iTWire - Local Government

Transport for NSW harnesses Starlink Wi-Fi at Nambucca Heads Station

2023-08-10T18:24:42+10:00

Transport for NSW is trialling free Wi-Fi at Nambucca Heads Station powered by Starlink low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, allowing passengers to connect to 60 minutes per day.

Transport for NSW said the station was chosen because it was previously a cellular blackspot.

Feedback has been positive, claimed NSW TrainLink customer environment manager Vernon Buckle.

“Having free Wi-Fi allows passengers and guests to catch up on work or the news and stay in touch with friends and family,” Buckle said.

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“We will use this information to understand how passengers use this technology and to adjust and improve future passenger service offerings.”

Transport for NSW infrastructure and integration manager Robert Bainton said the aim of the trial is to provide connectivity service to passengers.

Starlink’s ability to access the world’s largest and first satellite constellation and integrate it with a wireless access point router is key to how this system operates.

“The technology has enabled us to deliver fit for purpose and safe access to high-speed internet for customers at Nambucca Heads station. We will use it as a proof of concept to see if the technology might have other applications across the network,” Bainton said.

The Nambucca Station trial was the result of collaboration between Transport for NSW and the NSW Telco Authority.

According to reports, the authority has been exploring cases of LEO satellite services since August 2022 as possible extension to its P25 radio technology.

During the three-month trial period, Transport for NSW will be actively monitoring the service and will work on troubleshooting if any technical or performance issues arise.

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 09 August 2023.

Auckland City Rail Link taps Honeywell to build its control and communications system

2023-02-16T11:02:28+11:00

Connected buildings company Honeywell is working with consortium Link Alliance to install an integrated control and communications system for Auckland’s City Rail Link Project.

According to Honeywell, the project will help improve rail operations and create more unified communications for passenger safety by migrating multiple sub-systems into a unified platform.

Honeywell will design, supply, test, and commission both an Integrated Control System (ICS) and Communication system across four CRL stations and tunnels.

It will install its Enterprise Buildings Integrator (EBI) and Building Management System (BMS) solution across the stations to integrate more than 20,000 sensor points in a configuration to provide the CRL operations team with a unified view across all the sub-systems installed in the tunnel and stations.

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“Our team is focused on creating a more seamless control experience for the CRL operations team while also creating a safer passenger experience with more comprehensive communications protocols,” said Honeywell New Zealand general manager Michelle Bunting.

Additionally, Honeywell will provide ICT systems and solutions, create a network and Wi-Fi infrastructure for all Extra Low Voltage (ELV) systems, provide cybersecurity auditing and monitoring, install a Honeywell Variodyn D1 Pava system for public address announcements throughout the stations, deploy in-station technology solutions including Passenger Information Display (PIDs), Help Points, CCTV cameras and video management systems, and install radio and cellular communications networks (DAS) throughout the stations and tunnels for emergency services, the public and rail operators.

“Honeywell demonstrated a strong local capability for project delivery as well as ongoing service and support, which is critical in a time when there is uncertainty and travel and offshore delivery,” said Link Alliance project director Francois Dudouit.

The City Rail Link is New Zealand’s largest transport infrastructure project ever.

It features a 3.45-kilometre twin tunnel underground rail link up to 42 metres below the Auckland city centre. It will transform the downtown Britomart Transport Centre into a two-way through-station that better connects the Auckland rail network and will allow the rail network to at least double its rail capacity.

The Link Alliance is a group of seven companies, which include City Rail. It delivers main stations, tunnels, and systems of the City Rail Link.

Honeywell previously supported upgrades and expansion work at the Britomart Station and has experience with complex subsystem integration projects.

Ergon Energy Retail rolls out digital meters in Woorabinda community

2022-07-29T08:41:01+10:00

Ergon Energy Retail has collaborated with Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council to provide a digital meter for every customer in the community in Queensland.

Ergon Energy Retail executive general manager Ayesha Razzaq said the new digital meters would give customers with more reliable options to manage their electricity account.

“This will be the first community anywhere in Queensland where 100% of customers are supported by digital meter technology,” Razzaq claimed.

“Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council came to us with a request for digital meters and after working through the details, we have now deployed them to every customer in that community.”

