The City of Joondalup has announced an internet of things (IoT) partnership with Telstra that will see the city trial a variety of exciting smart city solutions.

These include IoT enabled environmental sensors, smart bins and parking at Tom Simpson Park, a popular beach side location that is 30 minutes’ drive from Perth and attracts thousands of visitors each month.

Joondalup Mayor Troy Pickard said, “As the driver of innovation and economic growth for Perth’s northern corridor, the City of Joondalup was conscious that with digital transformation set to play a key role in government services and operational delivery in the future, it is imperative that we reassess our business models and shift towards a more mobile and agile way of doing business.

“The City is fortunate to have the expertise of Telstra and its partners to guide IoT developments and to demonstrate the City’s leadership in digital transformation for the benefit of the wider community.”

The trial includes:

• Environmental sensors that monitor light, temperature, noise, humidity and pollution levels in the park in real-time.
• A smart bin solution with sensors on the 32 bins located in the park to notify the City when bins need to be emptied enabling the City to manage rubbish collection more efficiently and gain insights into which areas of the park are being more frequently accessed by the community. 
• An IoT enabled smart car park connected to the Telstra mobile network that shows how many spaces are available to people travelling to the area, helping traffic flows during peak periods and summer holidays. 
• An analytics tool and dashboard that provides a real-time view of how the park and its infrastructure are being used. This enables the City to monitor park facilities and use resources more efficiently to allow the City to plan more effectively.

Oliver Camplin-Warner, Telstra’s Executive Director Government and Not-For-Profit, says the possibilities the IoT presents cities are infinite.

“It could connect the roads, footpaths and one day, the beach enclosure. We see potential for data driven insights, made possible through technology to enable councils around Australia to manage their towns and cities more efficiently and strive for a better way of living for the community,” he explains.

“People are talking a lot about IoT, but through our Smart City partnership Joondalup is getting on with deploying new technologies, such as bins that talk to each other and smarter parking facilities that provide the City with real-time information to help them make decisions faster and more effectively.