Imagine a time when a satellite will tell you if there’s a car park outside your favourite store in the city centre, our street lights will know when you’re walking by and switch on to keep you safe, or your phone will tell you where to find a charging station to ‘refuel’ your state-of-the art electric car.

These types of technologies and much more could soon be coming to Albury and Wodonga as part of our joint efforts to join the ‘smart communities’ revolution.

Under our Smart Community Framework, we’ve identified 18 services ranging from health and education to waste collection and water management. They provide new, improved ways of delivering the high-quality services that a modern community needs.

However, it’s not just about technology, It’s also about working smarter with what we have and also working with other agencies. By sharing data resources with other government organisations, for example, we can combine our knowledge to identify problems, create solutions, and stay abreast of developments in a rapidly-changing world.

But are you ready for it? We want to know how you feel about becoming a smart community and specifically, which of the 18 smart services are most important to you.

Your feedback will pave the way for the establishment of a cross-border working group involving representatives from both councils. In following steps, we’ll work towards gaining funding, identifying partners who will help to make projects a reality, and developing a timeline for the introduction of smart services that will change the way our cities operate.