Australian Smart Communities Association (ASCA)

4 5 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 7 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 7 AUSTRAL I AN SMART COMMUNI T I ES ASSOC I AT ION Today, the association works closely with members to solve problems through smart solutions and enhance policy, capacity, and confidence across Australian smart communities. ASCA’s members in government, industry, and academia have access to a range of services and benefits including representation & advocacy, policy & research, sector development & learning, partnership & networks, e-news promotions, event listings, and more. President Laura Baker begins, “Smart communities bring together the best of data, innovation, and digital technology to drive transformation across Australia. We work with our members with the aim to connect, support, engage, and share to expand the opportunities and benefits available to our local communities. Our association brings people from all over the country together to understand the complex issues that smart communities face. The common thread throughout our history has always been to build strong knowledge bases with a variety of interested stakeholders and use that knowledge to develop better capacities for change. Each community is unique, so it’s important that we provide the opportunity for learning in their own context, at their own pace, and in ways that will benefit their specific environment. ASCA values community, collaboration, inclusion, data, leadership, and independence. Ms. Baker explains, “There are a lot of challenges that face our members and the communities they support, in connectivity, infrastructure, education, cost, policy, etc. For example, as we see 5G continue to roll out, our communities and their local governments will need to grapple with infrastructure changes and ensure that coverage is appropriate for their population. But the biggest issue facing our communities and their leaders is simply staying up to date- keeping up with cyber security, understanding technical knowledge, managing the data and insights from smart technology, and managing the change associated with technology. Our role in this is providing a voice for these communities and supporting them with resources, tools, and networks. It’s quite easy to place a sensor that relays information, but we have to break that data down in a way that is manageable and digestible for everyone, then use the resulting insights to change behaviour at a local government level.” Collaboration is key for ASCA and their members. Their network includes the Smart Places team. Run by the New South Wales state government, Smart Places is an initiative that uses technology and information to improve social, economic, and environmental outcomes for people and places. Smart Places outlines their vision as, “to deliver outcomes for citizens and businesses by applying for a consistent, seamless, place-blades approach to Smart Places implementation in New South Wales”. The initiative’s official strategy, outlined in 2020, aims to deliver outcomes in skills, jobs, and development; safety and security; environmental quality; equity, accessibility, and inclusion; health and wellbeing; collaboration, and connection. Ms. Baker explains, “We have a rich history building out the strategies outlines by Smart Places and working with them to identify challenges, opportunities, and resources for smart communities in New South Wales. They have done some amazing work embedding smart technology, data, and innovation into metro and regional spaces across the state. We consider them to be leading the way in how state governments can introduce and implement smart city and smart community thinking throughout a range of jurisdictions. The team has also just released a Smart Innovation challenge, which is well worth a look at.” ASCA also recently worked with Maribyrnong city council for the launch of their smart city framework. The council recently rolled out a strategy asking members of the public to identify how they use technology, gaining insights to build a digital ecosystem that uses smart technology in securing better outcomes for the Maribyrnong community. Ms. Baker shares, “We have over 50 members across Australia who are