Openair: unlocking the potential of smart low-cost sensing through best practice and harmonised cross-jurisdictional data sharing

The intensity and community impact of poor air quality and extreme heat can vary significantly at local scales. Data from state-managed ambient air quality monitoring networks often lacks the spatial and temporal resolution required for an effective response to community needs. Smart low-cost sensing technology supports collection of real-time data by local authorities in locations that are relevant to their constituents and aligned with their own agency. However, there has been little support and guidance regarding the use of these technologies, and no way of sharing data from different systems and jurisdictions in a usable, trusted, or standardised way. These challenges have been addressed by the Operational Network of Air Quality Impact Resources (OPENAIR) project. OPENAIR developed extensive best practice resources relating to the use of smart sensing technology and the management of air quality data. The project established a community of practice for local government leadership on air quality issues in NSW, through facilitation and support of an active cohort of Council participants. The project also demonstrated a pilot data feed and platform for sharing and harmonising air quality data streams from multiple commercial monitoring systems, which has the potential to scale into state and national public data infrastructure. This paper provides an overview of project activities and grounds them in a transdisciplinary mix of literature on smart cities, communities of practice, and data sharing. It makes a case for the value and relevance of OPENAIR and discusses its prospective future impact.