The National Freight Data Hub
The Australian Government has committed $8.5 million to improve national freight data. Access to robust freight data will help industry and governments plan, make better operational and investment decisions and be more resilient and responsive. The commitment includes:
- $5.2 million to settle the design of a National Freight Data Hub (the Hub). The Hub will identify freight data priorities and host or link to data. It will include arrangements for data collection, protection, dissemination and hosting
- $3.3 million for the establishment of freight data exchange pilots to allow industry to access freight data in real time; and fund a National Survey of Motor Vehicle Use by the Australian Bureau of Statistics to provide national and state estimates of total and average vehicle travel, freight movements and fuel consumption
Designing the Hub
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications is working closely with industry, governments and other stakeholders on the Hub design. The focus for 2020 is preparing a roadmap for implementation and business case for Government consideration, and a prototype Hub website.
Timeline
-
iMOVE Freight Data Requirements Study
Early 2019 -
1st discussion paper: Data priorities
Workshops
Late 2019 -
Procurement design: Business case and data preparation
Early 2020 -
2nd discussion paper: Elements of the Hub
Test prototype website
Late 2020 -
Business case for Government
End 2020 -
Launch prototype website
Early 2021 -
Government decision on Business Case
Implementation*
Rolling work program*
2021
*contingent on Government consideration
Purpose
Three purposes of the Hub were agreed with stakeholders in 2019. They are to enhance collection of and access to freight data, across all modes, to:
- Enable end-to-end performance evaluation for Australia's freight system
- Improve planning for infrastructure and transport network investment decisions
- Support day to day operations by fostering data standards and exchange, and provide timely insights about the freight system performance and bottlenecks to industry
Functions
Stakeholders want the Hub to have three main functions:
- Leadership and innovation
- Open data
- Data exchange
The business case will consider arrangements for data collection, protection, dissemination and hosting across these purposes and functions. The Hub will take a leadership position to facilitate agreed data standards which will enable the efficient sharing of data.
Prototype website
A prototype website is being developed to showcase existing freight data and projects. The prototype will demonstrate the value of better access to freight data.
The prototype will include:
- Guidance on freight data standards to facilitate the creation, sharing and integration of datasets
- Freight data projects providing original insights and visualisation tools to demonstrate the opportunities in freight data
- Macro insights into the changing demand for freight as a result of COVID-19
The prototype website will provide a current view of the freight data landscape. It will not have the full functionality of the National Freight Data Hub. The full functionality and roll-out of the Hub is dependent on the options put forward in the business case and Government consideration.
Pilot projects
Pilot projects are being supported to enhance the collection of freight data and test methods and protocols for data exchange.
- A series of Freight Data Exchange projects with industry will create the standards needed to track goods and demonstrate the use cases for sharing data in different supply chains. For a summary of the outcomes of the first round of pilot projects visit Freight Data Exchange pilot projects—Summary Report 2020
- A National Location Register Pilot to enable industry to share specific locations, for example where a truck needs to stop at a construction site or a livestock station. This data will reduce delays. Open to any business to join, the register will also contain opening hours, height and weight restrictions and driver amenities of different sites
- A Truck Telematics Pilot to showcase the opportunities of data for improving planning and policy decisions by road managers, as well as improving fleet optimisation
Discussion Papers
In 2019, the Department released an initial discussion paper seeking input to help settle the design of the Hub. The discussion paper asked a series of questions focused on the purposes of the Hub, priority datasets for inclusion, sharing principles and priority outputs.
- National Freight Data Hub: Discussion Paper #1 PDF: 112 KB
Workshops were held in Melbourne and Brisbane in early December with around 50 people attending.
In 2020, the Department released a second discussion paper on elements of the Hub design across data, technology, governance, funding and regulation to inform the implementation roadmap, business case and prototype website.
- National Freight Data Hub Options Discussion Paper #2 DOCX: 1871 KB PDF: 8115 KB
Two webinars were held during the consultation period with around 80 people attending.
