Victoria gives Google its transport data for free. In return, it charges Victoria to use data about commuters. Does that seem fair to you? We need a better deal from Big Tech for civic planning data.
While Google knows the location of any Google Maps user, the State of Victoria is still stuck collecting transport usage data from sample surveys and Myki logs. The gap between what governments and multinational tech companies can, and do, collect and use, grows daily.
Google, and other Big Tech, collect your data and either sell you products or services, or on-sell their services which use data about you. But giving it back to governments requires mathematical scrambling, so it can’t be used to personally identify a person.
The upshot of all this is that the state government is reliant on limited and suspect data for transport planning or Google data with added “noise”. Privacy is important. But the legislative frameworks and purchasing arrangements with Big Tech need to change, to fully unlock the planning potential for real-time people and vehicle movements.
Google backgrounder
Brunswick’s travel profile, as captured by the Victorian Integrated Survey of Travel and Activity (VISTA) in 2025–26, reveals a suburb that is rapidly shifting towards active transport and multimodal commutes. As an inner-city “knowledge-intensive” hub, Brunswick now has one of the highest rates of work-from-home (WFH) and cycling in the state. [1, 2, 3]
Brunswick Travel Profile (2025–26)
| Metric [1, 4] | Brunswick Trend (VISTA 2026) | Regional Context |
|---|---|---|
| Main Mode Share | Walking & Cycling (High), Tram (Moderate), Car (Declining) | Far exceeds the Melbourne average for active travel. |
| Average Trip Length | ~2–3 km for local trips | Significantly shorter than the 16 km outer-suburban average. |
| Work-from-Home | ~45–55% of workdays (Knowledge industries) | Highest tier in Victoria, reducing morning peak pressure. |
| Primary Trip Purpose | Social, Recreational, and Local Services | Transitioning away from the traditional “9-to-5” city commute. |
Key Data Insights for Brunswick
1. The Active Transport “Boom”
Brunswick is at the centre of Victoria’s push for 25% active travel by 2030. [5]
- Separated Infrastructure: The Brunswick Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) is currently building separated walking and cycling paths along the Upfield corridor, which VISTA models predict will increase local bike trips by 19% in 2026.
- Safety Priority: Data from VISTA has led planners to identify active transport as the priority mode for seven out of eight key Brunswick intersections, including Hope and Union Streets. [2, 6, 7]
2. Short-Trip Dominance
VISTA data for Brunswick highlights the “20-minute neighbourhood” in action. [5]
- Distance: The median trip length for Brunswick residents is roughly 2.5 km—less than a quarter of the distance travelled by residents in the outer suburbs.
- Mode Shift: Because trips are short, walking has surpassed “vehicle passenger” as the second most common way for Brunswick residents to get around, particularly for recreation and local shopping. [4, 8, 9]
3. Impact of Public Transport Reform
The 2025-26 period has seen significant policy changes reflected in Brunswick’s VISTA logs:
- Fare Initiatives: The Greens’ push for permanent free PT and the state’s half-price fare scheme for 2026 have boosted off-peak tram and train patronage at Jewell, Brunswick, and Anstey stations.
- Upfield Line Capacity: Planners are using VISTA “Heat Mapping” to justify the construction of two new elevated, accessible stations that will allow for extra train frequency on the Upfield line starting in the late 2020s. [10, 11]
How to Access Local Datasets
If you want to perform your own analysis on Brunswick-specific travel patterns, you can download the following raw CSV files from the Transport Victoria Open Data Portal:
- Trips 2024-2025: Tracks individual trip legs, useful for mapping Brunswick-to-CBD flows.
- Journey to Work 2024-2025: Provides insights into the high WFH rates and cycling commutes.
