Advancing AI Innovation in Local Government
Exploring responsible AI approaches in the planning process to accelerate housing delivery
The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) and Greater Dandenong City Council are collaborating on the delivery of a Local Government Housing Innovation Program with the support of a grant from the Commonwealth Housing Support Program. The objective of this program is to deliver resources for Councils to help accelerate new housing supply through the delivery of four planning related projects, working alongside specialists and the local government sector.
The Commonwealth Housing Support Program is a federal government initiative to help achieve the National Housing Accord target of building 1.2 million new, well-located homes over 5 years. The Australian Government’s Housing Support Program is one of a range of programs designed to help achieve the National Housing Accord target of building 1.2 million new, well-located homes over 5 years from 1 July 2024.
MAVlab is leading the Advancing AI Innovation in Local Government (AAII) project to build an evidence base for guidance and recommendations for interventions into the use and procurement of AI and automated decision-making tools for use in statutory planning in councils.
Preparing the sector for AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries across the globe and Victorian councils are no exception. The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) is leading the way, helping councils across Victoria harness the transformative potential of AI to deliver better services and outcomes for local communities.
To support this transition, MAV has released a groundbreaking new report: Adopting AI for Planning in Victoria’s Councils. The report offers insights and guidance to help councils integrate AI into local planning while safeguarding democratic values and community trust.
Paving the Way for Responsible AI
Key findings from the report include:
- Governance and Frameworks: Councils need robust governance structures to ensure AI supports local democracy and community trust.
- Ethics and Oversight: Planning-specific ethics and governance tools are essential to safeguard the public interest, maintain human oversight, and ensure transparency and inclusivity.
- Responsible Innovation: AI should augment, not replace, human judgment, remaining firmly grounded in public service principles.
A survey underpinning the report found that most councils are still at the early stages of developing governance frameworks for AI, highlighting the urgency of MAV’s leadership in this space.
Taking Action for the Sector
Call for Expressions of Interest: MAVlab AI Taskforce
The MAV – via MAVlab – is progressing its work on AI and is seeking to further develop a comprehensive AI roadmap for Victorian local government. This initiative will focus on four key areas:
- Procurement Innovation and Support
- Skills and Capability Uplift
- Acceleration of High-Performance Use Cases
- Strategic Monitoring and Evaluation.
To refine the details of these activities, MAV will be establishing a taskforce comprising both local government staff and representatives from industry and academia. This taskforce will help shape and advise on the AI roadmap to ensure a considered and forward-thinking approach to AI adoption across Victorian local government.
Key Objectives
Through this project we aim to:
- Develop evidence-based frameworks for responsible AI adoption in planning processes
- Create robust procurement guidelines that prioritise council and community needs
- Support council capability development in the use of advanced technologies and AI
- Establish standards for ethical AI use in local government planning
- Support faster, more efficient housing delivery while maintaining planning quality.
At the completion of this project, the MAV will have established a new procurement panel that will enable local government to source from a group of suppliers providing products and services in AI that supports that planning process.
Connect
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Get in touch via MAVlab@mav.asn.au.