Sydney’s current bus shelters, public benches and other pieces of street furniture will be overhauled in the coming months, in a bid to beautify the city.

Scheduled to commence around July, City of Sydney Council believes the shake up will be beneficial for the CBD, as well as Glebe, Paddington and Zetland, who are also having their furniture replaced.

Outdoor media company QMS confirmed their 10-year-contract with council in June 2020, with their CEO Barclay Nettlefold saying that the company were delighted with the agreement that would see them align the company with the city’s 2030 vision.

“The City of Sydney Street Furniture contract is universally recognised as the jewel in the crown of Australia’s OOH industry. QMS is proud to be recognised for our credentials, capabilities and people in securing this contract.”

Originally announced in 2017, the overhaul was due to be completed around the time of the city’s current furniture contracts, owned by advertising giants JCDecaux, expired in 2019. Lord mayor of Sydney Clover Moore said at the time that it was an exciting project that the council looked forward to making the city more accessible to both residents and tourists, with the new furniture being able to provide assistance.

“This is a unique opportunity to invest in new street furniture with a consistent style and using technologies to make it easier for people to stay informed and find their way around our city,” she says.

“Eventually we could see real-time emergency, event and transport information displayed on bus shelters.

“We want to make sure no one is left behind in this shift to a digital future, so we’re looking for innovative local and international providers with new ideas to deliver fast and free public wifi.”

The majority of the furniture is made up of digital panels that are both modern and sustainable technologies, intent on helping the people of the city with real-time updates. For more information, visit cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.

Image: https://www.jcdecaux.com.au/for-brands/media-products/jcdecaux-street-furniture/jcdecaux-spectacular