One of the rewarding parts of our business is the special projects we get to work on with our local government partners.
Tailored for each council, bespoke projects are an opportunity to create unique and memorable public realm experiences for residents and visitors. They also help councils deliver on their engagement strategies in creative and distinctive ways, usually at minimal cost.
This year we covered all things from community health campaigns and reconciliation projects to new technologies, including solar-powered phone charging public infrastructure and new software platforms.
More specifically, here we count down our top three highlights from 2022.
1. Aussie animal mural shelters
CANNINGTON, CITY OF CANNING (WA)
Only completed several weeks ago, we gave public transport infrastructure in the City of Canning a vibrant makeover featuring artwork of local fauna and flora in mid-December.
In conjunction with the City, the bespoke project made use of stunning murals recently painted in the area as part of a greater 10-year regeneration program.
After photographing the colourful artwork, we printed and installed the vibrant images at three bus shelters along Cecil Avenue.
The stunning results help deliver the City’s vision to create an inviting, pedestrian-friendly streetscape and overall a more diverse and vital public realm.
2. Digital inclusion – free public WiFi
DOVETON, CITY OF CASEY (VIC)
In September we rolled out free Wifi and device charging at bus shelters to support the 1 in 5 households in the Melbourne suburb of Doveton without internet access.
The digital makeover, part of the City of Casey’s greater digital inclusion program aimed at addressing digital inequality for residents, proved popular immediately with over 400 connections to the WiFi and charging points in its first month.
This project came largely without cost to the City, thanks to our unique business model designed to offer councils a low-risk, high-benefit partnership.
We’ll be offering other useful tech options – including a new asset management platform for QR codes and NFC technology – in 2023 via the new yStop Smart Fund. This will include our new Pulse smart bins and Meet seats.
3. Compacting bins at popular foreshore
CITY OF LAKE MACQUARIE (NSW)
In August we installed the latest Ray solar-powered compacting bins at the popular Warners Bay foreshore north of Sydney.
Holding five times the waste of a regular bin (they convert a standard 240L wheelie fill into a 1200L capacity), these units save on waste collection visits, reduce truck emissions and are built to last longer than any compacting unit on the Australian market.
Not only are they more hygienic, environmentally friendly and safer than traditional options, the RAY compacting bins also feature internal smart sensors that measure fill levels and alert the Council when they need emptying.
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