Mitchell Shire Council is one of five Victorian councils to pilot a new Smart Cities program using sensors and other data to help improve management of public places.
The equipment is being installed at various locations across Mitchell Shire with the first items going in around the Hadfield Park precinct late last year. The equipment will contribute to a wider northern Melbourne network covering Mitchell, Whittlesea, Nillumbik, Moreland and Banyule.
The network will use anonymous data to help track the number of people using selected public areas and facilities, usage trends, air quality and environmental factors, water levels at key locations and the volume of waste in public bins. In some cases, the technology can be used to track the location of public equipment and assets.
In Hadfield Park, information will include how many people are using the area, when they are using the area, bin sensors and air quality monitoring. Other sensors will be rolled out next year including anonymous people counters at Kilmore Hospital and Monument Hill Reserve, Colin Officer Reserve in Broadford, Bushland Reserve in Seymour and public toilets in Kilmore and Seymour.
To add to flood level data collected by other agencies, water level sensors will also be installed at Sunday Creek in Broadford and near the Goulburn Valley Highway in Seymour.
The project is funded through the Australian Government’s Smart Cities and Suburbs Program and is being delivered in partnership between LaTrobe University, RMIT University, Banyule City Council, Mitchell Shire Council, Moreland City Council, Nillumbik Shire Council and City of Whittlesea.
