Cyber Security News

Government data hacking solution to cost-of-living crisis

Jomar Teves Aug 23, 2023

2 min read

Australia is currently facing a cost-of-living crisis as all kinds of prices are rising for all sorts of products and services. To combat the cost-of-living crisis, various problem teams have banded together to solve the issue during GovHack, an open government data hackathon.

Great Hackathon

Over the weekend, various teams from Australia and New Zealand participated in the hackathon and responded to challenges from sponsors such as the Australian Taxation Office, Intellectual Property Australia, and Heritage NSW to resolve the cost-of-living crisis.

In the final minutes of the 46-hour event, which began on Friday evening, the teams at the Sydney downtown venue were busily typing away on computers.

At the event’s end, projects were submitted, and participants presented brief presentations on how they each solved difficulties using publicly available government data. A few of these projects were focused on the NSW Department of Customer Service’s challenge of the cost-of-living crisis.

Proposed projects

With the event closing, the participants were able to submit a variety of ideas to tackle the cost-of-living crisis,

Habitasis was a project in which a NSW resident could enter their postcode and receive a score out of 100 based on their district’s liveability. The liveability score was calculated using data from the NSW government, such as NSW FuelCheck and rental bond lodgements.

The (Gov) Affordability Planner – used data on NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Program Locations so that families could find a suburb they could afford and suitable schools for their children.

Another GovHack effort involved generating walking tours via an app utilising Heritage NSW data, with each stop providing information on why a property is heritage listed. The app allowed users to report graffiti and parking availability to Heritage NSW.

One team created the Trinity app, which is meant for Victorian residents to search for sustainability initiatives. It also includes initiatives such as getting 10 cents back for recycling plastic bottles.

In recognition of going above and beyond during the event, The Sydney Spirit of GovHack award was granted to the Trinity team member and NSW Health public servant Naina Gill.

In an interview with the Mandarin, Gill said she’d love to see more public institutions involved in the event as it is an opportunity to make a difference for her or her team and others to make a difference. Gill further stated that it is her passion for public health and making a change at a policy level that she and others can contribute to the change in whatever sector or service the government offers.

In conclusion, in the efforts to combat the cost-of-living crisis, a GovHack, which is a 46-hour open government data hackathon, was held by the Australian government where various problem teams participated.

After the event’s closing, multiple kinds of projects were proposed ranging from apps that provide information regarding a location’s liveability to initiatives for individuals to sustain themselves. Trinity team member and NSW Health public servant Naina Gill further states that GoveHack is an opportunity for her and others to contribute and make changes in the various sectors.

Jomar Teves

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After four years in business school and working for multinational clients, Jomar believes he can improve the world through his writings via Public Spectrum, by informing the public on the latest news and updates happening around the government and society. Jomar has eight years experience as a writer and has a degree in Business Administration and Entrepreneurial Marketing.