A Parramatta City Council investigation into the use of smart technology to detect potholes using waste collection vehicles has been granted more time, with a feasibility report now expected by the end of October.
The proposal was first raised at Council’s Ordinary Meeting in February, when Councillor Sameer Pandey introduced a Notice of Motion calling for an investigation into the viability of equipping council waste collection trucks with cameras or sensors capable of identifying and recording potholes and other road surface defects during routine garbage collection runs.
“Council is responsible for maintaining an extensive local road network and relies on timely identification of potholes and surface defects to manage safety risks and maintenance costs,” the Notice of Motion said.
“Emerging camera, sensor and AI technologies are being developed to capture road condition data through existing operations, such as waste collection services or street sweepers.
“Leveraging Council’s operational fleet may provide a more efficient and proactive approach to identifying road defects and improving maintenance planning.”
The report was supposed to be returned to Council Chambers by June but in a report presented at the most recent ordinary meeting of Council, officers are continuing to research the technology and gather information before presenting their findings.
Speaking during the meeting, Councillor Pandey said he supported extending the reporting deadline but questioned why the investigation would take around eight months.
“While I appreciate we need more time on this, eight months is a long time to get a report. In that period, an AI company can be built, and they can reach $100 million in revenue,” Pandey said.
“I’m happy for the report to come back in October or before if possible but I just want to make the point that something like this, in my mind, it should not be an eight-month exercise. There are Councils who are doing this and we should be able to seek their guidance and input into this report.”
Council’s acting CEO George Bounassif addressed Pandey saying that council officers had already begun trialling the technology and were waiting for the results before finalising the report.
The trial involves fitting council vehicles with sensors designed to assess road infrastructure while carrying out their normal operations.
Officers are evaluating whether the technology can accurately distinguish potholes from other road irregularities or natural features.
The findings of the trial, together with feedback from other councils, will form the basis of a report expected to be presented to Councillors by the end of October.
