Smart plan for Region’s future
Published on 02 October 2015
A bold plan to make the Rockhampton Region Australia’s first Smart Regional Centre and a powerhouse of 21st century industry and innovation has been unveiled.
Rockhampton Regional Council is developing a Smart Regional Centre Strategy to build on the region’s existing strengths and develop a technology-driven, knowledge-based economy to create the jobs and industries of tomorrow.
Rockhampton Mayor Margaret Strelow said the region must harness new technologies including the imminent arrival of the National Broadband Network to realise its full potential.
“This region has been built on our successes in agriculture, mining and tourism but we need to do more to secure our future,” Mayor Strelow said.
“Smart technologies, better connectivity and a willingness by council, local business and the community to work smarter and embrace emerging industries will deliver a new era of prosperity for us and our children.
“It will allow us to improve the wonderful lifestyle we already enjoy, help stop the drain of young local talent to other areas and draw more people who are seeking better career and lifestyle choices to the region.”
Council will use the redevelopment of the riverfront to reinvigorate the CBD by using strategically placed lighting and smart sensors, improved Wi-Fi and CCTV cameras.
As part of the plan, a Smart Hub with links to local industry and education providers will be established on the riverfront to give budding entrepreneurs and start-up businesses access to high-tech facilities including a skills and learning centre, a business centre and a research and innovation lab.
The Hub will provide improved connectivity and real-time data from across the region as well as mentoring and access to potential investors to build their businesses. New knowledge-based businesses, including those that grow out of the Smart Hub, will be encouraged to relocate to under-utilised spaces in the CBD.
“This is an opportunity to create new locally-based jobs in emerging industries operating on the global stage,” Mayor Strelow said.
“By doing so we will be able to offer our young people world-class educational, training and career opportunities in areas of global demand, retaining their skills and knowledge for the benefit of the entire region.”
Consultation with the community, and business and industry groups is already underway with feedback to be presented to council by the end of the month.
The Smart Regional Centre Strategy will be focused on the following areas:
The economy: supporting the agriculture, aquaculture and mining sectors, encouraging investment, innovation and research to create new industries and the jobs of tomorrow.
City and regional liveability: improving public safety, arts, culture, modern education, tourism and recreation to make the Rockhampton Region a destination of choice.
The environment: promoting and protecting our natural and built environments, heritage buildings and biodiversity.
This will enable a range of smart initiatives and some examples might be:
- Providing beef producers with access to real-time data to enhance the identification and traceability of livestock and provide visibility of the entire supply chain, including real-time information about the location, grazing habits and health of livestock.
- Dynamic and real-time monitoring of soil moisture and fertility, with linked computer programs advising the optimal times to plant, water and move livestock.
- Real-time assessment, prediction and presentation of key information about water levels and indicators of water quality. This will help to build community resilience and enhance the effectiveness of flood mitigation and ecological monitoring strategies, contributing to ongoing research in environmental sciences.
- Digital signs providing real-time safety information and smart digital checkpoints along bushwalking trails with the ability to locate people who have wandered off the track and may be in distress.
- Reinvigorating the CBD and its historic buildings by using smart technologies to enhance the visual appeal of the various laneways scattered throughout the city. Smart projectors will promote local art and indigenous culture, and enable Council to alter the look and feel of laneways at the touch of a button, allowing themed laneways to align with community events.
- Enabling citizens to report environmental hazards and damage to infrastructure through digital communication channels.
- An open data initiative to enable community participation and more reliable and convenient service delivery, supporting our commitment to provide responsive, effective public services.
To have your say on this plan a survey is available from: https://www.research.net/r/SmartRegionalCentre or from City Hall at 232 Bolsover Street, Rockhampton.