increase the utilities communications workforce to deal with operations and
maintenance issues …[45]
Box 5.1 Smart Grid, Smart City
The $100 million National Energy Efficiency Initiative—Smart Grid, Smart
City—will demonstrate Australia’s first commercial-scale smart grid, ways to
improve the reliability of electricity services for consumers and, in conjunction
with smart meters, help consumers understand and manage their electricity
consumption.
One of the principle objectives of Smart Grid, Smart City is to investigate
synergies with other infrastructure (such as gas and water) and the NBN. This
includes considering how smart meters can be integrated with NBN
equipment (including home devices), and considering how NBN Co should
interact with energy suppliers.
Source: RET, Submission 190, p. [9]. |
Managing infrastructure using sensor networks
5.36
While smart grids can be used to more efficiently manage energy
networks, there are other types of smart technologies that can be used to
monitor and manage physical infrastructure, particularly using networks of
sensors. This section will examine how these sensors, which include high
definition video cameras, can be used to more effectively manage transport, other
public infrastructure, natural resources, agricultural assets and the
environment.
Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS)—reducing traffic congestion
5.37
Traffic congestion is a significant problem for Australian cities, with large
social, environmental and economic costs. DBCDE told the Committee:
The Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional
Economics (BITRE) … estimated that in 2005 the social costs of congestion
across Australia’s capital cities equalled about $9.4 billion. This figure is
based on costs associated with people’s loss of private time, loss of business
time, extra vehicle operation and extra air pollution. The BITRE estimates
these costs will double during the 15 years between 2005 and 2020 to $20.4
billion.[46]
5.38
Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) involve deploying smart technologies
into transport infrastructure in order to relieve congestion and improve
safety. ITS includes a range of wireless and fixed line information and
electronic technologies. Infrastructure Australia explained that such
technologies relieve congestion, improve safety and enhance productivity when
integrated into transport networks.[47]
5.39
ITS ‘adaptively control traffic signalling and speed limits to help
manage congestion, reduce the number of starts and stops, reduce travel times
and reduce greenhouse gas emissions’.[48] NICTA noted that:
Using networks of sensors across the transport network and,
increasingly, sensors inside vehicles allows intelligent transport systems to
control traffic signals, speed limits, ramp metering, variable tolls and other
methods to manage road congestion, reduce delay and reduce the number of starts
and stops …
5.40
Infrastructure Australia informed the Committee of three current
applications of ITS:
- IntelliDrive
applications utilise information technology to enable connectivity between
vehicles to maximise safety, and between vehicles and network infrastructure to
maximise flow.
- General Motors'
OnStar technology (an in-vehicle ITS) enables automatic crash response by reporting
the condition of vehicles and occupants to emergency agencies via Global
Positioning System (GPS).
- Integrated Corridor
Management (ICM) technology allows management of transport networks as whole
systems, not individual assets. For example, a driver in an ICM corridor can be
informed of congestion and given alternative travel options, improving overall
network efficiency.[49]
5.41
The Committee notes the current collaboration between Infrastructure
Australia and the States and Territories on a proposal for managed motorways.
This involves managing demand, congestion and safety on Australia's major
motorways.[50]
5.42
While the Committee accepts that ITS is not a new concept, and is
already operating to varying degrees across Australian cities and around the
world, its acknowledges NICTA’s view of Australia’s pioneering role in
developing ITS. NICTA told the Committee that Australia has led the world
developing ITS systems such as the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System
(SCATS) in the 1970s, now used across Australia and in over 100 cities
globally:
Through the use of algorithms for coordinating traffic
lights, this system is typically capable of reducing travel times by 20%, and
reducing the number of stops by up to 40%. These savings are directly reflected
in reduced greenhouse gas emissions in Australia and across the globe.[51]
5.43
During the course of the inquiry, NICTA demonstrated to the Committee
how networks of high-definition cameras can be used for traffic monitoring.
