Lake Mac Smart City, Smart Council Digital Economy Strategy

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Consultation has concluded. Please see lakemac.com.au/smart-city for the latest updates.


Together with the community, Lake Macquarie City Council has laid the foundation for creating a more connected, innovative and resilient city, with the adoption of the Lake Mac Smart City, Smart Council Digital Economy Strategy in 2016. The strategy identifies 18 initiatives that will help boost the local economy, improve Council’s performance, and ultimately enhance the lifestyle of residents.



Together with the community, Lake Macquarie City Council has laid the foundation for creating a more connected, innovative and resilient city, with the adoption of the Lake Mac Smart City, Smart Council Digital Economy Strategy in 2016. The strategy identifies 18 initiatives that will help boost the local economy, improve Council’s performance, and ultimately enhance the lifestyle of residents.


Consultation has concluded. Please see lakemac.com.au/smart-city for the latest updates.
  • Get your rates delivered straight to your inbox

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    Lake Macquarie residents can now register to receive their rates notices via email instead of through the post.

    Receiving your rates notice via email will not only helpcut down on paper andreduce your carbon footprint but also give you faster and easier access to your notices.


    It’s easy to do. To register, simply visit lakemac.formsport.com.au and complete the online registration form. You will need to enter your name exactly as it appears on your notice, including any spaces and symbols, and your property’s assessment number. Choose a username – make it something easy so you remember it when you login later.

    Then an email will be sent to your registered email address. Simply click the link and create your new password.

    That’s it! You will now receive your rates notices in your inbox and can log in to view them online at any time.

    So what are you waiting for? Go green. Go electronic. Receive your rates online!



  • Download the latest Early Warning Network App

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    Lake Macquarie City Council has released an updated version of the Early Warning Network App, which assists residents in receiving severe weather warnings and incident alerts, based on their location.

    Lake Mac’s Early Warning Network Android and iPhone app is free to download by searching Lake Macquarie City Council alerts on the Google Play Store or iTunes Store.

    The app has loads of features, including push notifications of alerts, current radar images, a help me button, and the ability to upload and share geo-located images, videos and incident reports.

    Residents who download the app and are subscribed to SMS alerts under their Early Warning Network account, will no longer receive the SMS alerts. If you would like to stay subscribed to the SMS alerts, contact Council on 4921 0333 or email [email protected].

    SMS alerts are still available to those without a smart phone.



  • Council begins open data journey

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    An initiative of the Lake Mac Smart City, Smart Council Digital Economy Strategy 2016-20 is to make "open data" business as usual for Council.

    Open data is data that is freely available for anyone to use without restrictions from copyright or patents. Some data that Council collects can be useful to other people too, to help make business decisions, for scientific research, or as information to include in apps that help people track down the location of places, activities or things.

    Making our data openly available is also about being transparent. The more information we share with the community in ways that can be easily understood and used, the easier it is for communities to appreciate and participate in decision-making processes.

    Some data, such as names and contact details of individuals or other information held in confidence, will not be made available. Ensuring the privacy of individuals is important.

    Lake Mac Open Data Pilot Project

    Similar to elsewhere, Council has adopted a ‘learning by doing’ approach to open data. Launched as a pilot project in 2016 and guided by a cross-departmental working group and advice from the Federal Government's Public Data Branch, Council began identifying datasets suitable for publication on the Federal Government’s open data portal.

    Prior to this, Council held its Hacktivate the City event as part of the Hunter Innovation Festival in 2016, where the community could learn about open data and how it can help create open and responsive governments, better cities and engaged citizens.

    The project pilot phase is expected to be completed by mid 2017 and will inform Council’s future approach to open data and the sorts of changes to Council’s information systems that may be required.

    So far, over 40 datasets have been published. These datasets are already published to various locations on Council’s website. Publishing them on the Federal open data portal provides a one-stop shop for app developers, researchers and the community. It also encourages Council staff to think about how we generate, store and use information internally and how we can streamline these processes and improve automation.


    Where can I view Council open data?

    The Federal Government's open data portal

    http://data.gov.au/organization/lake-macquarie-city-council


    Where can I view open data about Lake Macquarie City?

    Other government agencies at the State and Federal levels publish data about Lake Macquarie. Over time, more data will become available on various government websites.

