Newcastle Leads the Way with Smart City Infrastructure

An advanced network of sensors spread across the city has put Newcastle on the front foot to combat a range of local environmental issues. The City’s ‘Envirosensing’ network and Internet of Things (IoT) project, which was officially launched last month, is the culmination of three years of work to build one of the most advanced smart city infrastructure systems in Australia.

The system is designed to measure a range of environmental conditions including temperature, humidity, wind direction, air quality, water usage, soil moisture and solar irradiance. The infrastructure also allows for the pilot deployment of smart bin sensors, smart parking sensors and other smart city applications.

Data collected by the sensors can help the City better understand and respond to issues such as urban heat island effect, air pollution, flood management and water sustainability, as well as monitor the performance of urban systems and assets.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said Newcastle is leading the way when it comes to investment in and uptake of technology.

“The launch is a significant milestone, marking the completion of the base infrastructure required to start deploying applications that not only solve the city’s challenges but also harness exciting opportunities,” Cr Nelmes said.

The NSW Government supported the deployment of smart city infrastructure through a $5 million grant via the Restart NSW-funded Hunter Innovation Project. A partnership with the State Government will see the City of Newcastle invest an additional $2 million over three years.