Waverley Council’S Esolutions Manager
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feature The iconic Bondi Beach, with Sydney’s CBD on the horizon. The entirety of Bondi and its neighbouring (Amazon Web Services), a mission critical Tamarama and Bronte beaches have free Wi-Fi. cloud infrastructure that harnesses capacity at a secure data centre in Sydney. Besides physical infrastructure, the council’s GIS team has focused on creating and maintaining a highly accurate spatial mapping system with the ability to serve web-maps in relevant formats to meet specific application and user needs. “Council uses spatial information to provide tailored location specific information to the public,” said David Edwards, Waverley Council’s eSolutions Manager. This includes the launch last year of the ‘Development Enquirer’, an online interactive tool for residents to evaluate the scope of development allowed on their ANTHONY WALLACE nominated property. Waverley Council’s Discover portal provides spatial information to field staff and the community, “This is just one of the many including parking facilities as shown here. ePlanning projects the Council has implemented, utilising technology to any location. The new application has the ranks, toilets, accommodation, food shops, offer streamlined solutions for planning potential to reduce the number of enquiries shopping and places of interest. The map services,” Edwards added. to the council’s customer service centre. layers are aimed at tourists visiting the The Digital Beach Waverley Council’s Discover portal Spatial information is also being eastern beaches or Bondi Junction. (based on Pitney Bowes Spectrum Spatial utilised as part of a new website called The seaside council replacing information when users want it and Bronte and Tamarama beach as well as Analyst mapping application) provides ‘Hello Bondi’ which provides visitors and Out of the shadows an infatuation for technology in where they need it,” Betts explained. two of their major buildings – Margaret spatial information to field staff and the tourists with the vital information and In the background, much more is “Digital technologies can play a critical Whitlam Recreation Centre and Waverley community via a user friendly, interactive links to services they require when visiting happening spatially that perhaps goes favour of a pragmatic approach role in these areas, as well as alleviating Library. It has enjoyed a spectacular map that is compatible on all mobile the Eastern Suburbs. unseen. In 2014, Waverley Council was to engage residents, tourists staff frustrations – as all employees need uptake with over 175,000 visitors and devices. This portal allows residents and The ‘Hello Bondi’ website (www. awarded a commendation in the NSW and beachgoers with geo- access to real time accurate information locals (450,000 sessions) logging in over visitors to search for Council information hellobondi.com.au) uses Council’s spatial Planning Institute of Australia awards to perform their jobs.” the past 12 months. While the free service regarding its facilities and services, such as information to display things like bus for their use of innovative 3D modelling innovation. may seem simple, a tremendous amount waste collection, at any time of day from stops, parking locations, playgrounds, taxi technology for development planning. igital disruption is often more Wi-Fi on the beach of work was required behind the scenes to about disruption than actual Key to citizen centric digital capabilities, deliver this high quality service. D delivery. New apps may be well is the underlying infrastructure needed to Given the demand for 24/7 received and add convenience, however support it. For example, Waverley recently functionality, Waverley Council has all too often core operations gain little installed free public Wi-Fi across Bondi, deployed its new technologies in AWS from digital investments. Not so at Waverley Council on Sydney’s beautiful eastern beaches, the local government for the iconic Bondi Beach. Two years ago, Waverley made a strategic decision to name its technology operations ‘Digital Waverley’ and appoint personnel with a pragmatic, measurable and deliverable focus, rather than an infatuation with new technologies. Key to Digital Waverley’s mandate is the backing Waverley’s Mayor, Sally Betts and Waverley’s councillors, who contend that rate payers expect the same if not more from their local government than that offered by commercial interests. “Businesses talk about customer experience but at Waverley, we believe our community— ratepayers, local business and visitors—should all enjoy a positive experience when using council provided facilities, seeking information or advice, planning or building and transacting payments for services,” said Mayor Sally Betts. The Hello Bondi website “Digital Waverley was instituted to provides tourists with vital Waverley’s 3D Model can be used for view deliver such positive experiences using information for enjoying the analysis and contextual analysis and, as shown Eastern beaches. here at Bondi Junction, shadow casting. technology to accelerate delivery, share 22 position April/May 2017 www.spatialsource.com.au 23 feature Waverley’s 3D visualisation technology Spatially-enabled everything payment kiosk at Council’s Customer was purchased using a grant provided Another digital initiative that depends Service Centre in Bondi Junction. by the Department of Planning and on geo-enabling technology is Waverley’s Digital Waverley’s Executive Manager, Infrastructure to model the development soon to be released Cemetery app, which Kevin Trinh, has a clear vision as to potential of Bondi Junction City Centre. will allow descendants, relatives and what Waverley Council can deliver. “My All of the buildings in Bondi Junction friends to locate their ancestors’ final mission is to identify and deliver digital Centre were individually modelled and resting places at Waverley and South solutions that have a real and positive digitally represented in an interactive 3D Head Cemeteries. impact on the day to day life of Waverley environment using K2VI software. Each The Cemetery App utilises Google residents, businesses, visitors and our building was individually modelled using Maps to display the location of the field staff.” a combination of LiDAR data with aerial deceased burial plot, and satellite Waverley’s futuristic yet pragmatic imagery pictometry. positioning on mobile devices to display approach provides a solid basis for it to The model allows planning staff to insert user’s current location. engage with the Federal Government’s proposed developments or controls into the Late in 2016, Waverley Council Smart Cities program and potentially existing site context. These test models can installed Australia’s second largest fleet gain a significant share of the $50 million be in the form of detailed buildings with of solar powered smart bins in Bondi dollar for dollar grant offered to public articulated facades and accurate colouring Beach and Bondi Junction. The bins use sector agencies. to simple block forms that represent a an internal compactor power by solar to “Whether we win grant monies or concept for a development. The software squash the waste, inbuilt sensors and Wi- not,” explains Council’s Economic allows the user to perform a series of Fi to communicate via text and email to Development Manager, John analysis including shadow casting, view staff when the bins are full. Coudounaris, “Waverley is delivering analysis and contextual analysis. The use of solar power smart technology digital disruption benefits and developing The 3D model has since been extended will mean the bins can hold up to five the skills and know-how needed to realise to cover the whole Bondi Beach area, with times the amount of waste as a normal its full potential in the future” other areas being built up over time with bin, ensuring the area is cleaner and more Anthony Wallace is the editor of the requirement for applicants to submit attractive to residents and tourists. Position Magazine and Spatial Source, individual 3D building models as part of Other improvements include trialling and can occasionally be spotted swimming any Development Application. digital solutions such as a self-serve rates at Bondi. ■ A proposed development in Waverley’s 3D Model. Development applications in Waverley must now be accompanied by 3D building models, which will be incorporated into the council’s model. 24 position April/May 2017.