NICTA’s submission explained that the NBN would enable SCATS and other traffic
management systems be improved and deployed more widely:
NICTA is working with the NSW RTA to optimise the algorithms
used in SCATS as well as developing traffic lights which can ‘see’ cars and
other vehicles approaching intersections to provide for more efficient traffic
control and to further reduce road congestion. NICTA also has deployed
technologies for better routing of delivery and service vehicles. These
technologies, leveraging off the NBN, will provide a more efficient transport
and logistics industry and overall a reduced carbon footprint.[52]
5.44
DIT told the Committee about the increasing telecommunications capacity
of ITS applications, particularly in relation to next-generation applications in
which data is transmitted between moving vehicles and roadside infrastructure. Examples
of applications include:
- Traffic Management
Systems: manage the transport system with knowledge of the real-time location
of every vehicle, including pre-emption at traffic signals for priority
vehicles;
- Incident Response:
improved response to incidents and improved traffic flow restoration times; and
- Access to Information
En-route: vehicle access to real-time safety and congestion advice and information
such as weather en-route.[53]
5.45
DIT explained that the NBN would be essential to enable these types of
applications to be delivered:
Future ITS opportunities will depend on short range roadside
and vehicle-to-vehicle communication, via satellite and wireless technology,
being linked back to road network control by optic fibre. For that reason the
NBN will be integral to future ITS delivery and the Department is actively
engaged in further developing its understanding of how the NBN can contribute
and add value to ITS technologies and their application.[54]
Smart infrastructure to manage assets and water resources
5.46
Infrastructure Australia told the Committee that smart infrastructure can
also be used for monitoring the safety and managing the maintenance of a range
of physical assets:
For example, the newly reconstructed I-95 Minnesota bridge in
the United States includes $1 million of sensors that enable it to continually
monitor the condition of girders, ice on the road surface, and general
traffic—an obvious safety benefit to motorists that can also help manage
maintenance expenditure more efficiently.[55]
5.47
Similarly, Townsville City Council submitted that remote sensors
supported by broadband would improve the decisions made by resource managers:
An ability to monitor the health and well-being of our built
and natural environments is fundamental to the development of sound management
systems … Increased broadband capacity across a network will allow for resource
managers to better manage their resources.
One area where the NBN will provide significant benefits for
resource managers is remote sensing. Having a network capable of relaying large
volumes of information from a wide range of sites and having applications able
to process this information will allow for more effective and efficient
management of resources.[56]
5.48
Other submitters told the Committee that the NBN could enable more
widespread use of smart building management systems, which could reduce energy
consumption by an estimated 30 per cent.[57] For example, SAIC told
the Committee it has developed energy-saving building management systems that
are designed to interact with sensors in large manufacturing facilities.[58]
5.49
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the process of generating and
managing building data during its life cycle by the use of three-dimensional,
real-time, dynamic building modelling software, potentially leading to
significant productivity gains in the construction sector.[59]
DIISR told the Committee that while BIM software was not dependent on the NBN
itself, the NBN would make electronic building models more accessible to the
public and to planning authorities. The information would become available
throughout the life of the building, enabling aspects of the building such as
the shadow it casts and its visual amenity to be used by planners into the
future.[60]
5.50
The ACT Government told the Committee about its plans for BIM:
The concept of a 'Virtual ACT' is being investigated to
utilise web 2.0 to facilitate improved planning and public consultation
utilising, amongst other technology, 3D modelling. This will enable urban
infill building applications to be modelled and viewed against environmental
and aesthetic considerations such as shadowing, solar access and visual impact.
Broadband capacity currently limits the flexibility and usability of current
systems however the NBN would enable greater interactive analysis and more real-life
modelling.[61]
5.51
The Committee heard about the potential improvements which would be made
possible by the NBN in the management of water resources, including during
floods and natural disasters. In terms of the better management of water
resources, the Committee was advised that:
Water is a precious resource, and broadband enabled smart
systems can make an important contribution to protecting this resource and
ensuring that it is used wisely. Intelligent systems can be used to monitor
water flows and provide 'on demand water supply'. The savings from providing
water as required and reducing water wastage can be substantial.[62]
5.52
Mr Bob Carmichael, Manager of Business and Economic Development at the
City of Tea Tree Gully in South Australia, told the Committee that the City
intends to use the NBN to improve its existing stormwater and wastewater
systems by implementing remote digital operating and monitoring systems. Mr
Carmichael observed that the difficulties the city experiences with monitoring
its stormwater and wastewater facilities, caused by inconsistent internet
