The City was successful in securing a matched funding grant worth $1.3million from the Australian Government, through the Smart Cities and Suburbs Program.
This will see ground work commence on technology development and installation of hardware for four projects - Smart Precinct, Smart Irrigation, Smart Sustainability and Data Hub.
Chair Commissioner Eric Lumsden said the new technology aims to improve quality of life and provide a knowledge platform for residents, visitors, businesses and tech start-ups in Perth.
“We are excited to announce the commencement of work with our chosen technology partners with the aim of improving liveability, productivity, sustainability and economic development,” Commissioner Lumsden said.
“The Smart Precinct trial project in East Perth, will use CCTV-based sensors and analytics to measure vehicle and pedestrian activity around the new Matagarup Bridge and Optus Stadium.
“This data will provide valuable insights and assist decision making for City of Perth planners, businesses, and residents in the area, as well as enhance the efficiencies of existing safety and security measures.”
The Smart Irrigation project will see the replacement of old traditional irrigation systems with Smart Controllers integrated into the City of Perth’s live management systems.
The new irrigation sensors will utilise predicted weather forecasts and soil moisture readings to automatically adjust watering.
“As our climate becomes hotter and drier we must become smarter about our water use. By using the latest available technology, we can be more systematic, efficient and cost effective while keeping our City looking its best without wasting this important and limited resource,” Commissioner Lumsden said.
Smart Sustainability further enhances this environmental monitoring through the deployment of a series of water and air quality sensors across greater Perth.
Located close to schools and higher education institutes, the City of Perth is creating a network to protect the environment, and encourage community participation.
The fourth project, known as Data Hub, will see the creation of an Open Data Portal where aggregated data will be published online.
The Open Data Portal is an exciting prospect for the City in the provision of information for residents and business.
The data will enable the user to cross reference information with their own data to make informed decisions about their business, and stimulate economic development and innovation in Perth’s growing start-up and technology sector.
Engagement with the community is paramount in the overall program and these projects will be supported by a Citizen Science component currently being progressed.
This will see the City of Perth actively engaging with high-schools and universities along with community groups to participate in the Smart Cities Program.
Participants in the Citizen Science Project will be encouraged to innovate and collaborate with each other, with the aim to show how data can improve urban decision making.
These Smart Cities projects aim to test the application of equipment and smart technologies in real life settings with the resultant insights expected to be of value to citizens, business and the environment, putting the City of Perth at the forefront in Smart innovation.
For more about the Australian Government Smart Cities and Suburbs program go to https://infrastructure.gov.au/cities/smart-cities/
Issued by: Haydn Kruger, Media Advisor, 9461 1423, haydn.kruger@cityofperth.wa.gov.au