Narromine Shire Council is advancing its asset management and forward works planning processes across its 1,600 km road network. Traditionally, road condition assessments were conducted manually, which was time-intensive, inconsistent, and often missed smaller defects. Renewal planning relied heavily on surface age and the experience of engineers and supervisors, with limited visibility beyond the immediate year.
In early 2024, the council introduced AI-driven defect detection to speed up inspections and improve consistency. While there have been some initial challenges—such as occasional false positives and a lack of measurement data—the technology has significantly enhanced data collection efficiency and reliability.
To turn this data into actionable planning insights, the council is using JunoViewer, part of the JunoAMS suite developed by Lonrix. This system consolidates defect information with key asset attributes such as age, construction materials, traffic volumes, and dimensions. JunoViewer enables the creation of informed 1-year, 3-year, and 10-year forward works plans, improving the council’s ability to prioritise projects, manage budgets, and make strategic long-term decisions.
The platform allows the council to better match maintenance and renewal activities to actual network conditions, supporting smarter investments and more proactive planning. It also provides clarity on what is achievable within financial constraints while highlighting where additional funding may be needed.
Looking ahead, (and potentially closer to reality by the time August rolls around) Narromine Shire Council plans to expand its use of data-driven planning to unsealed roads and is exploring incorporating further asset and condition data to enhance predictive modelling. The integration of additional tools within the JunoAMS suite is also being considered to further streamline asset management processes.