City seeks Smart Cities funding for key community projects

The Rail Smart Program and the Yellagonga Wetlands Smart Sensor Monitoring Program propose to harness technology, innovation and data to help enhance efficiencies, connect real time data to decision-making, provide new opportunities for local business and attract investors to the region.

The Rail Smart Program proposes to use new technology to analyse public transport data gathered from train users at the Clarkson, Butler and Joondalup train stations, and the terminating station of Mandurah. This data and analysis will be used to inform the design of the future stations of Alkimos, Eglinton and Yanchep.

“We have set ourselves a target of delivering 100,000 new local jobs in the City over the next decade”, says Mayor Tracey Roberts.

“Our ability to reach this target will rely heavily on the establishment of ‘activity centres’ in close proximity to, or easily connected with, the City’s key transport links – our train stations.

“The proposed Rail Smart Program will help ensure these centres are planned and delivered to attract the businesses, residents, visitors and tourists that will support local employment opportunities on the scale we are targeting.”

If the funding application is successful, the Rail Smart Program will be undertaken in partnership with the Planning and Transport Research Centre (PARTEC), Edith Cowan University, The University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Department of Transport and the Water Corporation.

The Yellagonga Wetlands Smart Sensor Monitoring Program proposes an innovative way to manage and protect the Yellagonga wetland system using environmental sensors. The sensors will enable close monitoring of a variety of environmental factors from nutrient and water levels to flora health, acid sulphate levels and environmental triggers for midge outbreaks.

Once established, the Program would assist the City and its partners to respond more quickly to environmental concerns as they arise and inform the community on critical environmental information about the wetlands.

Yellagonga Regional Park is jointly managed by the Department of Parks and Wildlife, City of Wanneroo and City of Joondalup. Land tenure is also vested in the Conservation Commission of Western Australia and the Western Australian Planning Commission. Additional project partners include Edith Cowan University, who will undertake research of nutrient levels, and the Department of Water.

Projects successful in attracting Smart Cities and Suburbs Program funding will be announced early in the new Financial Year.

About the Smart Cities and Suburbs Program

The $50 million Smart Cities and Suburbs Program supports local governments, private companies, research organisations and not-for-profit bodies to work collaboratively and deliver innovative smart city projects. The goal is to improve the liveability, productivity and sustainability of cities and towns across Australia.