More smart city grants announced

Queensland’s Moreton Bay Regional Council has been awarded a $450,000 grant to implement a smart parking project in North Lakes.

Under the project, local streets will be upgraded with digital street signs that will tell drivers how many free parking spaces are available on a given street.

A smartphone app will also be developed with a virtual map of free and occupied spaces updated in real time. Moreton Bay Regional Council will match the federal government’s contribution.

The city of Greater Geelong in Victoria will meanwhile be provided with a $415,000 grant for an initiative that also includes installing parking sensors to indicate parking availability.

In addition, the city will install ‘smart street furniture’ which will provide high-speed Wi-Fi across the city, LED streetlights that can boost brightness to reduce street crime, air and water quality sensors, touch screens and a public address system.

The city and private partners will contribute $518,000 in joint funding towards the project.

“Smart street furniture will literally ‘switch on’ the city, meaning residents and visitors can easily plug into a range of technologies — charging your electric car, digital signage to assist the all-important tourism sector, streetlights with sensors that react to antisocial behaviour,” Assistant Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation Angus Taylor said.

Both the grants form part of the $28.5 million first round of the government’s Smart Cities and Suburbs program. The grants to 52 projects across Australia were allocated yesterday.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/freshidea

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