- VISTA Interactive Visualization: A Tableau-based tool that allows you to filter results specifically for the City of Merri-bek (Brunswick’s LGA). [12, 13, 14]
[1] https://assets.infrastructurevictoria.com.au
[2] https://bicyclenetwork.com.au
[3] https://discover.data.vic.gov.au
[4] https://chartingtransport.com
[5] https://www.victoriawalks.org.au
[6] https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au
[7] https://climateactionmerribek.org
[8] https://www.victoriawalks.org.au
[9] https://bicyclenetwork.com.au
[10] https://www.instagram.com
[11] https://bicyclenetwork.com.au
[12] https://opendata.transport.vic.gov.au
[13] https://discover.data.vic.gov.au
[14] https://public.tableau.com
Brunswick’s travel profile is a statistical outlier in Victoria. According to 2025–26 VISTA and Big Build data, it functions as a “primary active transport” hub, whereas the rest of the state remains heavily car-dependent. [1]
Key Comparison: Brunswick vs. Victoria (2025–26)
| Metric [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] | Brunswick | Greater Melbourne / Victoria |
|---|---|---|
| Main Travel Mode | Walking, Cycling, & Tram | Private Vehicle (Driver) |
| Daily Walking Rate | ~75% of residents walk daily | ~16% of all trips are walked |
| Car Ownership | Lowest tier (high % of 0-car households) | 87.6% of households own >= 1 car |
| Median Trip Distance | ~2.5 km (localised) | ~10–16 km (commuter-heavy) |
| Work-from-Home | ~45–55% of workdays | ~25–35% (industry dependent) |
1. The “Active Travel” Gap
Brunswick is one of the few suburbs where active transport is the dominant way locals get around. [6]
- Brunswick: Walking, cycling, and trams are the most common modes. Some local reports indicate up to 75% of residents walk every day, significantly higher than any other postcode.
- Rest of State: Across Victoria, vehicle travel is the primary mode, with walking making up only 22.9% of trips statewide—and that is often for recreation rather than transport. [2, 7]
2. Perceptions vs. Reality in Shopping
Brunswick’s strip shopping (Sydney Road) highlights a massive disconnect between traders and customers that isn’t as prevalent in car-oriented malls.
- Traders’ View: Surveyed traders in Brunswick/Coburg estimated 61% of customers arrived by car.
- Actual Data: Only 39% of shoppers actually drove, while 31% walked—more than double what traders estimated.
- State Trend: In car-oriented shopping malls (standard across middle/outer Victoria), a trip is 3.5 times less likely to be walked than in a strip centre like Brunswick. [3, 8]
3. Infrastructure and Future Shift
Brunswick is a priority site for the state’s 25% active travel target by 2030.
- Upfield Corridor: The ongoing Level Crossing Removal Project is installing separated walking and cycling paths. Community feedback shows 68% of locals are primarily interested in these paths over the stations themselves.
- Transit Density: Brunswick scores significantly higher in “transit scores” (weighted by stop density) than the Melbourne average, which sits at roughly 29.7/100. [6, 9]
4. “Transport Poverty” and Access
- Brunswick: Residents enjoy “15-minute city” access, with median travel times to services being 4 to 5 times faster than those in outer growth areas like Melton or Wyndham.
- Outer Victoria: In growth areas, the capital cost of infrastructure is $59,000 higher per dwelling than in established suburbs like Brunswick, yet residents still face significantly longer commutes. [5, 10]
[1] https://opendata.transport.vic.gov.au
[2] https://brunswickresidents.files.wordpress.com
[3] https://www.victoriawalks.org.au
[5] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[6] https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au
[7] https://www.victoriawalks.org.au
[8] https://www.victoriawalks.org.au
[10] https://assets.infrastructurevictoria.com.au
Only a handful of “inner-north” and “inner-east” suburbs share Brunswick’s specific mix of high cycling, low car ownership, and extreme tram dependency. While the “inner-north” (Fitzroy, Northcote) is the closest match, each has a slightly different quirk.
