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NSW’s groundbreaking technological platform, Land iQ, has secured a substantial sum of over AU$ 11 million in combined funding from both the State and Commonwealth governments. This financial backing is poised to propel Land iQ’s ongoing efforts to pinpoint surplus and underutilised public land for housing purposes while simultaneously extending its applications to various other sectors.
Having received the Australian Property Institute Innovation in Property Award in July 2023, Land iQ stands as a trailblazing innovation that aggregates more than 40 distinct land use data types. This consolidation facilitates streamlined access to a vast database comprising over 8 million lots and properties, enabling rapid testing of diverse scenarios for land utilisation.
The platform’s reach presently extends to NSW government departments and nine local councils, ushering in reduced time, cost, and redundancy. Notably, Land iQ played an instrumental role in supporting flood response planning in northern NSW the previous year, and its current focus revolves around aiding the State Government in auditing publicly owned land for potential housing opportunities.
At its core, Land iQ expedites the identification and assessment of land suitable for housing and related endeavours. By placing extensive data and analysis tools into the hands of land and property managers, the platform streamlines the labour-intensive tasks previously required for assessing factors like land size, location, and zoning constraints. This transformative process effectively shortens the assessment timeline from weeks or months to mere days, ultimately delivering faster outcomes that serve the interests of local communities.
Reaffirming its commitment to Land iQ’s advancement, the NSW Government has pledged an additional AU$ 9.3 million over the next two years for the platform’s continued development. This allocation supplements the initial investment of AU$ 1.8 million that the NSW Government injected into the pilot version’s creation. Concurrently, the Australian Government contributes AU$ 1.8 million through Round One of the Disaster Ready Fund.
This generous funding injection is set to propel Land iQ’s evolution from a pilot phase to a fully matured tool capable of licensing for broader applications within the realm of land management. This expansion could encompass private industries, local councils, educational institutions, and research organisations, including entities like Local Aboriginal Land Councils.
An independent recommendation arising from the 2022 NSW Flood Inquiry positioned Land iQ as a pivotal resource for consolidating land use risk data, an imperative component of strategic planning. The subsequent Commonwealth funding aligns seamlessly with this recommendation, paving the way for integrating natural disaster risk and resilience analysis into Land iQ’s framework. This enhancement will enable the platform to factor in a site’s vulnerability to hazards such as bushfires, droughts, and floods.
Furthermore, the Commonwealth’s financial support affords the prospect of sharing Land iQ’s capabilities with other Australian jurisdictions upon the platform’s full maturation. This opens the door to nationwide access to this transformative technology.
Engineered by WSP Australia in collaboration with an SW start-up, Land iQ also harnesses high-resolution maps provided by an Australia surveying services company. The Federal Minister for Emergency Management lauded the Albanese Government’s commitment to fostering initiatives like Land iQ through the Disaster Ready Fund. Watt underscores the platform’s potential to fortify community resilience and mitigate the impact of natural disasters.
The Minister for Lands and Property lauds the deployment of this cutting-edge technology as a manifestation of smarter planning. Kamper emphasises its alignment with the government’s priority of expanding housing opportunities for the residents of NSW.
The Minister for Planning and Public Spaces lauded the commitment to modernising planning and approvals systems, thereby alleviating complexity and delays while addressing the housing crisis. The Minister for Housing underscored Land iQ’s pivotal role in streamlining planning processes and hastening the delivery of housing solutions.
The Acting Director of Digital at WSP Australia expressed excitement about contributing to expedited planning and housing solutions. Cutcliffe emphasises the firm’s delight in partnering with the government to facilitate quicker access to homes for individuals.
In essence, Land iQ’s groundbreaking capabilities, buoyed by substantial financial support, promise to revolutionise land management, expedite housing solutions, and enhance community resilience against the backdrop of natural disasters. This technological marvel stands poised to shape a more efficient and dynamic landscape for land utilisation across various sectors.