services, are expected to be overcome with the NBN’s implementation. He also
explained that the NBN will be the basis for managing the future sustainability
of the 592 parks and reserves administrated by the city, for example, by
‘allowing the use of remote digital systems to control and monitor efficient
water use’.[63] Mr Carmichael noted
that:
Our re-use of water is continuing to grow. To send it off to
our various ovals and reserves and to perhaps sell it to neighbouring councils,
we need to have a reliable system. That is what we are looking for.[64]
5.53
Ipswich City Council submitted that the recent floods affecting its
region highlighted the need for advanced river monitoring technology that would
improve the monitoring and management of flood events.[65]
CSIRO told the Committee about current activities in that region, including the
deployment of sensors at Lake Wivenhoe Dam to monitor water column temperature
and catchment health, a project which has allowed dam operators to control the
quality of water supplied to the city of Brisbane. CSIRO noted that:
This type of sensing technology can be adapted to sense many
other parameters such as water levels, temperature changes and video
surveillance of traffic and other assets. With the addition of adequate network
reach, remote control of valves, switches or other actuation devices will be
possible.[66]
5.54
In considering monitoring of water during flood events, the Committee
noted the impacts of flood waters on infrastructure. Glenys Schuntner, Chief
Executive Officer of RDA Townsville and North West Queensland, told the
Committee that real-time video monitoring supported by the NBN would greatly
improve the ability of authorities to assess the condition of roads and
infrastructure during flood events:
While we have talked about the remote management of energy
systems, I would also apply that need to our management of rail and road
infrastructure, so you do not have to send someone out hundreds of kilometres
in a disaster to find out the status of a road or railway. By real-time
monitoring, which is enabled through [the] NBN, you can actually have someone
in Julia Creek or someone in Mount Isa seeing what the situation is. They do
not have to get out in their car to physically see things as well.[67]
Agricultural applications
5.55
Although the broader potential of the NBN to support agriculture is
discussed in Chapter 6, the Committee heard that NBN-enabled sensor networks
can be effectively deployed in a range of agricultural settings, leading to improved
productivity.[68] The University of New
England (UNE) provided a concise summary of how these types of sensors could be
used:
The farmers can get sensors that tell them where their stock
is, what parts of fields they preferentially graze, what the weight gain is.
They can remotely monitor pasture for moisture content, for pasture growth and
thus they can work out when and how to move stock around for maximal yield. But
at present they cannot handle that data themselves, because they do not have
access to enough bandwidth. NBN will enable on-farm analysis of data and real
time application of results to the better management of the farm.[69]
5.56
At a public hearing, Mr Robert Walker, Chief Executive Officer of
AgForce Queensland, told the Committee:
Remote monitoring of vegetation, remote monitoring of
waterholes and remote monitoring of watercourses have all been regulated and
prescribed by governments at all levels. Unfortunately, the technology is not
there to deliver the information that governments require. Again, the delivery
of an effective and efficient broadband technology to those areas would
certainly facilitate that.[70]
5.57
Goondiwindi Regional Council similarly described the potential of high
speed internet access for agribusiness, catchment management groups and
environmental management organisations in accessing new forms of data
collection and analysis, in turn improving the quality of local decision
making:
As rural industries move to more scientific management
systems for water, soil quality, cropping and animal production the need for
real time data collection and analysis is becoming essential to ensure the
environmental and economic sustainability of the region.[71]
5.58
CSIRO submitted that NBN infrastructure could ‘provide the backbone of a
whole-of-farm sensor network’ which would enable ‘new methods for pest
detection (and potentially control) and development of new harvesting techniques
using robots or automated or semi-automated farming equipment’.[72]
CSIRO also told the Committee about a recent project working with dairy farmers
in Tasmania to continuously monitor soil moisture in their fields, enabling
irrigation to be optimised.[73]
5.59
Noting that ‘protecting [the] Australian environment and farmlands from
invasive pests and diseases is a major and very expensive goal’, UNE outlined
to the Committee the significant benefits the NBN could produce in the field of
agricultural biosecurity. UNE noted that the likely sites of entry of pests and
diseases are often remote, but expertise is limited and often centred in major
cities. Delays are experienced in effectively identifying and treating crops
before diseases spread:
What if the farmer could take a photo of the infected cereal
on his mobile phone, beam it straight to the plant pathologist, who could give
advice on how to deal with it within a few hours, thus enabling control,
preventing widespread dispersal and preventing major crop loss with the
associated economic loss. The NBN will enable this.[74]
5.60
CSIRO told the Committee that it has developed a tele-presence system to
‘monitor and manage disease outbreaks with high resolution communication,
laboratory analysis and geospatial information’.[75]
This system will enable sharing of information between scientists during
biosecurity emergencies in a way that was not previously possible. CSIRO
