Park benches and picnic tables in Wollongong could soon help people charge their mobile phones.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
At Monday night's Wollongong council meeting, Cr Tania Brown put forward a motion calling for staff to investigate the introduction of charging stations "in high pedestrian traffic areas".
Read more: Work starts on cycleway through Port Kembla
She said the costs of installing mobile charging stations had gone down and the technology meant they could be placed almost anywhere.
"I've seen in parks overseas where people can connect to a park bench or a picnic table," she said in council.
"I think it would be a benefit to younger members of the community. It would allow them to stay online and contactable for longer periods and provide comfort for families that they can make contact if needed."
Cr Brown's motion said a place tagging itself the "City of Innovation" needed "to build a more connected and enabled city using technology to facilitate ease of connection for residents and visitors to the region".
There was some objection to the proposal from Cr Dom Figliomeni, who pointed out the funds weren't in the budget - a response he said Cr Brown and others had made to his recommendations.
However, Cr Janice Kershaw pointed out the motion was not calling on council to install charging ports but just investigate the feasibility of doing so and report back to councillors by early next year.
In the end, Cr Brown's motion calling for the investigation was passed unanimously.
We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.