Council will trial the use of QR codes on the city's sportsgrounds signage that would link to historical information behind the name in a move that could be the first step to a more inclusive city.
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On Monday, councillors voted in a trial period in which QR codes will be used to link historical information about the name of the site to visitors.
Strategic asset manager Ben Creighton said council will trial QR codes on signs in the coming weeks for a period of about six months, saying thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic, the codes have emerged as a cost-effective way of providing accessible information.
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"With a recent increased use of QR codes, people are quite familiar with them and it is one way [we] can create a central database that would allow all the different names of the sports fields and parks to be in the one location," he said. "It is probably a cost effective and relatively easy way for us to provide that recognition in one place."
At Monday evening's meeting, councillor Rod Kendall suggested the QR codes be trialed for the historical sports signs and if they are successful the project should be expanded to be included on safety signs to provide information in multiple languages.
"In the past [we've] debated how we would become more inclusive with our signs particular with other languages and the like, for example with safety signs down at the beach," Cr Kendall said.
"Might I say, the QR code may well be a simple, inexpensive but all inclusive way of being able to do that as well. Once we get into [the] trial ... I think it will open those potential opportunities up."
Mr Creighton said on Tuesday that the QR codes will certainly form part of council's plan for inclusive signage at places like Wagga Beach.
"Absolutely that is part of our plans for Wagga Beach and river and water safety signs," he said. "We'll be looking to use QR codes on all of those signs which not only allows us to provide information around water safety but we can then provide those resources in multiple languages which is difficult to do on an individual sign."
Councillor Vanessa Keenan backed the idea, saying that the council could use the current knowledge of QR codes to their advantage.
"18 months ago I would have said QR codes are useless and they don't work, but they're a part of our lives at the moment, hopefully not forever, but they are for now and there's an understanding of how they work and they play a role in our day to day lives as well so this is an opportunity we can use," she said.
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