Senator the Hon Mathias Cormann

Perth has been awarded $6 million in technology grants under the Australian Government’s inaugural Smart Cities and Suburbs Program to help solve practical problems and take forward an economy-boosting Perth City Deal. 

Perth’s Smart City projects are among 52 Australia wide totalling $28.5 million under Round One of the Smart Cities and Suburbs Program.

Under the Program, funding will flow to communities across Australia, with 40 per cent of successful projects located in regional areas.  

This $6 million in federal funding leverages further co-investment of $9 million taking the total investment for Perth projects in this round under the Smart Cities and Suburbs Program to $15 million.

At the site of Perth’s first driverless electric shuttle bus, the RAC Intellibus™, the six projects were announced, including: 

• The City of Fremantle - renewable energy generation and storage, rainwater storage and distribution, and an electric vehicle shared ownership trial - $8.26 million;
• The City of Perth - communications precinct around the new Perth Stadium and an irrigation trial in public parks - $2.63 million;
• The City of Joondalup - monitoring system to better manage the Yellagonga Wetlands - $2.05 million;
• University of Western Australia in collaboration with the City of Wanneroo -  real-time rail patronage data to improve development of rail station precincts along the Metronet extension - $1 million;
• City of Gosnells - real-time data on thermal performance of newly built homes, to encourage the uptake of energy efficiency measures for new housing developments - $265,000; and
• RAC WA Holdings in collaboration with the City of South Perth - trial of driverless electric shuttles to reduce congestion - $980,000.

Successful Smart Cities and Suburbs Program projects are co-funded and delivered through partnerships with local governments, industry, research organisations and the private sector. 

These projects will benefit Perth by stimulating new partnerships and business growth, creating new job opportunities and supporting technological innovation in the region.

The Australian Government is currently working with the Western Australian Government to identify opportunities for the city via a Perth City Deal, something that we hope we can progress as soon as possible. 

A potential City Deal for Perth could build on the joint $2.3 billion road and rail infrastructure package for WA, announced in the 2017-18 Federal Budget, which included more than $1 billion in Australian Government funding for Metronet Stage 1.

A Perth City Deal is an exciting prospect to improve liveability for Perth residents. It will support population and economic growth, the creation of employment hubs and high density residential development, based around new and redeveloped train stations improving commute times. 

The $50 million Smart Cities and Suburbs Program is a key element of the Government’s Smart Cities Plan. More information on the Program and the Smart Cities Plan is available at https://cities.dpmc.gov.au/.

Round Two of the $50 million Smart Cities and Suburbs Program is expected to open in the first half of 2018.