Labor has thrown its support behind making the Illawarra a Smart City.

Labors Stephen Jones and Sharon Bird have supported the Illawarra Pilot Joint Organisations $4M Smart City proposal at a meeting with Assistant Minister, Angus Taylor, in Canberra.

The Illawarra has a strong track record on innovation which is something that must be fostered and encouraged. This is an important step forward to improve the liveability, useability and accessibility of our region through the use of Smart technologies.

The project is a collaborative approach to invest in better management of flood mitigation, CBD parking and drinking water as well as improve access to information on the regions aged care.

Members of the Illawarra Pilot Joint Organisation, a joint effort of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven Councils and the University of Wollongong, should be commended. This is a great example of innovative organisations working together to deliver outcomes across the region.

Labor is backing our Councils and the University of Wollongong and calling on the Federal Government to do so as well.