Digital infrastructure to enable smart technologies in the Western Parkland City
The Western Parkland City is being developed as part of the Greater Sydney's Six Cities Vision. It will have a population of more than 1.5 million by 2036. There is an opportunity to invest in foundational digital infrastructure to enable it to be a digitally connected city.
The 2019 Australian Infrastructure Audit identified that integrating new technologies can enable substantial improvements in quality of life, productivity and service delivery.
Fast and reliable internet connections will be crucial to the development of the Western Parkland City as it seeks to attract people, businesses and jobs.
Providing digital infrastructure would enable the adoption of technologies that reduce travel times, reduce resource use and emissions, improve health and provide more ways for community members to access up to date information about services and developments in their city.
This opportunity is aligned with the NSW Smart Places Strategy, which aims to deliver outcomes for citizens and businesses by applying a consistent, seamless, place-based approach to smart places implementation in NSW and the NSW Digital Government Strategy, which aims to enhance customer experience and service delivery for people and businesses in NSW.
Smart city infrastructure can also enable technologies that help deliver NSW Government priorities relating to transport, the environment and urban development.
The proposal would support the growth of a digitally enabled Western Parkland City with:
- Digital plumbing and connectivity to be embedded in the planning of the City and deployed as part of construction to support enabling infrastructure including 5G and 6G radio antennae, sensor networks, smart street furniture and smart poles, and high-capacity telecommunications transmission networks
- Data capturing devices for measuring the city and the systems, and software and maintenance to run the city, and
- Data management and Cyber security to ensure data is secured but accessible by all who need it and to ensure appropriate cyber security controls are implemented from the outset with a secure by design approach across the City.
Proponent is developing potential investment options and business cases as part of the Smart Western City Program.
In August 2021 the NSW Government launched the Smart Western City Program with a two-tiered approach to delivery through establishing the foundations for consistent delivery of smart solutions in the Parkland City and pilots to generate a deeper evidence base. To date two pilot projects have been funded through the NSW Smart Places Acceleration Program – Smart Kerbs (Transport for NSW and Liverpool City Council) and digital twin augmentation (Camden Council and Department of Customer Service). A further two pilot projects are seeking funding approval by the end of December 2021.
Refer to Infrastructure Glossary for terms and definitions.