About The Datum

The Datum is an independent Australian journal about infrastructure, engineering and the environment. It explains how roads, water systems, precincts and major projects are planned, approved and built in Australia, and how the consulting profession that delivers them works.

What the journal covers

Four sections organise the coverage. Transport and Roads follows projects from business case to opening day. Water and Environment covers drought planning, environmental approvals and contaminated land. Cities and Communities explains the planning instruments that shape new suburbs and the development work Australian firms deliver overseas. The Consulting Profession describes what the firms do, how governments buy their services and what careers inside them look like.

How the journal works

Every guide is written to be read by a non-specialist without being wrong for a specialist. Claims rest on public documents: business cases, planning scheme amendments, approval registers, procurement records and the published evaluations of the programs described. Where a topic involves contested policy, the guide describes the mechanism rather than the argument.

The Datum publishes under the name The Datum editorial team. It is written and published independently on the cardno.com.au domain. It has no connection to any company that has used that name, and it neither represents nor speaks for any firm, agency or program it covers.

Corrections and contact

Factual corrections are welcomed and fixed promptly. Questions, corrections and subject suggestions reach the editors at contact@cardno.com.au or through the contact page. Legal and privacy information is on the legal notice page.