The Comparison: Top Match Contenders
| Suburb | Match Level | Key Difference from Brunswick |
|---|---|---|
| Fitzroy / Fitzroy North | Highest Match | Even lower car ownership; higher walking rates due to proximity to the CBD. |
| Northcote | High Match | More “hill-based” cycling; higher proportion of family-sized households. |
| Carlton | High Match | Distorted by a massive student population and very short “walking-only” trips. |
| Footscray | Moderate Match | Strong rail/bus use but higher car dependency for regional employment. |
| Richmond | Moderate Match | Dominated by heavy rail and through-traffic congestion; less “community” cycling. |
1. Fitzroy & Fitzroy North (The Closest Rival)
Fitzroy North is Brunswick’s most direct statistical twin.
- Active Travel: Like Brunswick, Fitzroy North has a “cycling-first” culture, supported by the St Georges Road super-highway.
- Car Ownership: Both share a very high percentage of zero-car households (often exceeding 20-25%).
- Density: Fitzroy is denser, meaning walking often replaces the tram for CBD trips, whereas Brunswick residents still rely on the No. 19 tram or Upfield line for that 5km gap.
2. Northcote (The Hilly Twin)
If you move one corridor east, Northcote mirrors Brunswick’s demographic but with different geography.
- The “Merri Creek” Factor: Both suburbs use the Merri Creek trail as a primary cycling arterial.
- Mode Shift: Northcote has seen a similar “gentrification of transport,” where higher-income professionals have swapped second cars for e-bikes.
- Public Transport: Northcote relies on the Mernda line and No. 86 tram, mirroring Brunswick’s reliance on the Upfield and No. 19.
3. Carlton (The Walking Specialist)
Carlton matches Brunswick’s “non-car” stats but for different reasons.
- VISTA Profile: Carlton has the highest “walking-to-work” rate in Victoria.
- The Difference: While Brunswick is a commuter hub, Carlton is an educational hub. Most trips are under 1km (University of Melbourne/RMIT), whereas Brunswick trips are slightly longer (2.5km to 5km).
Why these suburbs are “Outliers”
These suburbs (Brunswick, Fitzroy, Northcote) form the “Inner North Active Transit Zone.” They differ from the rest of Melbourne in three data-backed ways:
- Grid Layout: Their consistent 19th-century grid makes walking and cycling intuitive.
- Tram Density: They have multiple north-south tram “spines” within walking distance of almost every home.
- The “Sydney Road” Effect: They possess high-density “strip” shopping rather than “big box” malls, which VISTA data shows is the #1 predictor of walking trips.
The “Outer-North” Contrast
To see how unique Brunswick is, compare it to Coburg or Fawkner (just a few kilometres further north):
- Car Dependency: As soon as you cross Moreland Road heading north, car-as-driver trips jump from ~30% (Brunswick) to ~60% (Coburg North).
- Public Transport Gap: The frequency of service drops, and the “walkability” score of the streetscapes decreases, forcing a mode shift back to the private vehicle.
Google uses identifiable GPS data primarily to power real-time services, personalise your experience, and target advertising. While much of the data used for public features (like traffic) is anonymised, “identifiable” data is linked to your specific Google Account to build a profile of your habits and preferences. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Core Uses of Identifiable Data
- Personalised Services: Google predicts your daily commute, suggests when to leave for work, and provides local search results (e.g., “cafes near me”) based on your precise current location.
- Ad Targeting & Measurement: Your movements are used to build an advertising profile. If you visit a specific type of store (like a gym or car dealership), you may see related ads later. Advertisers also use “store visit” metrics to see if their online ads physically drove you into their shop.
- Account Features: Functions like Find My Device or sharing your live location with friends require identifiable data to link the coordinates to your specific account. [1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
Major 2026 Privacy Shift: On-Device Storage [11]
In a significant change to its data policy, Google has moved to on-device storage for its “Timeline” feature (formerly Location History). [12, 13]
- Local Storage: Your detailed travel history is now saved directly to your phone or tablet rather than in the cloud.
- Auto-Delete: By default, Google now deletes Timeline data after 3 months unless you specifically choose to keep it longer (up to 18 or 36 months).
