SEQ digital twin
A digital twin is a precise digital replica of physical assets closely mimicking their behaviour and characteristics. In simple terms, a digital twin helps integrate disparate data sets that would otherwise be a challenge to combine.
When applied to the built environment, digital twins can support many layers of data, representing utilities (above and below ground), buildings, bridges, roads, parks and more. By aligning these datasets in their precise spatial location, it becomes possible to visualise entire cities or regions.
The 2023-24 State Budget saw the allocation of some funding to progress an investigation into a digital twin with proof of concept and program implementation plan providing valuable insights into the benefits of data and technology for infrastructure planning and delivery.
Leveraging the learnings from this investigation, the department is now focussed on building a statewide infrastructure insights capability to improve the coordination and oversight of Queensland’s capital pipeline.
Two of the digital twin use cases have been proposed to be advanced initially with opportunities for further staged implementation into the future. One of these relates to pipeline coordination and oversight, and aims to:
- better understand market capacity constraints (i.e. skilled labour shortage) to optimise and deliver the future infrastructure pipeline
- improve pipeline coordination across state agencies through recognition of interdependencies, efficiencies and culminative market impacts
- support the ongoing sustainability of the capital pipeline, understanding demand and investment across different regions and sectors
- drive the Regional Infrastructure Plan delivery and inform land use planning for optimised sequencing of projects.
The department is also continuing to underpin this with efforts to support a digital-by-default and productivity focus to infrastructure planning and delivery, including Building Information Modelling - BIM, Modern Methods of Construction – MMC etc.
Collectively, this work continues to build on the principles of the Digital Twin addressing fragmented data systems by improving data integration, standardisation and sharing. These efforts will enable better decision-making and more coordinated infrastructure planning.
Last updated: 09 Jul 2025