Road operators have a role in Cooperative Intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) to deploy roadside stations that can deliver messages to passing vehicles to improve the drivers' situational awareness – messages such as the traffic light phasing, roadworks, and hazards. Across the European Union (EU), the C-Roads and Car-2-Car Communication Consortium are working towards the deployment of interoperable C-ITS.  To achieve similar interoperability and scalability benefits in Queensland and Australia, harmonization among roadside station deployments is necessary.

To manage this harmonisation, specifications are needed to ensure a common implementation of the standards is achieved to maximise interoperability and deliver common use cases. The adopted principles for specification development include leveraging European deployment and standards (C-Roads roadside station profile, C2C-CC basic service profile, ETSI standards), encouraging national consistency (national harmonisation needed for vehicles imported), aligning to readily available industry product (minimise development on essential functionality), supporting existing systems (provide an extension of current ITS and road network operations with higher quality, user relevant information). 

Within this framework, the requirements are categorised in common operation and use cases based on European infrastructure-based services, C-ITS communications and architecture based on European station profiles including security, interfaces to existing systems, quality and compliance, monitoring, and maintenance.

Ongoing management of standards, implementation specifications and decisions are critical for C-ITS. This paper discusses the challenges and options for maintaining a unified, operational ecosystem while adapting to local needs, international development, backward compatibility, and innovation. It emphasises the need for continued collaboration to ensure effective C-ITS implementation and operation.