Submissions
Submissions were received from a wide range of groups including the freight and logistics industries, governments, researchers, consultants and data specialists. Thank you to everyone who took the time to make a submission and to those who participated in the workshops and webinars. This rich feedback has helped greatly in shaping the design of the Hub.
Below is a list of non-confidential submissions received, in alphabetical order.
The Department is not responsible for the content of these submissions, which remains the responsibility of the original authors, and submissions do not represent the views of the Department.
To the extent permitted by law, the Commonwealth disclaims liability to any person or organisation in respect of anything done, or omitted to be done, in reliance upon information contained in any of the submissions.
Responses to Discussion paper #1
Author | Submission |
---|---|
1-Stop Connections | PDF: 574 KB ![]() |
Australian Border Force | PDF: 546 KB ![]() |
Australian Bureau of Statistics | PDF: 623 KB ![]() |
Australian Local Government Association | PDF: 643 KB ![]() |
Australian Logistics Council | PDF: 588 KB ![]() |
Austroads | PDF: 827 KB ![]() |
City of Canning | PDF: 617 KB ![]() |
CQ Inland Port | PDF: 525 KB ![]() |
Deakin University | PDF: 1238 KB ![]() |
Delta Pearl Partners | PDF: 226 KB ![]() |
Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, South Australia | PDF: 645 KB ![]() |
Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet | PDF: 142 KB ![]() |
Department of Transport and Main Roads, Western Australia | PDF: 179 KB ![]() |
GHD Advisory | PDF: 154 KB ![]() |
Graincorp | PDF: 729 KB ![]() |
GS1 | PDF: 868 KB ![]() |
INECO | PDF: 172 KB ![]() |
Infrastructure Australia | PDF: 562 KB ![]() |
Infrastructure Partnerships Australia | PDF: 292 KB ![]() |
Local Government New South Wales | PDF: 165 KB ![]() |
MisterMina Group | PDF: 233 KB ![]() |
National Heavy Vehicle Regulator | PDF: 167 KB ![]() |
Pedro Camargo | PDF: 138 KB ![]() |
Planning Institute Australia | PDF: 547 KB ![]() |
Port Authority of New South Wales | PDF: 482 KB ![]() |
Prological Consulting | PDF: 159 KB ![]() |
Roads Australia | PDF: 170 KB ![]() |
SMEC Australia | PDF: 298 KB ![]() |
Sydney Airports | PDF: 2669 KB ![]() |
Tasmanian Logistics Committee | PDF: 667 KB ![]() |
Telstra | PDF: 203 KB ![]() |
Transport Certification Australia | PDF: 1344 KB ![]() |
University of Melbourne | PDF: 1781 KB ![]() |
University of New South Wales | PDF: 71 KB ![]() |
York Street Digital | PDF: 100 KB ![]() |
Responses to Options Discussion Paper #2
Author | Submission |
---|---|
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry | PDF: 153 KB ![]() |
Australian Logistics Council | PDF: 347 KB ![]() |
Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) | PDF: 211 KB ![]() |
Australian Trucking Association (ATA) & NatRoad | PDF: 145 KB ![]() |
Australasian Railway Association (ARA) | PDF: 195 KB ![]() |
Data Republic Pty Ltd | PDF: 239 KB ![]() |
Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) | PDF: 402 KB ![]() |
Freight Victoria | PDF: 208 KB ![]() |
GHD Advisory | PDF: 553 KB ![]() |
HARDT HYPERLOOP (Netherlands) | PDF: 98 KB ![]() |
National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) | PDF: 354 KB ![]() |
iMove | PDF: 238 KB ![]() |
INECO | PDF: 192 KB ![]() |
International Forwarders & Customs Brokers Association of Australia Ltd | PDF: 1008 KB ![]() |
Mediterranean Shipping Company | PDF: 195 KB ![]() |
Ports Australia | PDF: 245 KB ![]() |
Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd | PDF: 232 KB ![]() |
Transport Certification Australia (TCA) | PDF: 192 KB ![]() |
How to contribute or get more information
Email freightdatahub@infrastructure.gov.au to express your interest in contributing your views or getting progress updates on the hub design project.