SmartNSW Roadmap 2022-2027

The SmartNSW Roadmap will help us deliver smart places, bringing economic, social, and environmental benefits to our communities. Learn more about the plan's key objectives and actions.

Two people using wi-fi and a charging station at an outdoor workstation known as a 'chillout hub'.

About the roadmap

The SmartNSW Roadmap 2022-2027 is an ambitious plan to help us deliver great places and outcomes for people using technology and data solutions.

The roadmap has 4 key objectives:

  1. Build capabilities for everyone to participate.
  2. Support innovation and data-driven decision making.
  3. Build pathways for great solutions to scale.
  4. Showcase and support best practice.

It includes 14 actions for the NSW Government and will make it easier for agencies, local councils and place makers across NSW to adopt smart solutions to improve their operations and services.

The SmartNSW Roadmap was developed with input from over 800 stakeholders from over 220 organisations between February and October 2022.

It builds on the achievements and important first steps taken following the release of the 2020 Smart Places Strategy and Action Plan.

Roadmap actions

Foundations

Robust foundations are essential, providing consistent planning and delivery of connected infrastructure and services across the state.

Equip people with new skills to use technology and data as part of their everyday lives
  • Smart places expertise embedded in targeted state project and precinct teams to upskill program teams.
  • A SmartNSW capability uplift program in partnership with industry and the education sector, designed under the Public Service Commission's Capability Framework.
  • New curriculum resources and schools-based programs to build the workforce of tomorrow, building on STEM training programs in our classrooms.
  • Support for smaller and regional councils to design and deliver smart places, to ensure all communities can benefit and avoid entrenching disadvantage.
  • Promote uptake of the smart regional places toolkit from the 'Ready, Set, Go' program delivered by the Department of Regional NSW.
Put people's needs first when choosing technology and data solutions
  • Research to help us better understand how technology can improve customer experiences within their home, street, neighbourhood suburb or state.
  • A toolkit to help governments work with communities to identify problems that can be solved using technology and data solutions.
  • A communications program to help customers understand the benefits of smart places, including reducing the cost of living and saving time.
  • Promotion of the Smart Places Customer Charter, including providing guidelines to improve trust and amenity in smart places.
  • Pilots of co-design processes for engaging with First Nations people to design smart solutions and smart places, to establish best-practice approaches for all smart places.
Provide placemakers with updated and enhanced common tools and resources via the Smart Places Playbook
  • An interactive and indexed case study library so people can easily find and apply solutions that have already been tried and tested.
  • New tools and standard methods for:
    • benefits realisation
    • valuing technology and data
    • digital infrastructure
    • digital solutions for government infrastructure
    • cyber security and privacy protection
    • procurement approaches.
Take steps to consistently use digital tools and technologies to plan, design, construct, and operate government infrastructure

Deliver the Digital Built NSW Program and Smart Infrastructure Policy Accelerator to find new digital tools and technologies for infrastructure to:

  • help improve community engagement, environmental and safety outcomes
  • save time and money on infrastructure planning, delivery and operations
  • help achieve circular economy and net zero outcomes in infrastructure
  • strengthen cyber security of government infrastructure.

Enablers

Enablers provide the right operating environment to deliver connected infrastructure and services across the state.

Treat digital connectivity as a basic utility in new developments and redeveloped areas

Ensure areas with housing and employment growth have relevant smart places infrastructure (like digital plumbing, multi-function poles, connected street furniture, power and fibre-optic cable conduit) to:

  • avoid expensive retrofitting and disruption
  • improve amenity
  • ensure digital equity and great connectivity for customers.

