NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) partnered with One51 to unify biodiversity, fire, and visitor data into a single, AI-ready platform built on Microsoft Fabric – consolidating 135+ datasets from 20 legacy systems to enable faster, smarter conservation decisions.
Safeguarding over 895 national parks and reserves, spanning 9.6% of New South Wales’ landmass, NPWS plays a vital role in protecting biodiversity, managing fire risks, preserving Aboriginal cultural heritage, and delivering visitor experiences to millions every year.
To enhance conservation outcomes, NPWS sought to become a performance-focused organisation powered by timely, trusted data. However, decades of information stored across disconnected systems were slowing responsiveness, limiting insight, and making compliance reporting increasingly complex.
Following a rigorous government tender, NPWS selected One51 Consulting for its proven expertise in delivering Microsoft Fabric solutions at scale within public sector environments.
Before partnering with One51, NPWS faced several challenges:
Data trapped in 20+ legacy systems, making cross-program insights difficult.
Manual reporting processes that slowed response to regulatory and operational needs.
No centralised platform to integrate biodiversity, fire, and visitor datasets.
These limitations impacted NPWS’s ability to respond quickly to emerging environmental threats and operational demands.
Unified data ecosystem spanning biodiversity, fire, operations, and visitor engagement.
Enhanced operational efficiency through real-time insights and faster decision-making.
Improved collaboration and governance, with field teams gaining secure access to current data.
AI-readiness for predictive conservation and strategic planning.
Callan Pearson
Senior Parks System Officer, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
Rather than replacing systems individually, One51 designed a unified platform capable of integrating data from biodiversity, fire, and visitor operations.
The solution combined:
135+ datasets integrated into Microsoft Fabric and OneLake, enabling central access.
Security and governance frameworks aligned with NSW Government standards.
Interactive dashboards for biodiversity tracking, hazard-reduction reporting, and visitor insights.
Training and onboarding across conservation, operations, and fire management teams to ensure long-term adoption.
This foundation now supports a culture of data-driven decision-making across NPWS.
With a unified data foundation built on Microsoft Fabric, NPWS now has complete visibility across its conservation, operations, and visitor programs.
Wildlife Conservation: Integrated camera trap, field, and spatial data for species such as koalas and greater gliders enabling proactive conservation strategies.
Fire Preparedness: Combined historical fire records with live telemetry to support hazard reduction and asset protection.
Visitor Experience: Delivered insights into visitor behaviour to inform maintenance and infrastructure planning.
Operational Efficiency: Reduced manual reporting burden and improved cross-program visibility.
This unified platform allows NPWS to monitor ecosystem health, predict environmental risks, and report with transparency across government agencies. Field teams now access real-time data anywhere, supporting informed decision-making and more responsive conservation outcomes.
Looking ahead, NPWS plans to expand this foundation into AI-driven conservation modelling, advanced risk forecasting, and enhanced visitor analytics, continuing its journey toward smarter, data-led environmental management.