advised that the system will eventually be deployed around the country, and
while it will focus on exotic and emerging animal disease, similar systems are
envisaged for human health applications. CSIRO notes that with a ubiquitous
high speed network ‘this type of technology could be made more widely available
to the agribusiness industry, not only for biosecurity, but to share
information about methods for improving productivity’.[76]
Environmental monitoring applications
5.61
The Committee heard that the deployment of NBN-enabled sensor networks
could considerably improve environmental monitoring services. For example, SAIC
Pty Ltd told the Committee that its work in weather prediction, climate
research, seismic and ocean monitoring, including the tsunami warning buoys
operated by the Bureau of Meteorology, could all benefit from the increased
number of sensors and increased capacity for data collection in remote
locations that will be enabled by the NBN.[77]
5.62
The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) submitted that its
network of remote monitoring stations, such as the ones that provided
information about Cyclone ‘Yasi’, would be enhanced by the NBN. AIMS also submitted
that the improved availability of bandwidth will ‘support work such as
forecasting the impact of a warming ocean, box jellyfish monitoring and
monitoring and forecasting coral bleaching’. AIMS’s work in very remote
locations, such as the outer Great Barrier Reef, would be particularly
enhanced.[78]
5.63
Similarly, CSIRO told the Committee that NBN-enabled sensor networks could:
… operate as early warning systems to alert communities about
algal blooms, pest outbreaks, natural disasters such as floods and bushfires; environmental
accidents such as contamination of drinking water; or terrorism events such as
poisoning of a major water supply.[79]
5.64
Professor Ian Atkinson, Director of James Cook University (JCU)’s eResearch
Centre, told the Committee about the potential of video-based monitoring for environmental
research:
An enormous amount of information can be extracted from
video. At the moment we just look at pictures and maybe walk away, but we can
assess vegetation states. We could probably determine levels of rainfall at
particular points in time. Environmental health and quality can be measured …[80]
5.65
Chapter 7 on research and innovation contains further information on the
how NBN-enabled video monitoring could transform environmental research.
More accessible spatial data, satellite and aerial observation services
5.66
The Committee was told that spatial information is essential for
resource management across a wide range of government and industry sectors. PSMA
noted:
The management of Australia’s natural resources and assets
largely relies on location information to assist in their tracking and use.
Industries readily using location information include mining, logistics, and
agriculture.[81]
5.67
RET advised the Committee that:
The concept of mapping information to better understand
business activities is being widely adopted to make improved decisions and
increase the effectiveness of work activities. A current example is the efforts
being put into maps to support the recovery processes of the Queensland floods
and the northern Queensland cyclone, which, through the application of spatial
information, have resulted in significant public safety outcomes.[82]
5.68
RET further explained that the NBN could have a significant role in
increasing the capacity of organisations to access spatial information, which
is currently limited due to the large amounts of data involved:
Spatial resources are quite frequently large in size and
organisations must invest significantly in data management infrastructure to
hold up to date spatial datasets. This large investment often weakens the
business case for leveraging the location component of their information and,
as a result, organisations may reduce their effectiveness and the quality of
their decision making processes.[83]
5.69
1Spatial Asia Pacific also noted that the spatial information industry
is synonymous with large file types and the need to process large files, and went
so far as to describe the NBN as a ‘game changer’ for the spatial information
industry. Their submission stated that a paradigm shift in thinking would be
required ‘to maximise the opportunities that [the NBN] will present us and
possibly position Australian companies to take a leading role globally …’[84]
5.70
1Spatial submitted that the NBN, by increasing the availability of
bandwidth, will enable it to make its services available online as a cloud
service, eliminating the need for its customers to invest in expensive technologies
and expertise that currently have to be duplicated at every customer site in
order to utilise spatial information. Industries located in rural areas will
benefit the most, as they ‘will have access to effectively online expertise and
processing capabilities equivalent to anywhere in Australia’.[85]
5.71
The Committee was also told that the NBN would increase the
accessibility of aerial mapping services. Mr David Farmer, General Manager of
Wollongong City Council, told the Committee that the Council has a range of
online Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and coastal hazard studies that are
currently limited in their accessibility:
… some of our really big documents are extremely difficult to
access with ADSL, for example, the coastal hazard study. We have 100 kilometres
of coastline …and 3000 properties are at risk of tidal inundation … Obviously
people are interested. When they get to the documents and the maps they are
quite difficult to download.[86]
5.72
The Committee heard from NearMap Pty Ltd, a Perth-based company that
specialises in high-resolution aerial photo mapping and terrain mapping
technology (see Box 5.2 below for more details).