    Federal Government open data portal

    Federal Government National Map (spatial data)

    NSW Government open data portal

    NSW transport open data portal

    NSW Office of Environment and Heritage open data portal

    NSW Planning Portal and web services


    How can I request Council data to be published?

    If you can't find what you're looking for from the websites above or have a suggestion for an open dataset, email the team.


    Where can I learn more about open data?

    The Open Data Institute is a good place to start.

    Video: Open / Shared / Closed data



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  • Lake Macquarie makes smart connections

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    Lake Mac’s Smart City attributes have been on display this week, with an international organisation in town to film the City and the Mayor of Lake Macquarie, Cr Kay Fraser, featuring in a discussion panel of city leaders at the Australian Smart Cities and Infrastructure Summit, in Sydney.

    “Participating in these events is a great way to gather and share ideas that will help us develop and implement new technologies and diversify our economy,” Cr Fraser said.

    Representatives of the Global Smart City and Community Coalition (GSC3) were in Lake Macquarie on Wednesday to film a 360-degree virtual reality video to feature on the organisation’s website.

    The City signed an MOU with The Netherlands-based GSC3 in November 2016 to facilitate collaboration and information sharing with its member cities.

    “The video will sit alongside those of international cities such as Chicago, Amsterdam, Genoa and The Hague, showcasing our City and highlighting our smart initiatives,” Cr Fraser said.

    “It will focus on the ways we are harnessing technology to connect our communities, improve engagement and enhance digital literacy.”

    As part of the GSC3 visit, Saskia Beer from TransformCity shared with Council staff her Amsterdam experience using technology to creatively connect different stakeholders in citymaking and prototyping public space interventions with the community.

    Later, GSC3 delegates and Council staff met with representatives from Newcastle City Council, the University of Newcastle, the NSW Business Chamber, the Australian Industry Group and the Hunter Founders Forum to identify opportunities for collaboration between the Hunter region and GSC3 partner cities.








  • Nine apps to help you live sustainably in Lake Mac

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    Would you like to embrace a more sustainable lifestyle but aren’t sure where to start? We’ve handpicked nine free apps that will inspire you to live green and do your part to keep the local environment in Lake Macquarie City looking its best. If you have a favourite sustainability app, be sure to share it to our Facebook page.



  • Incredible footage captured from drone trial at Redhead Beach

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    Redhead beach was one of several locations in NSW selected by the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to trial new technologies for shark management throughout summer.

    Council’s Manager Leisure Services, Brad Sutton, said the trial helped to provide aerial surveillance of local coastal waters and real-time data as part of a DPI research project.

    “The trial was part of The NSW Shark Management Strategy, an investment of more than $16 million to introduce innovative trials and fund continual projects over the next four years,” Mr Sutton said.

    “Over the past two years, we’ve made a deliberate shift towards proactively informing beachgoers of the presence of sharks and the drone trials conducted this summer played a part in this proactive approach.

    “We have an award-winning shark sighting procedure that was developed in collaboration with the DPI, and the drone flights at Redhead Beach as well as signage at our beaches, updates on Council’s website and social media alerts all complement this procedure and the services our lifeguards already provide.”

    Watch the video below to view some of the stunning footage captured by Hover UAV this summer.



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  • Cloud in the field boosts efficiency

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    A decision by Council to prioritise putting tablet technology in the hands of its outdoor staff is proving the benefits of cloud-based storage systems in the field.

    Council’s Chief Information Officer, Brooke Humphries, said a recent trial that gave outdoor staff access to iPads has led to better documentation of maintenance problems and solutions, and better tracking of service requests through Council’s system.

    The trial, which was conducted with staff in Council’s maintenance, horticultural and civil construction arm, CiviLake, is a key step in removing reams of paper from its field operations.

    “Mobile tablet technology gives staff access to the Council’s latest procedural documents and service requests remotely, using a cloud-based Dropbox storage system that automatically synchronises then updates across all devices,” Ms Humphries said.

    In a business process review conducted in 2014, Council identified that paper-based systems were cumbersome and time-consuming for outdoor workers. Site supervisors reported that they were lugging around weighty procedural manuals and outdoor staff were making trips back to base to pick up and deliver hard copy service requests.