- Cloud Backup: You must manually enable cloud backups if you want your history available on multiple devices; otherwise, it stays only on the device that collected it. [12, 14, 15, 16]
How Google Continues to Track You
Even if you turn off “Location History,” Google may still collect identifiable location data through other settings: [17]
- Web & App Activity: This setting (on by default) saves location markers when you use Google Search or Maps. Following an ACCC investigation, Google was fined $60 million in Australia for misleading users about how this setting continued to track them even with Location History off.
- IP Address & Network Signals: Google can approximate your location using your IP address, Wi-Fi networks, and mobile towers, regardless of your GPS settings.
- Google Location Accuracy (GLA): On Android, this service periodically collects GPS and sensor data using a rotating identifier to build crowdsourced maps of Wi-Fi and cell towers. [2, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23]
Data Sharing & Law Enforcement
- Third Parties: Google states it does not sell your personal information, including location, to advertisers. Instead, it provides anonymised, aggregated reports.
- Geofence Warrants: Law enforcement can legally compel Google to provide “bulk data” about all users in a specific area at a specific time, though Google’s move to on-device storage makes fulfilling these requests much more difficult for the company. [2, 5, 12, 24, 25]
[16, 20]
[5] https://policies.google.com
[6] https://policies.google.com
[7] https://policies.google.com
[8] https://policies.google.com
[9] https://support.google.com
[10] https://policies.google.com
[12] https://www.theguardian.com
[14] https://support.google.com
[15] https://au.pcmag.com
[22] https://policies.google.com
[23] https://policies.google.com
[24] https://support.google.com
[25] https://www.blueforcelearning.com
State and provincial governments generally cannot access your “identifiable” GPS data (the personal travel history linked to your name). Instead, they buy or license aggregated, de-identified datasets from Google and other mobility aggregators.
In 2026, this is done through specific platforms designed for urban planners.
1. Google Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE)
This is the primary tool Google provides to governments. It uses the massive pool of location history data to help cities plan.
- Transport Emissions: It estimates the carbon footprint of a city by categorising trips (car vs. bus vs. bike) and calculating total kilometres travelled.
- Solar Potential: It uses GPS-derived 3D mapping to show which rooftops in a suburb like Brunswick are best for solar panels.
2. Google Maps Platform (Mobility Services)
Governments and transport agencies use Google’s Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to power their own infrastructure:
- Predictive Traffic: Planners use historical “Popular Times” and traffic flow data to see when intersections are failing. If Google data shows traffic in Brunswick peaks at 4:15 PM rather than 5:00 PM, they adjust traffic light sequences.
- Incident Detection: Agencies monitor Google Maps for sudden “red lines” (slowdowns) which often appear faster than manual reports or official road sensors.
3. Google Mobility Reports
Initially made famous during the COVID-19 pandemic, these reports are now used for general urban planning: https://www.google.com/covid19/mobility/
- Zoning & Land Use: If Google data shows a sustained 40% drop in people visiting CBD offices but a 20% rise in people visiting “Transit Stations” in Brunswick, the state government uses this to justify rezoning inner-suburban areas for more housing.
- Retail Health: Planners track “Retail and Recreation” movement trends to see if a shopping strip (like Sydney Road) is dying or thriving compared to the state average.
4. Direct Data Purchase (Aggregators)
While Google is the “source,” governments often buy processed data from middlemen like Inrix, TomTom, or StreetLight Data.
- Origin-Destination (O-D) Matrices: These reports show that “X number of people started in Brunswick and ended in Docklands.”
- Route Choice: It tells planners if people are avoiding a certain road because of roadworks, allowing them to adjust detour signage in real-time.
The Privacy Barrier
To comply with the Australian Privacy Principles, Google performs “differential privacy” on any data it gives to a government.
- Noise Injection: They add “mathematical noise” to the data so that even if a government sees one person walking a specific route at 3 AM, they cannot be 100% sure that person exists in reality.
- Thresholding: If only a few people (e.g., fewer than 10) are in a specific area, Google will show “zero” or “insufficient data” to prevent a single individual from being tracked.
Google’s tracking of the No. 19 tram is a “handshake” between two different data sources: official government GPS feeds and crowdsourced “blue dot” data from passengers’ phones.