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“The digital meters will give customers greater visibility of their energy use through Ergon Retail’s My Account self-service portal and they’ll also receive their bills monthly rather than quarterly,” Razzaq added.

Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council Mayor Josh Weazel said the installation of digital meters would improve the quality of service to each household in Woorabinda.

“Historically our meter readings have often resulted in estimates due to lack of access to property,” noted Weazel. “Ergon’s safety policy on entry to residences to undertake readings with consideration to dogs.”

“The remote access will allow for our community to better manage their household budgets in real-time and become savvier with their use of electricity and its associated cost.”

Razzaq said Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council was also in line for digital meters after approaching Ergon Energy Retail, noting that the company has a program to transition 60% of regional Queensland customers to digital meters by 2025.

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 28 July 2022.

Australia jobless rate now 4 percent and lowest in 13 years

2022-03-17T12:00:56+11:00

Australia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for February 2022 has come out as 4.0%, which is a further drop from January’s 4.2%. It is the lowest jobless rate since August 2008 and the global financial crisis of that year and comes amid a further easing of COVID-19 restrictions.

January saw the Australian unemployment rate plummet from 4.6% to 4.2%, which at the time marked the lowest point since the GFC. This exceeded expectations and was despite COVID-19 impacts.

Yet, while there has been a surge in Omicron cases of COVID-19, the unemployment rate has continued to drop to new lows that have not been seen for 13 years, culminating in the announcement that February’s unemployment rate is 4.0%. The last time unemployment was lower was during the mining boom prior to the GFC.

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A key factor has been the end of Delta variant lockdowns in New South Wales and Victoria in late 2021, with increased confidence and mobility from increasingly widespread vaccinations.

The Australian dollar has continued to rise and now stands at $US 0.73.

Nevertheless, rising Omicron cases have placed increasing pressure on critical supply chains, which is further impeded by growing fuel prices.

However, financial experts agree the economic impact of Omicron may be significant, but ought to be short-lived as the country goes back to business-as-usual.

Pictured below is the Australian unemployment rate over 25 years with data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and visualised by Trading Economics.

source: tradingeconomics.com

Atturra and Infor team to address local government DX

2022-02-03T12:48:46+11:00

Sydney-based technology services business Atturra and cloud ERP provider Infor will be working together to provide improved services to new and existing Infor customers in Australia and New Zealand, with a particular focus on digital transformation in the local government sector.

Atturra's business applications division is one of the largest independent suppliers of ERP consulting services to local government authorities in Australia and New Zealand, and is now Infor's first alliance partner in that market.

Atturra has already helped more than 100 local councils to enhance and simplify their business processes.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Infor," said Atturra business applications executive general manager Richard Hill.

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"With this alliance, we will be able to deliver superior results and outcomes for Infor customers in the public sector space. We have significant experience working with local governments, most recently in NSW, where we have been instrumental in helping them to streamline the development applications process and turn around applications with increased accuracy and speed."

Infor ANZ managing director Jarrod Kinchington said "Atturra business applications helps reinvent application portfolios, built with speed and agility, and enables clients to meet business needs, now and in the future.

"The team has impressed us with its expertise and excellent client service in previous engagements with Infor, and today's partnership announcement reflects the strength and depth of that relationship."

Belgian city of Genk taps Nokia to quantify noise pollution along its high streets

2021-12-23T12:38:08+11:00

Finnish telecommunications vendor Nokia has deployed its artificial intelligence-powered Scene Analytics technology for a proof of concept to Genk, Belgium to quantify the level of noise pollution along one of the city’s high streets.

City authorities want to address the health and safety concerns of residents and visitors enduring excessive noise from modified exhaust systems on cars, motorbikes, and other vehicles travelling on the Stalenstraat.

Nokia is working with technology partners to integrate a proof-of-concept solution that leverages data from microphones and installed cameras, used as IoT sensors along the road.

Nokia explains how the solution works. If an approaching vehicle exceeds the pre-determined threshold, the street deployed microphones and cameras begin recording. Nokia Scene Analytics adds intelligence to the event data transmitted from the sensors using a decibel-powered algorithm for audio analysis and automated number plate recognition (ANPR).

