Brisbane Maps Next Steps in Smart City Upgrades with AI Signals and Sensor Networks

A $15 million traffic trial and expanded sensor installations form the core of upcoming developments under the Smart Connected Brisbane strategy.

By Brisbane Tech Desk · Published 20 July 2026

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Brisbane will start a $15 million trial of the Smarter Suburban Corridors project in mid-2026 that deploys AI to adjust traffic signals at key intersections.

The project targets congestion reduction ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games and replaces older signal systems with real-time adaptive controls. It builds on the city's existing Smart Connected Brisbane strategy that has already directed more than $5 million toward a startup program training over 3,000 students in coding and releasing 130 data sets.

Smart poles and monitoring systems expand coverage

The council has placed 20 Smart.NODES™ poles across the CBD plus Bracken Ridge and Sandgate. Each unit carries 4G/5G connectivity, environmental sensors, smart LED lighting and pedestrian counters. Brisbane also operates the first large-scale Bluetooth monitoring network at 900 intersections that records vehicle speeds and supports immediate emergency dispatches.

These installations feed data into the broader Smart Connected Brisbane framework that encourages collaboration between residents and startups on local innovation projects.

Water and security tools deliver measurable results

The Smart Water Grid applies Oracle AI to cut leaks by 15 percent for 2.5 million users. The CCTV system uses AWS Rekognition AI to stop more than 300 incidents each year. Both systems operate alongside the traffic and pole networks already in place.

Further rollout will focus on integrating these tools with the mid-2026 traffic trial to maintain consistent data flows across council operations. Residents and startups can continue to access the released data sets and coding programs to test additional applications on the existing infrastructure.

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