Smart Central River City Program

Challenge

The Central River City is in the heart of Greater Sydney. It covers the traditional lands of seven First Nations peoples and six local government areas and is home to a fast-growing and important economic corridor between Parramatta and the Olympic Peninsula.
The Central River City is changing fast, with new businesses and jobs and more people choosing to make it their home.
There are great opportunities for smart technologies to support this growing centre and make it vibrant, safe, inclusive and sustainable.
To achieve this, the City needs great digital connectivity, and providing this can be challenging given the area is already developed.
 

Solution

The Smart Places team started working with key councils and state government agencies in 2021 to explore the opportunities for smart technologies and improved digital connectivity to support the growth and ambitions of the Central River City.

The goal was to:

1. understand the mobile and internet connectivity in the Central River City and how demand on this infrastructure might change over time
2. co-design the future experience we want for people and businesses in the City
3. develop a strategy for using smart technology to support the future ambitions of the City
4. adopt a Central River City Blueprint to guide future action and investments to use smart technologies and data solutions.

The Central River City Blueprint (PDF 1.15MB) has seven key opportunity areas:

1. Customer experience: build trust and help make the City a great place for people by applying the Smart Places Customer Charter.
2. Digital connectivity: provide internet connectivity to match the needs of people and businesses to support growth and attract new talent and industries.
3. Data management: generate new sources of local, live data to provide insights and help people make better decisions.
4. Environmental and place monitoring: use smart technology and data solutions to understand and improve the local environment, addressing issues like air quality, heat and water quality.
5. Smart planning and operations: use new technologies and data solutions to support City planning and infrastructure management, making it safer, more transparent, cheaper and more sustainable.
6. Smart mobility: use new technologies to help people and goods move around the City.
7. Collaboration and governance: work together to deliver on the ambitions of a Smart Central River City.

The NSW Government is working with local councils and communities to transform the Central River City.  Some initiatives are already underway including:

• AssetAI®
• Creating Safer Crowded Places
• Digital Trust for Places and Routines
• Smarter, Cleaner Sydney Harbour
• Smart Infrastructure Design Specifications
• Smart Irrigation Management for Parks and Cool Towns (SIMPaCT)
• Smart Places – Water Insights
• Smart Planning Approvals
• OPENAIR
• Western Sydney Neighbourhood Health Hub

Outcomes

Smart Places outcome areas:

• Collaboration and connection
• Environmental quality
• Equity, accessibility and inclusion
• Health and well-being
• Safety and security

Resources

Want to implement a similar project? Visit our Smart Places Playbook for help.

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