Smart City of the Year – Metropolitan winners announced

Newcastle (NSW) and Prospect (SA) have been jointly named Smart City of the Year – Metropolitan at this year’s Smart Cities Awards.

The cities won the award over finalists Randwick, Townsville, Lake Macquarie and Moreland city councils.

To take the title, Newcastle and Prospect had to show that their councils’ infrastructure digitisation and interconnection strategies were original, long term, cost-effective, improving residents’ lives and using technologies to their full potential, according to the Smart Cities conference site.

“This award recognises our commitment to planning for the future and engaging widely with the Hunter’s tech minds as part of the Smart City Strategy, adopted by Council in 2017, and the extent of our smart city development,” Newcastle’s Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said.

“Whether investing in energy-efficient solar projects or rolling out electric-vehicle charging stations and bike-sharing initiatives, we’re leading the way when it comes to investment in and uptake of technology.”

“This includes the rollout of free Wi-Fi and low-power wide area networks that will link sensors and integrated technology to provide detailed real-time data to improve ease of access, efficiency and livability for residents, businesses and tourists.”

“It’s also important to move beyond the installation of technology alone, to also engage with the community around the future city. This is what we’ve seen with our catapult project working with innovative start-ups, and workshops and events aimed at ensuring our smart city is for everyone, such as the inaugural Humble Lecture being delivered Friday at our City Library.”

The gong follows Newcastle’s win of last year’s Smart Cities Strategy Award for its Smart City Strategy 2017–2021.

Pictured: City of Newcastle Smart City Coordinator Nathaniel Bavinton with the award at the presentation.