AN average of about 160 devices a day are connecting to the free wi-fi network in the Bathurst CBD, according to Bathurst Regional Council.
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Council's economic development manager Steve Bowman says the innovation is making a difference in attracting tourists and in encouraging the use of the city's green spaces.
"During a nice day, you can go and sit in Kings Parade or Machattie Park or wherever else in the green spaces in the CBD and do work or check emails or have meetings outdoors with your staff and connect to the free wi-fi," he said.
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The CBD wi-fi was turned on in March after council received a grant of about $150,000 from the Federal Government's Smart Cities and Suburbs program.
Council contributed the same amount for the project.
"We're averaging about 160 devices connecting to the wi-fi network each day. And that is based on solid research that we have done," Mr Bowman said.
"We have got a sister city relationship with Ohkuma in Japan and we're developing a relationship with a place called Yangquan, which is a major city over in China.
"Knowing what those cultures are like, we knew that if we are going to work better with our sister cities, then we need to facilitate infrastructure like free wi-fi to get them to visit more often.
"We thought it was a good way for us to be seen as an innovation leader and have a great new service for locals and for tourists."
Mr Bowman said research shows free wi-fi is not an optional extra, but a requirement for some tourist markets.
"We know that the Chinese market will not actually go to a centre like Bathurst if there's no free wi-fi," he said.
The free wi-fi is one of the projects under council's Smart Community initiative, which uses technology to make the city more liveable.
Mr Bowman said Bathurst was identified last year by the NSW Innovation and Productivity Council as one of seven emerging innovation precincts.
Bathurst was in good company, as well: others included Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle.
"It places us in a really good position when it comes to already being recognised as an innovation centre," Mr Bowman said.
"And that's because of all the work we've been doing around smart technologies. So that's really good state-level recognition."