We recognise the importance of data in delivering great customer experiences and value for money.
Maintaining the highest standards of data security and privacy is at the heart of the approach to building our Digital City Program.
To improve our services, we have built a secure data analytics and systems integration platform. This means we can now use complex data and real-time information to redesign the way we deliver services.
This is already showing benefits by reducing the cost and administration of service delivery, such as the management of car parking.
About digital city insights
We established the Digital City Program on 1 July 2016. Its purpose is to lead and coordinate digital and smart city initiatives across the Gold Coast. Our vision is to be Australia's leading digital city, and set the benchmark in:
- the installation of Internet of Things devices
- local telecommunications
- efficient service delivery.
We deliver the program through four inter-related workstreams:
- data gathering
- data transmission
- data analysis
- project delivery.
The Digital City Insights (DCI) Project has been established to enable us to use big data in decision-making.
The project uses data gathering, research and analysis to provide key insights for the City and the local business community. It helps inform and shape key business decisions. It allows for a deeper understanding of the Gold Coast's broader economy.
The project highlights opportunities for economic growth and promotion of the city's strengths. It also enables us to utilise data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning to generate public value.
Data ethics & governance principles
The Digital City Project uses data from many sources, with privacy taken seriously. The following policies and principles outline how we enable the ethical and transparent management of data:
In alignment to the Public Sector Ethics Act (1994), the project will apply the following principles:
- integrity and impartiality
- promoting the public good
- commitment to the system of government
- accountability and transparency
- privacy by design (additional).
Methodology
Digital City Insights analyses data based on the method defined by Tourism Research Australia.
Data analysed for the purposes of Digital Insights is from large volumes of anonymised and aggregated data from people over the age of twenty.
Visitation
'Visitation' refers to the numbers of visits to the Gold Coast. 'Visitors' represent the unique number of people that visit the Gold Coast.
Day trip
Day trips must have a round trip distance of at least 50 kilometres from the respondent's usual place of residence and a minimum duration of four hours.
Day trips taken as part of an overnight trip, or those that are routine (for example, from home to work/school, or an intrinsic part of a person's job), are not collected.
Overnight stay
Overnight trips must include at least one night away from home and be a minimum of 40 kilometres from the respondent's usual place of residence.
Tourism expenditure
Economic figures relating to domestic and international spend are referenced from Tourism Research Australia's average spend per visitor. Visit the Austrade website to view the full report.
Data sources
The Digital City Project uses data from multiple sources including DSpark and Visa.
DSpark Analytics
Media statement – Data
DSpark Pty Ltd is the Australian entity of DataSpark Pty Ltd which operates across SEA. Owned by Singtel Group, DSpark can enable any mobility data set and transform it into meaningful insights into how audiences move throughout their day.
DSpark draws upon the group's extensive experience in processing and transforming big telco data through patented technology and algorithms into valuable audience insight. Data is then aggregated, anonymised and validated via relevant data sets and made accessible to customers via adhoc reports, ongoing consultancy and subscription-based options. DSpark's data offering delivers multi-transport outputs and location accuracy down to road-level.
DSpark collects and processes datapoints that represent the movements of one third of Australia's population. Data collected is made available at 15-minute intervals, 365 days of the year with nationwide coverage.
Privacy statement
DSpark Pty Ltd is the Australian entity of DataSpark Pty Ltd which has operated across South East Asia since 2013. Owned by Singtel Group, DSpark can enable any mobility data set and transform it into meaningful cohort-focused insight into how audiences move throughout their day.
DSpark believes data privacy is a priority and takes full responsibility in protecting the anonymity of audiences from which data is derived. Set parameters to ensure privacy include anonymising data and refining outputs down to groups of people rather than individuals. Our deliverable centres around how a critical mass moves throughout specific locations rather than the movement of individuals. All data is anonymised adhering to The Privacy Act 1988.
DSpark does not licence, sell, share or store personal details and data is collected from an audience over the age of 18 years old only.
Visa
Visa's mission is to provide customers with the best way to pay and be paid. Visa operates one of the world's largest payment networks, and aims to provide the most secure and seamless payment experience possible. Respecting privacy is central. Visa has a Global Privacy Program to help ensure information is handled properly, and personal information is protected. Their Privacy Program reflects the sensitivity of the personal, financial and other information they handle. It also reflects the requirements of the privacy laws in all the countries and states where Visa operates.
As a global payments technology company, Visa fulfils many roles. They only collect and use personal information as authorised by our contracts. For more information visit Visa's website.
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