May Newsletter

In our May edition, ASCA continues to build momentum across the smart communities sector, with a focus on practical collaboration, emerging capability and delivering value in a changing environment.

President James Sankar reflects on the strength of the ASCA community and the activity across the network, alongside the launch of registrations for ASCS 2026 in the City of Casey, centred on the theme Adding Value in the Age of Disruption. We also bring members together through insights from our Sydney Meetup, highlighting growing collaboration across local government.

This edition shares practical perspectives on AI in smart communities, with key takeaways from our AI In Action webinar exploring governance, trust and organisational capability. We also highlight ASCA’s participation at Sydney Build Expo and continue to support sector capability through initiatives like the InsightWise AI trial for Local Government members.

Alongside this, we introduce new thought leadership on First Nations digital inclusion and data sovereignty, reinforcing the importance of inclusive, community-led approaches. We also welcome VivaCity as a new Gold Member and open an expression of interest for an Event Coordinator to support delivery of ASCS 2026.