    “We wanted to try to solve this problem by giving staff iPads so they could access the latest procedures and service requests electronically while in the field,” Ms Humphries said.

    During the six-month trial, Council issued 12 iPads in rugged cases to site supervisors across all areas of CiviLake’s field operations, from gardens, parks and trees to fire mitigation, roads and drainage maintenance.

    One of these participants was site supervisor Bob Corse who, despite being a willing convert to a paper-free approach, admits he was a bit apprehensive at first.

    “I’d never used an iPad before, but now I’d hate to be without it,” Mr Corse said.

    Mr Corse has become a ‘high user’ of his new tablet, which he says is a great tool for supervision of drainage maintenance work.

    “The service requests are all there in front of me on the screen and they are even sorted by suburb, so I can get on with the job instead of rummaging through the paperwork.

    “It’s also given me a camera and access to email in the field, so I can just take a photo and send it to my coordinator when I need to explain something or get quick advice.

    “The iPad has changed my job in a good way,” Mr Corse said.

    His enthusiastic response mirrors feedback from other participants, who have reported that their iPads have enabled quicker problem solving because they put a wealth of searchable procedural information at their fingertips. This allows staff to deal with more service requests ‘on the spot’.

    Ms Humphries said she is pleased with the results.

    “Council is moving to a more customer-oriented approach, so improving the way we log, handle and respond to service requests is a big focus for us.

    “Overall, we found the outcomes of the trial with outdoor workers so positive that we are introducing another 60 iPads this year for use by CiviLake staff.

    “I think it’s a really important question for local government organisations to ask themselves which staff need new technology first, and in whose hands it will deliver the most value for the community.”

    Article originally appeared in LGFocus.



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  • i2N Incubator @ DaSH - LAUNCH EVENT

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    The i2N Incubator @ DaSH is going LIVE!

    i2N is the University of Newcastle's Integrated Innovation Network, a network of 'innovation clusters' or 'hubs' spanning the Hunter Region. As one of the key entrepreneurial activities as a result of the initiative, the i2N Incubator @ DaSH will provide a month-to-month Program operating from the Dantia Smart Hub in Charlestown.

    When: Friday 3 February 2017

    Event information: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/i2n-incubator-dash-launch-event-tickets-31312663018?aff=es2

    For more information or to apply to the Program, please email [email protected]



  • Hunter 'City Deal' would deliver $4.2 billion a year in economic benefits

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    Lake Macquarie City Council is proposing a partnership with the Australian and NSW governments, and other key stakeholders, to pilot a Hunter City Deal.

    General Manager, Brian Bell said the proposed submission to the Australian Government’s Smart Cities Plan was adopted by the elected Council on Monday night.

    “The proposed submission, which is now publicly available on Council’s website, outlines how Lake Macquarie City Council can work with the Australian and NSW governments to create liveable cities through improved planning, investment and technology,” Mr Bell said.

    The required infrastructure investment, from both the private and public sectors, to deliver a pilot Hunter City Deal is about $1.2 billion over 10 years. This infrastructure, targeting the geographic and demographic centre of the lower Hunter, is expected to generate around 10,700 new jobs, 7650 new dwellings and total economic output of $4.2 billion per annum.



    “Local government is critical to the delivery of any Smart Cities Plan. Lake Macquarie City Council is willing and able to work with all levels of government and key stakeholders in the Hunter to investigate the opportunities identified in the Smart Cities Plan.”

    Key benefits of a Hunter-based City Deal pilot

    • significant economic and employment gains in a location ideally situated to become an international gateway;
    • reduced growth pressures in Sydney and other areas where relevant per capita costs are higher; and
    • a test bed to refine ideas that may later be applied in more complex situations, such as parts of Australia’s capital cities.


    Find out more about the Hunter City Deal pilot


  • Lake Mac Smart City feature - Planning Institute of Australia

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    As a framework, the 'Smart City' can encompass everything from apps to real estate, buildings to transport, energy to Government and everything in between. So with such a broad lens, where do you begin?

    Read about how Council and the community worked together to produce the Lake Mac Smart City, Smart Council Digital Economy Strategy.

    Source: Planning Institute of Australia.