May 2026 Newsletter

This week’s newsletter articles reflect some tensions we have across the monitoring sector in Australia at present. AI can do everything, but can we keep it safe and is it reliable?. Lets start with the positives.

There is the frenetic race locally and internationally for more software being developed using AI, to rapidly code in new functionality. As the cost to code decreases the importance for being first to market increases, the barrier to entry having diminished. It’s exciting, there are even more clouds offering software for predictive functions. For example; forecasts of dust and odour; irrigation and fertiliser requirements; and most recently geotechnical stability.

HydroTerra is on the forefront of these changes, producing digital forms for site operators integrated into our DataStream™ platform. This turns compliance monitoring obligations into useful operational metrics and alarm systems. This, simple tweak levers off existing activities to produce operational reports and insights. There is massive upside for site operators. Please get in touch if you are a site operator. In short, it integrates your HSEQ operational metrics and your compliance metrics to give you whole of site awareness. The efficiency gains are dramatic, as metrics historically collected but not looked at, are now integrated directly into site specific bespoke reports and dashboards. This is the core of HydroTerra’s value proposition: improving the efficiency of operations and environmental management through integrated monitoring, reporting and oversight.

Running in parallel with the explosion of rapidly produced software, is the development of integrated sensing technologies linked to AI. Australia’s own CSIRO: Autonomous Sensors Future Science Platform, ran a show case of their achievements to date that we were fortunate to attend as an industry guest and panel participant. This CSIRO research and development program, accelerates the generation of new sensing tools to enable growth of digital decision making. A really impressive initiative.

So plenty of technology advancements, including some strong Australian based initiatives. So where’s the tension? Well, whilst in general the technology marches on, Australia is becoming nervous about how we use it and how it might expose us, and rightly so. A belts and braces risk management legal and legislative approach is emerging! We have contracts emerging with terms referencing AI use in their agreements. “The contractor must not use an AI system in connection with the performance of the services without prior written consent of the Supervisor”, “ensure that the use of the AI system is effectively overseen and monitored by humans”, ”ensure the AI has been trained…”. Then there’s the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 (Cth) (the SoCI Act). The SOCI Recent reforms and proposals indicate that SOCI is potentially expanding to include: Data centres and cloud platforms; AI infrastructure and services; Digital platforms supporting essential services. There is an excellent review of the current state of play at Why Australia’s critical infrastructure regime is about to change. It is worth a read or you can get AI to summarise it for you 😊.

On reflection: with so much new technology and associated change in regulation the need for considered monitoring system design, delivered in collaboration with requisite industry specialists, has never been greater. Please get in touch, if you require this service.