Maribyrnong City Council has released a new Strategic Framework to provide a clear plan and vision for the region’s smart city initiatives.
The framework, A Smart City for Smart Communities was developed in 2021 following a study tour of projects and initiatives already underway in Footscray. The document also included a period of community consultation which has helped inform and shape it.
It will enable Council to build on the strong foundations set by current and previously delivered smart city projects.
The Council’s end goal is to further embrace the benefits of smart technology to support inclusion, innovation, sustainability, and collaboration across the community.
The Framework is based on seven Smart City Principles:
- Community first
- Innovative
- Transparent and accountable
- Sustainable
- Collaborative
- Outcome driven planning
- Inclusive
These principles underpin everything in the draft Framework and feeds into the six strategic themes, which are: :
- A place of vibrancy and activity
- A resilient and sustainable future
- An economy for the digital age
- An empowered and connected community
- A celebration of culture and creativity
- A future ready council
Accompanying this Framework is a Smart City Implementation Plan that will guide the specific actions delivered by Council officers and ensure a robust governance structure is in place to guide smart city projects.
The Implementation Plan will be aligned to the Council planning and budgeting cycles and an annual progress report will be presented to Council.
The draft Strategic Framework was made available for community feedback on Council’s community engagement platform, Your City Your Voice, and the comments helped shape the final version which was endorsed by Council on 17 May 2022.