1. The Official Feed (GTFS-Realtime)
The foundation is the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS). [1]
- The Hardware: Every Yarra Trams vehicle is fitted with a GPS transponder. This device beams the tram’s exact coordinates to a central control centre every few seconds.
- The Pipeline: Public Transport Victoria (PTV) takes this raw GPS data and converts it into a “Realtime Feed.”
- The Handover: Google “subscribes” to this feed. When you see the little tram icon moving on the map, you are seeing the official position reported by the tram itself. [2]
2. The Google “Correction” (Crowdsourcing)
Official feeds can be laggy or “drop out” (especially in high-density areas with tall buildings). Google uses anonymised GPS data from people currently sitting on the tram to fix this.
- The Match: Google’s algorithms see 30 “blue dots” moving at exactly 22 km/h along the tram tracks on Sydney Road.
- The Logic: Even if the official PTV feed hasn’t updated for 30 seconds, Google’s AI knows those 30 phones are on the No. 19. It uses their speed and location to “smooth” the icon’s movement on your screen.
3. Predicting “Late” vs “On Time”
Google doesn’t just show where the tram is; it predicts when it will arrive at your stop (e.g., Brunswick Road).
- Historical Data: Google knows how long a No. 19 usually takes to clear the Sydney Road/Victoria Street intersection at 5:30 PM on a Tuesday.
- Traffic Layer: It layers in real-time traffic data from cars on Sydney Road. If the cars are crawling at 5 km/h, Google assumes the tram—which shares the road in mixed traffic—will also be delayed, even if it hasn’t reached the traffic jam yet. [3]
4. “Business” Predictions
The “Live Busyness” feature is entirely crowdsourced.
- The Calculation: By measuring the number of active Google-enabled devices within the specific “box” of the tram’s dimensions, Google estimates if it’s “not too busy,” “busier than usual,” or “at capacity.”
Summary of Data Flow
- Tram GPS -> PTV Servers -> Google Cloud (Official Location)
- Passenger Phones -> Google Cloud (Real-time speed & Crowding)
- Google Maps -> Your Phone (The “Combined” Result)
[1] https://www.home-assistant.io
[3] https://paralleldrivingschool.com.au
Legal Frameworks for Data Sharing (2025–26)
Legal agreements between Australian state governments and “Big Tech” (Google, AWS, Microsoft) are structured through a combination of commercial procurement, intergovernmental agreements, and strict statutory privacy frameworks.
1. Commercial Procurement & Licensing
State agencies like Transport for NSW (TfNSW) or Victoria’s Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) do not “own” the GPS data generated by private devices. Instead, they license it through specific commercial products.
- The NSW-Google Model: TfNSW has historically utilised multi-million dollar annual contracts to access the Google Maps Platform for real-time traffic and flow data.
- Whole-of-Government Panels: In 2025–26, states have moved toward “Panel Arrangements.” This ensures that every department (Transport, Health, Education) signs the exact same legal terms with a provider like Google Australia, preventing inconsistent privacy protections.
- Restricted Use Clauses: These contracts legally bar governments from “reverse engineering” data to identify specific citizens. The data is licensed for planning, congestion monitoring, and infrastructure modeling only.
2. Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) on Data Sharing
The National Cabinet’s IGA on Data Sharing serves as the overarching legal treaty between the Commonwealth and the States.
- Data as a National Asset: The agreement legally defines data as a shared public asset that must be exchanged between agencies to improve service delivery.
- The “Five Safes” Requirement: All contracts must adhere to this legal standard:
- Safe Project: The data use must be for the public good.
- Safe People: Only authorised, vetted researchers can access raw datasets.
- Safe Settings: Data must be kept in secure, audited environments.
- Safe Data: Identifiers must be removed or “blurred.”
- Safe Outputs: The final reports must be checked to ensure no individuals can be re-identified.
3. State Statutory Protections
State-specific laws, such as the Victorian Data Sharing Act 2017 and the NSW Data Sharing Act, provide the enforcement mechanisms for these contracts.
