Teams from all around the state are competing in Launceston and Hobart over the next three days as part of the annual GovHack open data competition.
GovHack showcases innovative use of government open data and how it can benefit the community and the economy, and make government more effective and efficient.
The event sees some of our best and brightest in the ICT sector exploring ways to use government data to make information more accessible or improve services.
For example, publication of open transport data has allowed for the development of smartphone and mobile device applications that provide bus routes and timetable information to commuters and tourists.
One of last year’s GovHack Tasmania winners used motor vehicle accident data to map the location and severity of accidents.
Tasmanian entries performed well in the 2014 national prize awards, winning three first places, three second places and several ‘highly commended’ awards.
GovHack is held around Australia and New Zealand every year. The event will run in both Launceston and Hobart over July 3, 4 and 5, the first time it has been held in Launceston.
The Liberal Government is a strong supporter of GovHack and is proud to be the Platinum Sponsor of this year’s GovHack event.
As part of the competition the Government has made more than 70 datasets available, which cover a broad range of Tasmanian subjects including convicts and early settlers, World War I servicemen, property boundaries, contours and digital terrain models, transport, education, bushfires, air and water quality, river flows and dam levels, electoral boundaries and climate change.
The Government is supporting the Tasmanian ICT sector to help improve productivity, business competitiveness and economic growth. GovHack is just one of the initiatives supported by the Tasmanian Government helping young Tasmanians to develop ICT skills.
The Tasmanian rollout of Code Club, a nationwide network of free, volunteer-led after school computer coding clubs for primary school students aged 9 to 11, is progressing well and giving more and more Tasmanian students skills which will be crucial for their future employability.
Initiatives like GovHack and Code Club will help to ensure Tasmania can create and attract jobs in the ever-growing ICT industry.
Michael Ferguson, Minister for Information Technology and Innovation