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This information is sent to authorities who receive quantified observations and orientations in order to make informed decisions on ‘if' and 'how’ they will address the issue.

“Genk embraces technology that improves the lives of its residents and visitors. The data collected by Nokia’s AI-powered platform will automatically analyse patterns of noise and traffic allowing us to understand with quantifiable results the concerns of residents and visitors. This will help us put plans in place to address the issues of loud vehicles in the city and make it a safer and more peaceful place for everyone within the city limits,” comments Genk mayor Wim Dries .

“By integrating the Nokia Scene Analytics platform alongside third-party solutions and additional IoT sensors, it offers smart cities and connected industries an open, flexible, and scalable solution which they can use to address a variety of challenges,” concludes Nokia vice president of government and cities Suparno Banerjee .

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 16 December 2021.

Melton City taps Assetic to manage its financial portfolio and assets

2021-10-18T10:38:12+11:00

Melton City was able to preserve the current health of its assets and has saved more than $2.5 million and has potential to save up to $4 million per year made possible through a collaboration with strategic asset management solutions company Assetic.

With an infrastructure asset portfolio valued at more than $2.7 billion and a planned annual increase of $220 million due to the development of new buildings, the Melton City Council understood that its current approach of using a budget to oversee asset planning and funding levels was likely to cause a growing asset backlog.

Combined with an expected increase in population, this would result in the deterioration of assets, which would likely mean that satisfaction with the Council would diminish.

The recently introduced Local Government Act 2020 also mandates that all local governments in Victoria develop, adopt, and enforce an asset plan in line with the Act’s engagement practices and that the scope of this plan is at least 10 years. Under this new legislation, local governments must first develop their asset plans and use these outcomes to inform their long-term financial plan, which increased the Council’s urgency to move to a new approach.

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Melton originally chose Assetic to deliver lifecycle modelling and develop a 10-year asset management plan that is aligned to the Council’s long-term financial plan.

“The Council set out on a journey to update its asset management plans—from a lengthy document that sat on the shelf to an enhanced, streamlined document that clearly outlined the Council’s long-term strategic asset management. We partnered with Assetic to manage internal stakeholder workshops, to gain a better understanding of the Council’s needs and to provide advice to help the Council move through a challenging process,” Melton City manager, engineering services Sam Romaszko says.

The Council sought first to understand the level of service expected by the community. It then worked with Assetic to develop the Council’s asset management plan, which offers alternatives and future service level trade-offs using a wide range of considerations such as conditions, material, age, function, and usage of the asset.

Says Romaszko: “The Council treated this as a journey of asset maturity through enhancing existing systems, using new technology, and focusing on stringent modelling of various scenarios to ensure the Council’s level of services and subsequent renewal demand met the needs of both the community and the organisation.”

Following the implementation of its asset management plans, the Council identified potential financial risk which resulted in proactive decision-making and planning. This included a saving of approximately $2.5 million per year in the Council’s roads portfolio by optimising interventions in line with strategic asset management best practices.

“Sealed roads and buildings represent the largest asset classes in Melton's portfolio. By comparing the traditional scenario of only treating assets in poor condition versus a robust model with community-driven levels of service, the annual benefit derived from these asset classes is significant,” Melton City general manager planning and development Luke Shannon says.

“It is estimated that the average asset portfolio degrades at an average of three to four per cent per annum. By optimising interventions, this consumption rate can be reduced by 0.16%. Melton could realise savings of up to $4 million per annum by applying the analytical models developed through this project and realise higher community satisfaction and service levels as a result,” concludes Assetic senior manager strategic asset management Raston Nga.

Nokia, City of Melbourne trial AI technology for waste disposal, street cleaning

2021-08-12T11:53:55+10:00

Nokia and the City of Melbourne have conducted a trial using Nokia Scene Analytics artificial intelligence (AI) technology aimed at developing what they say is a deeper understanding of waste disposal behaviour - and allow the city to tackle the issue of waste dumping more efficiently and keep laneways and the busy and narrow city streets and pedestrian areas even more clean, safe and free of garbage.