5.73
The uptake of NearMap-type products is dependent on the widespread
availability of the type of fast broadband the NBN will provide:
We are a very high bandwidth, rich-content product and, even
on our relatively fast ADSL 2+, it can still take quite a while to download the
content. In terms of the impact of the NBN on our customers, in the community,
in business and in government, our view is that access to bandwidth, the speed
of that bandwidth and price are key.[87]
Box 5.2 NearMap
NearMap publishes detailed and regularly-updated photo maps of large
towns and cities around Australia which are made available online in time
series archives. The imagery is free to the general public and most small
businesses at nearmap.com. Revenue is generated through licensing to
government and large corporations.
The spatial information provided by this photographic content has broad
applications across many service sectors including environmental compliance
and natural resource management, building regulations, customer service and
strategic planning, and emergency management. Insurance companies, the
mining industry, the tourism industry and a variety of government agencies
are all increasingly reliant on this type of information.
As an example of the practical application of the technology, during the
Queensland floods of January 2011, NearMap was requested by Brisbane and
Ipswich City Councils to quickly capture photo maps of their area. The maps
were used both for the immediate response and reconstruction effort, and to
record the high water mark for future disaster planning.
Source: Mr Adrian Young, Director of Sales, Nearmap Pty Ltd, Committee Hansard,
Perth, 6 May 2011, pp. 28–29. |
5.74
The Committee heard that the NBN could also enhance emergency management
by improving the reliability of communications infrastructure and information
services.[88] Mr John Grant, Chair of
the IT Industry Innovation Council, told the Committee that during the January
2011 floods in Brisbane, the websites that contained maps of the areas expected
to be flooded ‘collapsed’ due to the large demand for information from the
public. Mr Grant said that if these website servers had been hosted in ‘the
cloud’, connected with robust NBN-style infrastructure, there would have been
unlimited capacity for people to access the information they needed.[89]
5.75
The Committee was told by several inquiry participants that Earth Observation
from Space (EOS) is crucial to a variety of government programs and contributes
significantly to Australia’s economy. The Space Industry Innovation Council
submitted:
Increasingly, earth observation satellites are creating an
explosion in the quality and amount of imaging data available for analysis and
interpretation. In fact, in Government alone, there are currently at least
ninety two programs, totalling $1.3 billion in annual expenditure, which are
dependent on EOS. EOS contributed at least $3.3 billion to Australian GDP in
2008-09 and on conservative assumptions it is estimated that the contribution
to GDP could grow to around $4 billion by 2015.[90]
5.76
Government services that are supported by satellite observations include
programs for national security, weather forecasting, safety, and climate change
monitoring.[91] With increasingly large
datasets being generated, the Committee was told that Australia’s ability to continue
to benefit from EOS capabilities is being put at risk due to a lack of
effective communication networks to satellite ground stations.[92]
RET told the Committee:
Current telecommunications networks cannot cope with the load
associated with satellite data and, as such, much of the information has to be
transferred across the country and internationally via postal and courier
services. This method of transportation is too slow for emergency situations.[93]
5.77
For example, the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and
Research (DIISR) told the Committee that the satellite data pertaining to the
2009 Black Saturday Bushfires was delayed by the inability to transfer files
electronically.[94]
5.78
The Space Industry Innovation Council submitted that the NBN would provide
the connectivity required to overcome these problems and for satellite datasets
to be used more effectively:
The speeds available via the NBN to transport increasingly
large satellite datasets for analysis into decision support information will
lead to productivity gains and improved outcomes in fields such as weather
forecasting, climate change, resources management, emergency response, and
defence surveillance. It is important that NBN access be available to the major
earth observation infrastructure used predominantly for public good services
throughout Australia.[95]
5.79
Chapter 7 on research and innovation contains further information on how
the NBN’s satellite capacity could be used to expedite developments in the area
of environmental monitoring.
Committee Conclusions
5.80
The NBN will be the enabler of technological innovations that could
improve the way the environment and infrastructure are managed in Australia.
5.81
Fuel use, carbon emissions and traffic congestion could be significantly
reduced as the NBN reduces the need to travel by supporting more effective
methods of tele-commuting for employees and students, and tele-presence for
business meetings. The Committee welcomes the Federal Government’s target in
the National Digital Economy Strategy of doubling the rate of
tele-working amongst Australian employees.