Case studies

A pilot to build awareness and user capability of the new Spatial Digital Twin Explorer

A capability uplift pilot was conducted between October 2024 and April 2025 and attended by diverse data users from across NSW. The aim of the pilot was to enable NSW Government employees and members of the public to leverage advanced spatial (location-based) data visualisation and tools, facilitating better data discovery, sharing and utilisation, which will lead to more informed planning and decision-making.

Providing NSW with real-time housing data for better planning, faster decision-making, and improved public services

The NSW Digital Housing Pipeline will create a centralised and comprehensive 3D dataset that spatially maps and tracks the progression of housing across NSW, from planning approval through to construction and occupation.

An open data exchange for all​

The State Vegetation Type Map (SVTM) shows where different plant communities are found across NSW. It’s a useful tool for government, businesses, and communities to understand native vegetation and make better decisions about land use and conservation. The map is powered by BioNet, which provides integrated data services that support open data sharing and innovation.

Supporting more than one million NSW customers who rely on the NSW Photo Card, including the elderly, customers with a disability and new migrants

Launched in April 2025, the NSW Digital Photo Card pilot provides citizens with an upgraded digital photo card, giving them a more secure way to prove their identity. The upgraded card allows customers to digitally share information needed for transactions without having to hand over their phone or reach for their wallet. The pilot is also helping make digital verification more inclusive, especially for customers without a driver licence. 

Helping essential workers save time through online renewals of their Working with Children Check

The Working with Children Check (WWCC) is a requirement for anyone who works or volunteers in child-related work in NSW, including social workers, teachers, health and childcare workers. A new digital solution allows these workers to renew their WWCC online in as little as 10 minutes, without needing to present identity documents in person at a Service NSW centre.

Improved accessibility of quality, on-demand language interpretation for NSW Police and emergency services

The Multicultural NSW Transforming Language Services project helped improve language assistance to the communities of NSW when interacting with NSW Police and other emergency services across the state. The project is helping to break down language barriers and confusion when communicating simple, everyday policing activities.

Helping the NSW public sector better reflect the community​

NSW has one of the most culturally diverse populations in the world. Forecasts indicates that by 2031, 33% of NSW will be from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background (ABS Census).

Empowering NSW councils to adopt AI to streamline local development applications

The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) adopted the Test and Buy Innovation model to adopt an outcome-based procurement approach to uncover artificial intelligence (AI) solutions that could help NSW councils improve workflow efficiency in the local development application (DA) process, particularly during the pre-lodgement phase. This work aims to supplements the Early Adopter Grants program for Councils, to accelerate housing delivery.

Harnessing environmental assessment data for reuse​

BioNet harnesses biodiversity data to improve the state of knowledge, which optimises environmental decision-making in line with the government’s wider nature strategy. From individual plant sightings to detailed scientific surveys, it offers a wealth of knowledge about ecology and threatened species in NSW. Its objective is to harness environmental assessment data for reuse and develop data standards to facilitate the exchange of plant and animal survey and observation data through application programming interfaces (APIs).

Outcome-focused and agile procurement attracts innovation to solve complex digital challenges​

The NSW Government developed an innovation procurement model and piloted centralised support to help agency buying teams adopt innovation-friendly buying practices that:​

• used outcome-focused challenge statements instead of prescriptive specifications​
• engaged suppliers early through collaborative discovery processes​
• made it easier for small and medium enterprises to participate in procurement​

This platform brings together the Environment Protection Authority (EPA)'s main regulatory tools into one platform.

It includes a customer portal, an officer portal, tools for inspections in the field, and public registers. The goal is to improve customer service, speed up processing, and support better decision-making by making data easier to access and use.

Simplifying and streamlining school visitor check-ins

The School Visitor Check-in is a digital sign-in system for visitors and contractors at every NSW public school. Visitors and contractors check-in to schools using their ServiceNSW app or through the School Concierge app. This makes check-ins simple and fast and increases every school’s privacy and security practices. The system was developed by the NSW Department of Education in partnership with Service NSW.

A cloud-based platform to store and integrate data on national park management including weed control actions, threatened species management, fire, heritage assets and more.​

The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) recognises that that data and digital capabilities are not just tools – they are critical enablers of how we deliver services. High-quality data and modern digital technologies are essential to how the NPWS protects our natural environment by improving decision-making, targeting investment, and strengthening our accountability to the communities and landscapes we serve.​

Addressing the digital divide between rural and metropolitan NSW public schools

The Rural Access Gap program was set up to address the growing digital divide between metropolitan and rural, regional and remote public schools in NSW. The program, supported by the Digital Restart fund, aimed to provide schools with learning and education opportunities equivalent to their metropolitan counterparts, through modern IT equipment, collaboration tools and professional learning, and upgraded infrastructure to provide faster and more reliable internet access.

Helping people build and buy digital products and services that everyone can use

The Accessibility and Inclusivity Toolkit can be used by agencies and communities to make sure digital products and services meet accessibility guidelines, so everyone can access them. This promotes inclusivity, equal access to information and digital opportunities.