Govt opens Round 2 of smart city program

The federal government has opened applications for the $22 million second round of the Smart Cities and Suburbs program.

Applications for the second round of the program will be open until 2 July. Local government bodies will be able to apply for co-funding for collaborative projects involving the application of innovative technology solutions to urban challenges.

The minimum grant amount has been raised to $250,000, with local government bodies required to contribute at least 50% of the total project costs.

“Round One of this program is making a big impact, with 49 projects funded across a wide range of technologies and applications — such as trialling a driverless electric shuttle in Perth to help reduce congestion,” Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities Paul Fletcher said.

“Today we’re kicking off Round Two — with $22 million of funding available to support innovative smart technology solutions to improve livability in our cities and regional centres.”

He noted that funding is available to all cities, with 40% of successful projects funded under Round One located in regional areas.

Projects funded under Round One include projects to adopt 3D modelling for urban planning in Woollhara and Byron in NSW, the Moreland and Werribee areas in Melbourne, and Launceston in Tasmania.

Other projects include a community Wi-Fi and open data initiative in Bathurst, the development of a Smart Cities Collaboration Marketplace in Perth, and several smart transportation and parking projects.

The government is making a total of $50 million available across the two rounds of the program.

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

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