Nokia says that to decrease the frequency of waste contractor visits to busy areas, the City of Melbourne has offered local residents and businesses subscription-based access to the large-capacity compactor facilities and with the compactor in place, Council then wanted to understand how the service was being utilised and “how to mitigate illegal waste dumping, which can quickly create safety and hygiene issues in the area”.

Under its ‘emerging technology testbed’ initiative, the City of Melbourne worked with Nokia to leverage an existing network of installed cameras as internet of things (IoT) sensors to monitor one of the compactors.

The Nokia Scene Analytics solution employed an AI-powered algorithm to filter and collate data from the cameras, while also combining other data sources, such as operational data on the compactor itself, to create real-time alerts and produce reports.

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Nokia says that initial trial results demonstrate that Scene Analytics can support the City’s objectives for better, safer citizen experiences while simultaneously lowering maintenance and down time costs for waste management services.

“This is a great example of using new technology to help remove illegal waste more quickly, make our city cleaner and protect the environment. Our partnership with Nokia is another way we are gathering data to make Melbourne a safer, smarter and more sustainable city,” said Lord Mayor Sally Capp, City of Melbourne.

“This innovative project will help to avoid hazards and make our streets even cleaner by allowing our waste services to better understand behavior trends related to the illegal and dangerous dumping of waste.”

Rob Mccabe, Head of Enterprise of Australia and New Zealand, Nokia, said: “The City of Melbourne is using robust AI technology to offer its citizens, visitors and businesses a greener and more liveable community. In helping the City of Melbourne monitor and enhance services with real-time driven actions, Nokia Scene Analytics is supporting the safety, security and operational continuity of this city in a proactive and automated way.”

Nokia says the trial allowed for real-time monitoring and detection of activity in the vicinity of the compactor using a virtual tripwire - and object detection and object counting was used to identify and count items to show how the compactor was impacted by items incorrectly placed within it, while also identifying potentially dangerous items.

Nokia also notes that anomaly detection identified unusual movements, such as illegal waste dumping during the night, while face and license plate blurring maintained individual privacy during the trial.

“Using these reports, City of Melbourne can better understand the correlation between illegal waste-dumping activities and compactor downtime, to keep maintenance teams better informed and minimise issues,” Nokia said.

“It also allows them to swiftly address waste dumping activities before they become a hazard, viewing locations in real-time to observe any obstructions to service vehicle access, and adapting their schedule to reduce unnecessary visits and minimize their carbon footprint. By understanding patterns of compactor usage and waste dumping activities, the city of Melbourne is also able to patrol the area more effectively, while developing an ongoing campaign to better inform and educate the community.”

Mastercard teams up with Transport NSW to run Opal digital card trial

2020-12-09T07:26:23+11:00

Payment solutions provider Mastercard has teamed up with Transport for New South Wales to run a trial of the digital version of the state's Opal card which is used to pay for trips on public transport.

The solution enabled users to load their Opal cards on their smartphones, using their Apple Wallets on an iPhone or an Apple Watch, or Samsung Pay on Android devices from the South Korean firm.

A statement from Mastercard said Google Pay would soon be added as a means of digitising the Opal card. In all three cases, funds can be added by linking an existing credit card.

Users can then tap their phones to pay as many customers do in supermarkets these days. Last year, Victoria introduced the user of its travel card, myki, on smartphones, but limited it to Android devices and people with either a VISA or Mastercard credit card.

{loadposition sam08}Mastercard said it had also worked with Commonwealth Bank and EML Payments to run this trial.

"People want to get from place-to-place, and they want to do it fast," a Transport for New South Wales spokesperson said. "If you're a user of public transportation in New South Wales our collective partnership now allows you to tap-and-go on the transit system right away using a digital pre-paid card.

"The Opal digital card delivers a fast, easy and secure payments experience to get you faster to where you need to go."

Sue Kelsey, executive vice-president of Consumer Solutions at Mastercard, said: "Mastercard is thrilled to work with Transport for NSW with the support of its partners at Commonwealth Bank and EML Payments to help them deliver increased choice, flexibility and confidence in transit experiences for their customers.

"Consumer needs have evolved rapidly over recent months and it's important that all parties work together to leverage payment innovations like Mastercard's solution to deliver safe and convenient experiences.