- Data Sovereignty and Retrieval: Modern contracts (as of 2026) must include “Retrieval Plans.” This ensures that if a tech provider goes bankrupt or a contract ends, the government maintains the legal right to extract its historical data from the provider’s servers.
- Audit Rights: State agencies now retain the legal right to physically or digitally audit a tech provider’s security systems to ensure they are meeting Australian privacy standards.
- No Commercialisation: Standard “Acceptable Use” policies in government open-data terms prohibit private companies from taking government transit data and selling it for a profit without a specific commercial agreement.
4. Emerging 2026 National Expectations
Following recent federal updates, there are now heightened “National Interest” expectations for big tech companies building data centres or AI infrastructure in Australia.
- Local Alignment: Legal preference is given to providers that align with Australian data sovereignty—meaning the data stays on physical servers located within Australian borders.
- Security Accountability: Contracts now increasingly include “Step-In Rights,” allowing the government to take control of critical transport data infrastructure during a declared national security or cyber-emergency.
Key Document References:
- Victoria: VPS Data Sharing Heads of Agreement (March 2026 update) – Standardises terms for all Departmental Secretaries.
- NSW: TfNSW Open Data Policy – Mandates the governance and quality controls for anyone accessing state transport data.
The specific arrangements between the Victorian Government and Google are managed through a Whole-of-Government (WoG) Purchase Agreement. This legal framework allows any Victorian government agency (like the Department of Transport and Planning) to buy Google services under pre-negotiated, standardised terms.
As of 2025–26, the key pillars of this arrangement include:
1. The Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Agreement
This is a commercial contract managed by the Department of Government Services (DGS). It allows Victoria to use Google’s data centres for large-scale storage and computing.
- Data Residency: A critical legal requirement of this contract is that Victorian data must be stored on Australian soil (specifically in the Melbourne or Sydney “regions”) to comply with the Victorian Data Sharing Act 2017.
- Agreed Pricing: The contract provides a “discounted tier” for government agencies, ensuring the state doesn’t pay retail rates for massive data processing like VISTA survey modelling.
2. The Google Maps Platform License
The Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) maintains a specific licensing agreement for Google Maps data to support public-facing services.
- GTFS Realtime Integration: Victoria provides its official GPS tram and train feeds to Google for free. In exchange, Google integrates these into Maps, providing the “real-time” experience for passengers.
- API Usage: Victoria pays Google for the right to embed Google Maps into official apps (like the PTV app) and for “Geocoding” services (translating addresses into coordinates for planning).
3. Data Privacy and “De-identification”
The legal “handshake” between Victoria and Google is governed by the Victorian Protective Data Security Standards (VPDSS).
- Aggregated Mobility Data: When Victoria uses Google’s “Environmental Insights Explorer” or traffic flow data, the contract mandates that Google must provide aggregated data only.
- No Individual Tracking: Google is legally prohibited from providing the Victorian government with the “Location History” or GPS pings of a specific, identifiable Victorian citizen.
4. Innovation and Partnership (The “MOU” Layer)
Non-binding Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) exist to explore future technology.
- Artificial Intelligence: Discussions in 2026 involve using Google’s AI (Gemini/Vertex AI) to help DTP planners predict traffic bottlenecks.
- Zero-Emission Transition: Google provides data layers to help the state map locations for electric bus charging stations based on “idle time” data from current diesel buses.
Summary of Legal Hierarchy
- Victorian Law: Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014.
- Master Agreement: Google WoG Purchase Agreement.
- Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Specific to each project (e.g., the PTV app’s map uptime).
The Google Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE) provides the Victorian Government with high-level, de-identified data to help meet the state’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2045. For a suburb like Brunswick, this data is used to track how transport and buildings contribute to the local carbon footprint.
Key Data Pillars for Victoria
1. Transportation Emissions
Google uses aggregated Location History data to model every trip taken within a local government area (LGA) like the City of Merri-bek.
