City of Perth wins $1.3m tech grant

A ‘smart’ irrigation system using weather forecasts and soil moisture readings to adjust watering is one of four City of Perth projects set to get underway after a $1.3 million federal government grant was secured.

The City received the funding, which has been matched by Perth, as part of the government’s Smart Cities and Suburbs program.

The investment will progress technology development and installation of hardware for four projects - smart precinct, smart irrigation, smart sustainability and data hub.

Chair commissioner Eric Lumsden said the new technology aims to improve quality of life and provide a knowledge platform for residents, visitors, businesses and tech start-ups in Perth.

“We are excited to announce the commencement of work with our chosen technology partners with the aim of improving liveability, productivity, sustainability and economic development,” he said.  
  
“The smart precinct trial project in East Perth will use CCTV-based sensors and analytics to measure vehicle and pedestrian activity around the new Matagarup Bridge and Optus Stadium. 

“This data will provide valuable insights and assist decision making for City of Perth planners, businesses, and residents in the area, as well as enhance the efficiencies of existing safety and security measures.”  

The irrigation project will replace old traditional irrigation systems with ‘smart controllers’ integrated into the City’s live management systems.   

“As our climate becomes hotter and drier we must become smarter about our water use,” Mr Lumsden said.

“By using the latest available technology, we can be more systematic, efficient and cost effective while keeping our City looking its best without wasting this important and limited resource.”

The sustainability project aims to enhance this environmental monitoring through the deployment of a series of water and air quality sensors across greater Perth.  

The fourth project, known as data hub, will create an open data portal where aggregated data will be published online.  

The data will enable users to cross reference information with their own data to make informed decisions about their business, with benefits expected across Perth’s start-up and technology sector.

In the second round of founding announced last month, the City of Canning received a $1 million grant for a community park while the City of Melville was awarded $500,000 for a micro-grid project.