Rockhampton Regional Council takes unsealed road management online by Darren Shepherd

Abstract

In recent years, the roads management team at Rockhampton Regional Council has adopted a proactive approach to maintaining the region’s unsealed roads by regularly surveying the network to capture rapidly changing condition data and using this information to create future grading and resheeting programs. However, as much of the process was manual and remained in spreadsheets, the resulting information was difficult to correlate and outcomes challenging to communicate. Most frustrating was the inability to effectively show the Executive Team and Councillors the current condition of the network, planned future works and completed works. Today those frustrations are a thing of the past with Council now using sophisticated GIS mapping and cloud technology to centralise its unsealed roads management data and visually display road condition, planned and completed works via user-friendly online maps. Council’s Online Road Management Hub was developed by engineering consulting firm SHEPHERD and customised by working closely with Council’s highly experienced staff to deliver a seamless process from road condition capture to programming works live within the Hub. SHEPHERD created software and tools that automatically push RACAS data live, as roads are being inspected, to the Online Hub. Live data informs online maps that are visually easy to read and understand, for example, the condition of the network is displayed as traffic light colours enabling the executive team to effectively answer enquiries about specific roads and provide photos as evidence. Works programming tools are simple to use, Supervisors simply draw a line on the map, yet are powered by comprehensive datasets and metrics to deliver meaningful programs. Integrated mobility tools allow Supervisors to adjust the works program and record completed works in the field using their smart devices with changes syncing back live the Online Hub. All without the need for specialised software or IT expertise. As a result of centralising Council’s data, improving accessibility of information, eliminating manual processes and the need to move data from various locations, the Online Road Management Hub has greatly improved efficiencies in planning, programming and answering complaints in relation to unsealed roads management. The objective of this paper will be to: • Share Rockhampton Regional Council’s Unsealed Roads Management Journey; • Step through the process of automatically pushing data from the RACAS Roads Inspector to the Online Hub; • Demonstrate the features and benefits of using the Online Road Management Hub as an effective planning and communication tool; and • Explore lessons learnt.