Smart barbies declare it’s tong time

(L-R): Ben Sinnott, Smart City Technology Lead; Melinda Fay, Parks Assets Area Leader; and Cr Aaron An. Photo by Damjan Janevski.

By Esther Lauaki

Break out the snags and try the new smart barbecues being installed at President’s Park and Bloom Street Reserve.

Wyndham council recently introduced a six-month trial of smart barbecues, which are wired with sensors that record maintenance issues.

Wyndham smart city portfolio holder Aaron An said the new barbecues would improve the cooking experience for locals.

“Residents will also enjoy a cleaner facility because the sensor technology records regular cleaning and maintenance and if there is a fault with the barbecue, council will receive an alert to fix the issue,” Cr An said.

“This means the barbecue spends less time out of service and more time being used by the community.

“The barbecues will be equipped with technology which eventually will be used to let the community know when a barbecue is available.

“The barbecue use can also help council in deciding if a certain area needs more bins, lighting, water or other related amenities.”

Cr An said the sensors on the hot plates would, over time, help council to compile data on how frequently each barbecue was used.

“This data will help council manage the facilities, understand if the community needs more of these facilities and indicate when they need to be serviced or replaced,” he said.

“This trial will identify the benefits of such technology and, if successful, the technology is expected to be retrofitted to barbecues across the city.

Smart city projects, visit: bit.ly/30czirB