Townsville Update

Townsville is an amazing place. Considering the tough year we’ve had; our city is brimming with confidence on all fronts. We should never be complacent though, as we work towards becoming an even greater city and to be a great city means we need to be smarter in the way we go about our business. 

The business of Council has come a long way from being simply about rates, roads and rubbish.

Underpinning this transition is the requirement for strategic urban planning, an open and transparent Council, innovative technologies and better community and business collaboration that will result in what is known as a Smart City. At Council, we embraced this ideal in 2018, and can celebrate some milestones on our way to becoming a Smart City. In this technologically driven age we must explore new approaches, innovative information technologies and smart infrastructures to assist us. 

We know that in order to be great we need to lift the bar. Rather than Council making decisions and residents being subject to them, Smart City technologies allow an active continual conversation and partnership. A great example of this is our recently launched project; Have Your Say Townsville. This exciting new digital platform will allow residents to participate in all consultation activities from one web-based location. Whether it’s using an interactive map to contribute ideas on park and playground upgrades, participating in surveys on policy and strategy, or simply giving us feedback on proposed roadworks and infrastructure upgrades, the capabilities are endless. Importantly, by participating in Have Your Say Townsville, it will help us close the loop with the community on what matters to you the most. 

Townsville Dashboards is another great digital tool providing open data to the community.

Residents can access high quality, current data and information about the city, informing and enabling the Townsville community and those with an interest in investing in the region. Statistics on our kerbside collection program, average rental property prices, library data usage and water consumption figures are some examples of the information readily available and constantly updated on this site. 

Council’s use of smart monitoring technology to collect high-quality near real-time data for improved water, infrastructure and environmental outcomes was recently shortlisted for a national Smart City award. A Smart City not only focuses on technologies, but looks for outcomes that drive economic prosperity, improving safety, mobility and environmental sustainability – a plan that also enriches social and community connections, embraces cultural diversity and celebrates our heritage. 

A trademark of the creation of smart cities is the fostering of collaboration between key stakeholders. 

Community engagement is key to our plan as we look to strengthen and develop relationships with local business and community leaders, retailers, health, education and special interest groups as well as residents.