The Central Desert regional council, based in Alice Springs, covers around 283,000 square kilometres, and is made up of nine unique communities.

The council provides a range of services to residents, including aged care, local maintenance and safety patrols alongside power, water and sewage maintenance.

To do this, the council relies on a fleet of 160 vehicles, which are often required to travel along dangerous unsealed roads for up to 1000km. The remoteness of the council means that mobile coverage isn’t stable. Concerned for driver safety, the Central Desert team turned to new technology to improve communication.

The value of reliable communication

Driving solo is risky, particularly on rural roads, because in the event of flat tyres or rollovers, it can take hours for emergency services to locate and attend to the vehicle. In drier seasons, drivers also have to contend with intense heat that can lead to equipment breakdowns. But with new vehicle tracking devices installed across the fleet, these issues were managed effectively by the council.

“We needed that peace of mind,” says Justin Rutherford, Fleet and Depot Manager, Central Desert Regional Council. “Knowing where accidents happen means we can co-ordinate emergency services instantly and reach our drivers when they need it most. Anything can happen in the sort of distances our drivers travel and it’s very rewarding to know we’ve got everyone covered.”

When managing drivers and job allocations, it was important for the council to be in constant communication to relay any changes in traffic or road conditions, as well as reallocate jobs when required. Having these new channels meant that drivers travelling off-road for any reason could be easily located and communicated with.

Building safety into the workplace

The Central Desert Regional Council now uses integrated fleet management software, linked with tablets, to create pre-start safety checklists for all long-haul travel – and the essential data it provides is used to manage important fleet decisions. Additionally, integrating fuel use monitoring and vehicle tracking into daily processes allows the council to reap a range of productivity and cost saving benefits.

As a government body, it’s also required to produce reports that demonstrate compliance to council regulations. Tracking its fleet allows easy and accurate auditing of data when required, streamlining back office processes and reducing the hours required for manual paperwork.

The future of the council

The Central Desert Regional Council is now able to deliver essential services to its local community reliably, without risking the safety of its drivers. The next step for the council is to fully integrate this technology into its entire fleet of vehicles and plant equipment to create a uniform system for ensuring driver safety and gathering important data. This will ensure its continued dedication to improving the local community.