Do this by:

  • engaging the market to understand the role of the NSW Government in facilitating and enabling the rollout of smart places infrastructure
  • including digital plumbing requirements in local, state and commonwealth planning instruments for state significant precincts (for example, rezones sites) and catalytic investment (for example, transport infrastructure and corridors).
Find new ways to share live data and insights
  • An audit of sensors and IoT (Internet of Things) devices in NSW to see if there is new data that can be shared on NSW Government platforms.
  • Options analysis:
    • for the state government role in IoT networks
    • for solutions to aggregate data from sensors and devices, linking it to Live NSW, Data.NSW and other state platforms and applications
    • to improve access to data analysis and visualisation services
    • to build civic trust and consider the use of public and private data.
Evaluate Smart Places Acceleration Program initiatives to understand the benefits and make it easy for others to adopt successful solutions

Encourage widespread adoption of successful pilots from the Smart Places Acceleration Program, focusing on:

  • establishing the benefits of funded initiatives
  • identifying repeatable methodologies and practices
  • sharing lessons and knowledge widely through case studies in the Smart Places Playbook.
Help the emerging technology sector engage with the NSW Government to solve complex problems
  • Continue the Smart City Innovation Challenge Program from 2023 to 2027
  • Support cross-government innovation programs and pathways
  • Establish two-way communication channels to help connect government problems with emerging technology solutions.
Showcase SmartNSW programs and initiatives to position NSW as the best state to invest and innovate

Promote SmartNSW projects, initiatives and solutions in Australia and on the world stage to find new markets and attract new talent by:

  • hosting a World Smart Cities Expo satellite event in NSW in 2024
  • participating in conferences and global events and dialogue.
Make procurement of digital connectivity and connected technology solutions easier for state government and local councils

Continued co-development of Innovation Procurement Pathways initiatives including:

  • a central innovation procurement support team
  • an innovation playbook
  • supporting policy frameworks.

Deliver:

  • improved procurement guidance for local and state government.

Consider:

  • a procurement panel of assessed and approved smart technology providers.

Programs

The state will lead the way in showcasing how to use smart technologies to achieve outcomes for people and places across the state.

Deliver flagship programs in Greater Sydney cities
  • The Smart Western City Program including final business case(s) for city wide scaling of solutions
  • Sourcing funding and delivering the Smart and Connected Neighbourhoods Program across Western Sydney
  • The Smart Central River City Program, covering Parramatta and Cumberland local government areas, Sydney Olympic Park and Westmead Health and Innovation District
  • A connected Tech Central for the Eastern Harbour City, including Digitally Connected District Strategy, with a Digital Equity and Inclusion plan, Digital Plumbing Guidelines and specifications for state-managed land.
Plan and design for a digitally enabled and connected 6 Cities Regions
  • A Smart Central Coast Program, including a business case for high-speed digital connectivity to support the Central Coast Strategy.
  • A Smart Illawarra-Shoalhaven Program including a baseline assessment of digital demand and supply, program design and a Strategic Business Case
  • A Smart Lower Hunter Program to build on smart city initiatives in the Hunter and leverage state and council assets.
Showcase outcomes in regional places by delivering exemplar projects
  • Smart Special Activation Precinct proof of concept and smart enablement roadmap.
  • A Smart Regional Places Program, building on Strategic Business Case and Proof of Concept delivered in 2019-2020 and informed by Regional Economic Development Strategies.
  • Regional Multi Modal Mobility trials in to improve customer transport journeys.
Support NSW Government parks, gardens, public spaces and paths to be resilient, green and inviting for visitors using digital connectivity and technology and data solutions
  • Projects showcasing the Smart Public Spaces Guide in real life.
  • Digital connectivity infrastructure for state government active transport projects, parklands and public spaces including The Rocks and Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain.
  • Connected technologies to benefit operations and visitor experience in state-owned parks, public spaces and active transport links.

Download

Download SmartNSW Roadmap: 2022 to 2027 PDF 1.49MB Current as of Wednesday, 15 May 2024.

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Type: Plan
Author: Cities and Active Transport
Publication Date: 01 November 2022

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Business and economyNSW GovernmentEnvironment, land and waterHealthTechnologyPlace-makingPublic space improvementsCommunity
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