The Victorian Government intends to use a $35.2 million digital twin to change infrastructure planning and unleash efficiencies.

Data and information are combined to generate digital representations of the real world in digital twins.

Planners, engineers, and builders will be able to utilize Digital Twin Victoria to model various project scenarios, evaluate the viability of ideas, solve potential concerns, and more effectively disseminate complicated information between sectors and workplaces.

In 2019, Digital Twin Victoria will expand on the digital twin developed by Land Use Victoria and the University of Melbourne for the Fishermans Bend renewal project.

The investment comes on the heels of the government's selection of CSIRO as its partner in developing the online platform that will house Victoria's digital twin.

According to Victoria's planning minister, Richard Wynne, the digital twin will “catapult Victoria into its digital future, driving efficiencies in planning and construction to supercharge the state’s long-term growth."

He stated that once the technology is in place, the digital twin will be able to gather and absorb real-time data to aid in planning and sharing critical information with communities.

The Government said the platform would be publicly available by late 2021, though adding a full suite of spatial datasets to the platform is projected to take longer.

According to a video published on Monday, the government plans to build “the most comprehensive collection of rich 3D spatial data ever assembled for Victoria”.

“With the convergence of big data and advanced technology, Digital Twin Victoria will enable us to do in minutes and days things that used to take weeks, months and even years,” Wynne added.

The platform is expected to be widely accessible by late 2021.