Boroondara adopts Datacom Datascape for council revamp

The City of Boroondara in Victoria has selected Datacom's Datascape platform for a new Property, Rates and Permits system as it replaces legacy platforms across key council operations.

The council sits east of Melbourne's central business district and serves more than 170,000 residents. It oversees planning, building, land management, property and rates, among other functions.

Datacom won the work following a competitive public tender process. The council said it will use Datascape as part of its Transforming Boroondara program.

System scope

The replacement system covers a wide range of council functions. These include accounts receivable and receipting, animal management, building services and infringements management. The scope also includes investigation management, land management and licences and permits management.

The new system also covers local laws, property and rates, and strategic and statutory planning. It extends to streets, roads and parking.

Datacom described Datascape as a modern, cloud-based software suite that it built for local government in Australia and New Zealand. The company said the suite includes ERP modules and digital tools that councils can tailor.

"The City of Boroondara is undertaking a major transformation and our team is proud to be part of that journey. Datascape will provide the council with a transparent, efficient and easy-to-use platform that simplifies internal processes and enhances service delivery for their community and stakeholders," said John Wiggs, Director - Datascape, Datacom.

Further development

Datacom said council staff will contribute to the development of additional functions for the platform. The company identified BAMS integration and further automation options as areas of work.

The additional automation work listed by Datacom spans planning, building, health, food and swimming pools.

"Our work with Boroondara will help develop additional functionality that is tailored to the needs of local government in Victoria," said Wiggs.

Contract terms

The contract covers implementation, licensing and ongoing support for the Datascape platform. Datacom said the council will use the arrangement as it continues work under the Transforming Boroondara program.

The council has already delivered other projects under that program, including a finance and CRM system rollout.

Local government focus

Datacom said it has worked with federal, state and local government customers for more than 30 years. The company said it employs more than 2,500 people across Australia.

In a separate statement about its wider government work, Datacom said its digital engineering team has developed an AI-led approach to application modernisation. The company said it has applied the approach on legacy systems modernisation for a large Australian government agency. It said this delivered a 60% reduction in timelines and costs compared with a traditional project of similar scale.

Wiggs framed the Boroondara deployment as a base for later technology changes, including automation and integration work.

"With Datascape, councils have a strong foundation for a smarter, more efficient way of working," said Wiggs. "We're excited to work alongside the Boroondara team to implement a solution that not only meets today's requirements but also supports future innovation - including AI-driven automation and seamless integration with other systems."