Newcastle wins second smart city gong

City of Newcastle’s great smart city strides were recognised again Thursday night at a national event highlighting the latest technologies being deployed across Australia’s building, transport and utilities industries.

Newcastle was named joint winner of the headline Smart City of the Year – Metropolitan prize along with Adelaide’s City of Prospect at the Smart Cities Awards 2019 in Melbourne.

Presented during the Smart Cities 2019 Conference, the award confirmed Newcastle had moved ahead of other local governments, including finalists Randwick, Townsville and Lake Macquarie city councils, as an advanced and ambitious smart city.

“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,” 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 roll-out 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 liveability 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 startups, 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.

“This is an exciting time for our City, and I want to pay tribute and extend a big thank you to the great achievements of our Smart City team.”

The latest gong follows the City’s win of last year’s Smart Cities Strategy Award, which recognised the the Smart City Strategy 2017-2021 at the Smart Cities Council Australia and New Zealand’s inaugural Smart City Week.

For more information on the Smart Cities Conference and Awards 2019, visit https://smart-cities.com.au/ or to view the Smart City Strategy 2017-2021, visit http://www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/getattachment/Business/Smart-City/smart-city/2752_Smart-City-Strategy-FINAL-WEB-indexed.pdf.aspx?lang=en-AU.

Caption: City of Newcastle Smart City Coordinator Nathaniel Bavinton with the award at last night's presentation.