Efficient public transport, smart technology and innovation, and the delivery of cost effective civic services were just part of the lessons seven South East Queensland (SEQ) Mayors and Councillors will bring back to their respective councils following a successful business mission to Singapore.
In a first for the region, a Council of Mayors’ (SEQ) delegation spent three days in Singapore exploring the country’s world class infrastructure and understanding how it uses technology to provide more effective and affordable services to its communities.
The delegation participated in more than 20 sessions which demonstrated how Singapore had used technology to tackle many of the challenges and opportunities currently facing SEQ, including people mass movement, public safety and security, sustainable urban development and supporting an ageing population.
Council of Mayors (SEQ) Deputy Chair and Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio, who led the Singapore delegation, said there was a lot SEQ could learn from the way Singapore embraced technology to enhance the standard of living for its citizens.
“Singapore is a relatively young country, yet it has positioned itself as a world leader in the adoption of smart innovations and digital technology. It has achieved this by working as one nation, bringing together the public and private sectors, to achieve some amazing outcomes,” said Mayor Antonio.
“Singapore and Australia share many similarities – multiculturalism, ageing population, quality of life and it’s a country of relatively recent origin – so the aim of this mission was to explore Singapore’s approach and use these experiences to further enhance SEQ.”
Mission highlights included a tour of the control and operation centres for Singapore’s mass rapid transport networks, taking a closer look at the city’s state-of-the-art driverless trains and automated vehicles.
The Council of Mayors (SEQ) will use the learnings from this mission to better inform its investigations into more efficient infrastructure and public transport, and its work towards positioning SEQ as the world’s first smart region.
