Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have an enlightening conversation with Michael Whereat. Michael is the Smart Cities Lead for Sunshine Coast Council, in Queensland, where he helps staff and people across the region access data and information to make informed decisions.

In this episode Michael tells us about the problem statement methodology guiding all Smart Cities work at Sunshine Coast Council, and evaluating projects through a rubric to deliver greatest organisational benefits. 

We discuss the Kings Beach playground renewal that used vibration sensors and WiFi counts to understand usage patterns, and the democratisation and publication of the data dashboards. 

We talk about edge processing for privacy protection, the data trailer with QR codes explaining data collection to community and how technology reduces bias compared to staff counting.

We finish our chat discussing curiosity and listening for gaps in data – not just what you see, but what’s not there that should be. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.

What we cover in this episode:

• The four-step problem statement methodology: what’s your problem, what might the solution be, how might we measure success, and how might we implement it
• Kings Beach playground renewal using vibration sensors on gates (80% accuracy) and WiFi device counts (80-meter radius for dwell time), implemented in two weeks
• Democratising data dashboards to hundreds of staff, with all dashboards accessible to the network and many publicised to community
• Edge processing at cameras for privacy protection using ones and zeros rather than storing vision, meeting Australian standards and community expectations
• The data trailer with QR codes explaining “I’m a data trailer,” privacy practices and technologies used
• Technology reducing bias in contentious issues like dog off-leash areas where staff counting is perceived as biased but technology is accepted
• Customising dashboards for different audiences, for example specialists get individual sensor details, executives get one-page intuitive summaries, while the public gets delayed data
• Smart Infrastructure Manual embedding specifications into tenders and procurement, making data-driven approaches routine across the organisation
• The importance of listening for gaps in data, not just what you see, but what’s not there that should be

Quotes:

“The key thing for me is about helping the organisation, staff, and people across the region to be able to have access to data and information to make informed decisions. [That’s] the core component of why the team exists.”

“We have failed if the officers, if the organisation, if the community aren’t able to make decisions based on the data that we collect and the chain of activities that need to get there.”

“When it’s technologies demonstrated to count, and we’ve shown where we’re proactive about communicating what we’re doing and how we’re doing it, the acceptance is very high. If it was staff counting, they see it as bias. But if it’s technology, the acceptance is very high.”

“Be curious. It’s about looking for the gaps. People will tell you what they want you to hear, but listening for the gaps, what I’m not seeing. Being curious about what you’re looking at and understanding it to the point where you ask: what’s not here that should be? What’s that gap?”

Links:

• Sunshine Coast Council’s Smart Cities Framework and Implementation Plan
• Sunshine Coast Council’s Smart Infrastructure Manual
• Sunshine Coast Council’s walking tours with AR/mixed reality underground infrastructure
• Maroochydore city center 3D visualisations 

Connect:

Connect with Michael Whereat on LinkedIn

Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.community

Connect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn and watch on YouTube

Podcast Production by Perk Digital

This podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the  Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples.   I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today.  Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years.  I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today.

Disclaimer

The views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by guests on The Smart Community Podcast are solely those of the individual speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the host, Zoe Eather, or of The Smart Community Podcast as a whole.

Any discussion of ideas, products, organisations, or services by podcast guests does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the host or the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions and seek professional advice where appropriate.