Digital tools help Vinnies provide rapid support during bushfires

Nous combined data sources to gain rapid insights

Nous analysed data to understand how Vinnies could best reach vulnerable communities. We:

1. examined New South Wales Office of Emergency Management data that showed the number of properties damaged or destroyed by bushfires in each location
2. used natural language processing to link this data with data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics to add information on population, median household income, internet access, Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander status, disability status, household ownership/renting and education level
3. developed a spreadsheet with demographic data alongside fire impact information
4. used R shiny, a digital tool, to create interactive maps to understand the geographic distribution of the demographics Vinnies wanted to reach
5. used the maps to identify nearby regions with similar characteristics, such as a high proportion of people with disability (see below).

Tools helped Vinnies reach people when they needed it

The interactive visuals, which Nous created in less than a day, supported Vinnies to explore demographics and make decisions. Vinnies was able to reach people at a time of great vulnerability and offer them support that met their needs.

The data is still being used Vinnies' work supporting communities as they recover and rebuild.