- Mode Split: EIE categorizes trips into passenger cars, buses, and active transport (walking/cycling).
- The Brunswick Gap: In Brunswick, EIE data typically shows a much higher percentage of “short-haul” trips (under 5km) compared to the rest of the state, which planners use to justify the removal of car parking for bike lanes.
- Boundary Mapping: It tracks “in-bound,” “out-bound,” and “in-boundary” trips, showing how many people are just passing through Brunswick versus those starting and ending their journey there.
2. Rooftop Solar Potential
Using 3D modeling and sunlight patterns, EIE calculates the “solar-ready” surface area of Victorian roofs.
- Capacity: It estimates the total Megawatt hours (MWh) Brunswick could generate if all viable roofs were fitted with panels.
- Shading Data: The tool accounts for shading from trees and neighbouring buildings, which is critical for Brunswick’s increasingly dense, multi-storey developments.
3. Tree Canopy Cover
A newer feature in the EIE “Tree Canopy” tool uses aerial imagery and AI to map the shade cover in urban areas.
- Urban Heat Islands: Planners use this to see which parts of Brunswick are “hot spots.”
- Health Outcomes: This data directly influences where the City of Merri-bek plants new street trees to reduce ground-level temperatures during heatwaves.
Specific Use in Victoria (2025–26)
The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) uses EIE data as a “coarse-grain” filter before committing to “fine-grain” local studies.
- Climate Action Plans: Councils use EIE as a free source of “Scope 3” emissions data (emissions from residents’ travel) which was previously too expensive to track.
- 20-Minute Neighbourhoods: The data supports the “20-minute neighbourhood” initiative by proving whether residents are actually staying local for their daily needs.
Data Access & Transparency
- Public Access: Anyone can view the Google EIE dashboard for Melbourne and its surrounding LGAs.
- Privacy: To protect residents, Google uses Differential Privacy, adding “noise” to the data so you cannot identify a single house’s solar output or a single person’s commute.
The Google EIE dashboard underwent a major transition after 2023, shifting from a public-facing data portal to a restricted toolset for verified government and non-profit partners.
This change was driven by three main factors: data privacy, “differential privacy” upgrades, and a shift in Google’s commercial strategy for sustainability data.
1. Shift to Verified Access Only
Prior to 2023, anyone could browse a wide range of cities and view detailed transport and solar data. Post-2023, Google restricted the full suite of insights:
- Verification Requirement: You now generally need to be a government official or a researcher with a verified organization to access the granular datasets.
- Public Summaries: The public version was simplified to “High-Level Insights,” showing broader trends rather than the raw, downloadable CSVs previously available for every LGA.
2. Introduction of “Differential Privacy”
In late 2023 and early 2024, Google overhauled how it “scrubs” location data to protect user identity.
- Mathematical Noise: They began adding “noise” to the results to ensure that even in low-density areas, individual travel patterns couldn’t be reverse-engineered.
- Data Thresholds: This caused many smaller regions or specific “mode-share” breakdowns (like cycling in specific streets) to disappear from the dashboard if the sample size was too small to be shared safely.
3. Consolidation into Google Maps Platform
Many “active” EIE features, like real-time traffic and advanced solar modeling, moved into Google’s commercial API offerings.
- Monetization for Private Use: While EIE remains free for city governments to meet climate goals, private developers and energy companies must now access similar data through paid Google Maps Platform APIs, such as the Solar API launched in late 2023.
- Integration with AI: After 2023, Google began integrating Gemini AI into the backend. The focus shifted to “predictive” insights, such as what would happen to emissions if a bike lane were built, rather than just “historical” logs.
4. Change in Transport Methodology
Google’s method for calculating transport emissions changed:
- Google Maps Navigation Data: Data shifted from solely relying on “Location History” (opt-in) to a broader “Google Maps Navigation” aggregate.
- VISTA Alignment: In Victoria, EIE data began to resemble the official VISTA data, leading to a “re-baselining” of emissions, which made 2024 data appear different from 2022 data.
Mel Yuan for Brunswick 
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