Let there be Light: First Smart Tech Announced for The Mill

Moreton Bay Regional Council has announced one of the first smart technologies to be delivered at The Mill at Moreton Bay: a smart lighting and city network system.

Council awarded a $970,000 tender at its coordination committee meeting for the rollout of smart lighting and smart city network technology services at The Mill at Moreton Bay, Petrie.

Anchored by the new USC Moreton Bay campus, The Mill at Moreton Bay PDA will deliver a world-class innovation and knowledge precinct adjacent to Petrie train station, and is expected to support 6,000 jobs, 10,000 university placements and $950 million in economic activity by 2036.

Innovation Spokesperson Councillor Darren Grimwade said the smart technology would include road, street, park, open space and other public lighting solutions with the ability to deliver and complement other services like wi-fi, smart parking sensors, CCTV and electric vehicle (EV) charging ports.

“This announcement will deliver approximately 40 street and public area lights in the first stage of The Mill development and additional lighting as future stages progress,” Cr Grimwade said.

“Smart street lighting networks are considered foundational technology to supporting other smart city initiatives, and The Mill’s network will have the capability to host other innovative services such as wi-fi, smart parking sensors, CCTV and EV charging.

Division 7 Councillor Denise Sims said with the ability to be controlled remotely based on weather conditions, or dim and brighten automatically via motion detectors, the software-controlled smart street lighting would reduce the overall electrical demand for the site and also improve community safety.

“Providing council with real-time communication of the lightings’ performance, this technology will also help to improve maintenance processes,” Cr Sims said.

Cr Grimwade said the smart lighting technology could also be rolled out across the region on new projects and upgrades once council develops its planning and policy framework for the use of the technology.

“The Mill will feature Queensland’s first new university campus in over two decades and will act as ground zero when it comes to government, business and industry implementing innovative technologies in the region,” Cr Grimwade said.

“Deploying the technology at The Mill first will show us what systems are available and what will work best elsewhere across the region.

“As a council and community we’ve made great strides in implementing innovative technologies, from the five-star green-star Corso at North Lakes to open data systems, and today’s announcement marks the next step in creating a smart region.”