Oct 31 2019
Thirteen winners have been applauded for their visionary leadership, best practice projects and real-world impact at the second annual Smart Cities Awards.
Telstra and GWI partnered with Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand to present the awards, which were held in Sydney as part of Smart Cities Week.
“The 2019 winners of the Smart Cities Awards are delivering truly world-standard initiatives that demonstrate a smart city is not just technologically advanced, but is also a powerful connector of community,” says Jason Law, National General Manager, Local Government and Smart Cities, for Telstra.
“The awards showcase the diversity of the smart cities movement across government, industry and academia and underscore Australia’s potential to seize the lead in the smart cities space,” says Ian Roderick, Partner with GWI.
The City of Melbourne took home the coveted Leadership City category for an innovative strategy that combines the latest in technology with deep community engagement. The City of Melbourne also won the Digital City Services award for its Melbourne City DNA project and the Social Impact award for its Open Innovation Competitions.
The Regional Leadership Award went to the Southern Grampians Shire Council for its transformative work on behalf of its 16,000 residents to address the challenges faced by rural people.
The City of Canterbury Bankstown came up trumps in the Smart City Partnership category for transforming Bankstown Station into a street of the future. The council also took home the Smart City Organisation Transformation Award for boosting its smart city maturing and impact.
Three individuals were applauded for their leadership. The City of Perth’s Daniel High earned the Government Leader Award for his work driving a transformative $2.6 smart cities investment. Place Design Group’s Chris Isles was acknowledged with the Industry Leader Award for his innovative work to reimagine the street. SAGE Automation's Ashby Martin was recognised for uplifting smart cities capabilities in the Emerging Leader category.
“The 2019 awards demonstrate how far the smart cities community has come in just a year. In our capacity as the peak body for smart cities, we will continue to elevate and celebrate those cities, towns and communities that are realising the economic and social potential of technology and data investment,” says Adam Beck, Executive Director of the Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand.