The Local Government Association of Queensland says new digital tools can make many council services more efficient.

The LGAQ has launched LG Sherlock at its annual conference this week.

The high-tech tool brings advanced data analytics to the information created by smart technologies associated with meters, lights, pumps, switches, vehicle tracking and wifi.

It can produce insights to improve and resolve issues affecting local communities.

LGAQ President Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson said early trials of LG Sherlock had identified as much as $5 million in potential savings for councils.

He said councils could use the tool to put their data to work, to connect it to other data, and to convert the combined and collated information back into “practical, useful insights” into the way they did business.

“This information is too valuable to leave sitting on the shelf – untapped and under-utilised,” he said.

“LG Sherlock aims to make sense of all this data. It will centralise the data, get it working together and get it producing insights.”

Councils can use the new tool to help with challenges like animal management and, in particular, barking dogs, one of the most common issues for councils.

LG Sherlock has the capacity to tell councils not only which dog breeds bark the most, but in what places, at what times, under what weather conditions.

The information can be fed back into council animal management plans and their communications with dog owners and breeders.

LG Sherlock was developed for the LGAQ by data analytics experts at consultants Accenture and Amazon Web Services.