THE NSW Government will begin testing new technology to improve early warnings for floods and bushfires across the state.<\/p>\n
The testing is part of a $3.3 million commitment to build a natural hazards detection system, addressing a key recommendation from the 2020 Bushfire Inquiry and 2022 Flood Inquiry.<\/p>\n
The initiative aims to provide earlier warnings, giving communities more time to respond to natural hazards.<\/p>\n
Technologies being tested will include systems that detect floodwater across roads and monitor rainfall and soil moisture to predict floods.<\/p>\n
Other projects focus on identifying fire ignitions in remote locations and monitoring soil moisture and fuel loads to aid in fire hazard reduction.<\/p>\n
Grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded to support six-month trials of each technology.<\/p>\n
The program is led by the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer, in collaboration with the NSW Reconstruction Authority.<\/p>\n
Chief scientist and engineer Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte said the state is looking to the future in its approach to disaster response.<\/p>\n
“By undertaking trials of groundbreaking technology solutions in real-world conditions we will ensure that NSW residents are better prepared for natural hazards now and into the future,” he said.<\/p>\n
Businesses are encouraged to submit proposals addressing these challenges, with the potential to progress to the next stage of the program which includes scaling up and piloting technologies in real-world settings.<\/p>\n
Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology Anoulack Chanthivong said it was an important step.<\/p>\n
“Supporting businesses to field-test their technologies with NSW Government agencies allows them to bring their innovations one step closer to commercilisation,” he said.<\/p>\n
Applications for phase one are open until early December.<\/p>\n
The outcomes of the pilot will help shape the final design for deployment in hazard-prone areas of NSW.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE NSW Government will begin testing new technology to improve early warnings for floods and bushfires across the state. The testing is part of a $3.3 million commitment to build a natural hazards detection system, addressing a key recommendation from the 2020 Bushfire Inquiry and 2022 Flood Inquiry. The initiative aims to provide earlier warnings, […]<\/p>\n