"Using Mastercard's new pre-paid technology platform and managed services capabilities, Mastercard's customers can easily design, develop and deploy customised digital payment experiences their customers expect and deserve today."

Andrew Hinchliff, group executive for Institutional Banking and Markets at Commonwealth Bank, said: "CBA is delighted to be part of the transport payment solution that offers a digital solution to commuters.

"We look forward to Sydney commuters enjoying an alternative option in how they choose to pay for their travel, and hope they enjoy the speed, convenience and security that it offers."

Andrew Betts, group chief risk Officer at EML Payments, said: "EML is delighted to partner with Transport for New South Wales, Mastercard and Commonwealth Bank to deliver a truly digital payments experience that revolutionises the way commuters think about and pay for travel.

"The move away from a plastic card solution to a tokenised offering provides greater security for commuters and, from a corporate responsibility standpoint, is environmentally friendly."

Depending on how the trial goes, Mastercard and Transport NSW plan to go live with the solution before the year ends.

WiredScore announces first global WiredScore Smart Council with leading landlords including AXA, Hines & Nuveen

2020-07-29T12:46:27+10:00

International real estate leaders convene to address the future of smart buildings

GUEST CONTRIBUTION by WiredScore: WiredScore, the global rating scheme for digital connectivity in real estate, has brought together leading landlords, developers and tenants from across the globe to form the WiredScore Smart Council, the first dedicated smart building council in the world.

This marks the first time landlords, tenants and real estate leaders of such calibre have come together to combine their knowledge and expertise to provide a dedicated approach to the impact of smart buildings within real estate.

The WiredScore Smart Council will work with WiredScore to establish clear criteria and standards that properties must meet to be certified smart, helping landlords navigate the complex new world of smart buildings, in advance of launching a new smart certification.

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By partnering with forward-thinking global landlords and developers, WiredScore will develop a certification, by exploring factors related to building operational efficiency, optimisation and obsolescence, and ultimately a building’s ability to deliver an inspirational user experience.

William Newton, President and MD at WiredScore said: “Buildings are changing, and becoming spaces that can shape how we interact with our work and collaborate with each other. The speed with which technology is evolving means that buildings have to become smarter, working to better serve both landlords and day-to-day users.

The smart building discourse, until now, has been dominated by technologists. We believe that the landlords and occupiers, as the ones building and using the spaces, are best placed to define what it takes to be a smart building.

This is why we’ve formed the WiredScore Smart Council, a collective of innovative landlords and businesses who are in a unique position to provide guidance and expertise on what they think constitutes a smart building. We know the future is smart, and we’re excited to be working with such future facing organisations to form the global definition of smart and support us in the development of our new certification.”

WiredScore launched in Australia in 2019, and now has over 1 million sqm committed to WiredScore certification with landlords such as Lendlease, Charter Hall and AXA Investment Managers. WiredScore is now present in nine countries, with a total of 55 million sqm committed to certification globally.

Comment from Council Members

Sandra Gritti, Product Excellence Director at EDGE: “We are proud to be part of the WiredScore Smart Council, as one of the global front runners in the development of smart offices it is great to join a like-minded council of innovators. The exchange of knowledge has always been our ambition. We look forward to contributing to a common understanding of what constitutes a smart building, how it can increase the performance of assets, the wellbeing of its users and create a more sustainable building stock. This initiative of WiredScore has the potential to be a great guide for the digitalization of our industry.”

Jesse Carrillo, SVP & Chief Information Officer, Hines: “Smart technologies have existed for years, however, recently we have noticed a significant increase in newer smart technologies being brought to market, promoting everything from improved access control to climate control to health and wellness, whereas none of the existing technologies available had a strong enough use case for us to more broadly deploy them, these newer ones could change that.

We know the future is smart, yet there has been a lack of clarity on how these technologies help us and our tenants. Which is why we were delighted to be invited by WiredScore to partake in their Smart Council. The council gives us a platform to discuss what smart means to our industry and allows us to support the shaping of the meaning of smart.”

*This contribution was provided by WiredScore. WiredScore is the organisation behind WiredScore certification, the internationally recognised digital connectivity rating system for real estate that helps landlords design and promote buildings with powerful digital connectivity.