WA hackers troll data against the rest

A competition between WA data hackers and teams from the Eastern States and New Zealand has been held in Perth to develop new and innovative ways of using official Government data to advance services to the community and extend the reach of information and communication technology (ICT).

GovHack Perth 2015 pitched 130 WA data hackers against teams from the Eastern States and New Zealand, as the State grows its ICT sector.

Minister for Finance, Bill Marmion said the event was an example of what could be achieved through community and Government collaboration.

Competition advances technology

“This 46-hour event brings together WA’s best and brightest, working with open Government data to innovate and celebrate our State’s technical and creative capacity,” Mr Marmion said.

“Timed to coincide with 20 similar events across Australia and New Zealand, GovHack pushes Perth’s potential as a technology city and the enormous talent we have on the west coast.”

Mr Marmion said that despite small beginnings in 2009, the annual GovHack events were now dovetailing with the trans-Tasman open data movement, which promised major economic and social spinoffs.

Minister for Lands, Terry Redman said the community and commercial potential ofGovHack had been exemplified by Perth’s Team Sarbii winning the 2014 national Best Business Hack prize.

“Using Landgate and Department of Mines and Petroleum information, Sarbii not only provided a dynamic search and rescue management tool, it also yielded a mobile app allowing people to ‘check in’ their journeys,” Mr Redman said.

“This has led to a commercial tracking product, which is about to be released on to the market.”

Mr Marmion said that in 2015, a WA Government Agency supported the GovHacknational awards for the first time.

“It is pleasing to see the Department of Aboriginal Affairs introducing national prizes for hackers using data to address Aboriginal economic and cultural issues,” Mr Marmion said.

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