Data to drive smarter decision making

Real time data on people movement, water use and temperatures are now being captured in Woombye to help Sunshine Coast Council improve its delivery of services and facilities into the future – as well as to manage climate change and natural disasters more proactively.

The Data Driven Decision-Making pilot project, as part of council’s Smart City Framework, has allowed for a range of sensors and meters to be installed in Woombye, including:

• Ten sensors installed on poles along Blackall Street, which capture people and vehicle movements – and can help determine how long people stay in the area, and their direction of movement
• Twenty car parking bay sensors, which capture data about how many vehicles use parking bays, how long they stay, and the peak times;
• A networked water meter that provides data on how many people are using public amenities in Woombye, how much water is being used and if there are water leaks;
• Four ambient temperature sensors and a weather station provide real-time information that can provide context for people movement data, while also providing important information to council’s Disaster Management team in the short term and assist with climate change policy over the longer term;
• Thermal imaging cameras have been also used in Woombye to compare temperatures of asphalt, concrete, grass, canopy or shaded locations, and help improve planning and design of public areas through understanding which materials and colours provide cooler, more comfortable open spaces that people prefer to spend more time enjoying.

Collectively, this real-time data can provide rich insights that will help council to design better places that people enjoy and which are more resilient to effects of climate change, including higher temperatures. This data also assists with scheduling of maintenance and cleaning schedules, as well as identifying potential misuse of facilities and helps council run these facilities in more environmentally sustainable way.