As an environmental data expert, can you share your perspective on the remediation field and how your technology can be leveraged to improve the way in which the industry works?

One of the biggest challenges we see across our industry is the retention of environmental monitoring data and access to it. For instance, contractors often share data with multiple stakeholders, whether as part of a joint venture or through engagement with consultants. This ongoing sharing of geological, geotechnical, field and laboratory data between multiple organisations can cause unnecessary delays in project workflows. To further complicate matters, most organisations are not set up for the sharing of site data within a secure cloud-based environment. So, sending data back and forth via spreadsheets or data files can be quite inefficient and time-consuming.

This is where having a secure, cloud-based data management system that is tailored to the needs of our sector can be very beneficial to a project. It means contractors can keep their projects moving by having all their data in one location while also being able to share results across multiple stakeholders as needed.

For example - increasingly, contractors are setting up temporary and project-specific ESdat Online subscriptions specifically to cater to all stakeholders for the duration of a project. Being cloud-based, cost-effective and with no setup time, ESdat Online is ideally suited for this.

Laboratory, field, borehole, geology and logger data can all be stored and accessed from this single point of truth, so all stakeholders can access the data they need. Data can be shared either by providing restricted logins (such as read-only, or to only access certain data), or by integration with tools like Power BI to create dashboards that consolidate ESdat data with other operational or contractual information.

At the end of a project, the data can be downloaded and the account closed so there is no unnecessary ongoing maintenance of the account.

Regulatory compliance is an essential requirement for most projects. How does ESdat support its clients to meet these guidelines?

Our team at ESdat are highly experienced in the environmental industry (having worked in it themselves) and many are Australia-based, giving us a close understanding of the importance and complexities of compliance to local regulations. As part of our software, we have pre-loaded localised regulatory guidelines which automatically provide clients with exceedance notifications. This can be very helpful and supports various stakeholders to manage the requirements needed on a project.

Can you tell us a bit about your company history and the types of projects you are involved with locally?

We started off almost 20 years ago now. While we have expanded our reach to regions like Canada (and have local support set up there), we have our head office based out of Sydney, Australia, which means our clients in Australia and New Zealand are able to access support from experts very familiar with their region and regulations.

The two big sectors we’ve seen growth in this year are mining operations and infrastructure. We are seeing more and more cases where data needs to be consolidated from multiple parties on the ground and made available for corporate reporting. One infrastructure project we are very pleased to be supporting right now is the Sydney Metro Eastern Tunnelling Package. We are very proud to be able to provide local support to this exciting project.

Security is obviously a major concern for organisations using a cloud-based system. Is there anything you can say to people if they have concerns in this area?

We take security very seriously, as we understand it is critical to the trust that organisations place in us. As a cloud-based system, security is a key strength of ESdat compared to traditional onsite systems. We are Microsoft Partners; all of our ESdat systems are hosted on Azure and have all the security checks and systems that come with that. In addition, our software undergoes continuous penetration testing, where our system is continuously assessed for vulnerabilities to new and evolving threats. We also conduct regular independent cybersecurity assessments, with ESdat achieving an A+ score in the latest instance.

Our security systems and processes have also been independently audited – infact, the Information Security Management Systems we have supporting ESdat have been certified against ISO/IEC 27001:2022. ISO 27001 certification means that we have put in place appropriate systems to manage risks related to the security of the data we handle and that these systems respect the best practices and principles enshrined in the ISO27001 International Standards.

Is there anything else you'd like to add to our discussion today?

Thank you very much to ALGA for the opportunity to talk to you today. It's great to see Cronicle dedicate an edition to the role of contractors in the contaminated land and infrastructure sector given the key role they play in working together with so many other parties in the industry.

Article Published on 12/12/2023

The statements, analyses, opinions, information and conclusions that may be found in the articles of this publication are those of the author and not of the Australasian Land & Groundwater Association Ltd (ALGA), which only acts in the capacity as publisher. No part of this publication can be regarded as legal advice. Although care has been taken in preparing this publication, neither ALGA nor the author represent or warrant that the information supplied is current, complete or accurate. To the full extent permitted by law, the author and ALGA do not accept any liability, or owe a duty of care, to any person in respect of any such information. No person should rely in any way on the content of this publication and are encouraged to seek independent legal or other professional advice, if required.