Chatswood Hackathon: AI for real-world impact

Next date: Saturday, 16 May 2026 | 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM

Ready to build something that actually matters? Join us for the most exciting Chatswood Hackathon, a one-day, in-person hackathon where you’ll team up with other ambitious builders to solve real challenges facing our local community. In partnership with Willoughby City Council, this is your chance to create solutions that could genuinely shape the future of Chatswood.

Who should attend

• Developers, designers, data people and builders
• Anyone who wants to learn, build and make an impact

What you'll be doing 

• Learn from a hands-on AI workshop to kick things off
• Team up with other members of the GEEQ community (or bring your own team)
• Build a rapid prototype tackling real-world problems
• Pitch your solution to a panel of judges and community leaders

You’ll choose from problem statements like

1. Smarter traffic flow as the city grows: develop predictive models or intelligent management tools to improve traffic flow as population density increases.

2. Real-time smart parking solutions: create innovative solutions (for example, APIs, integrations with mapping platforms) to help residents and visitors locate available parking in real-time within the Chatswood CBD.

3. Data tools to support local businesses: design tools to help Council better support local businesses by efficiently aggregating publicly available data (for example, business hours, contact details) from platforms such as online maps.

4. Sustainable 'last mile' transport in Chatswood: propose clean-energy or sustainable transport solutions to improve connectivity between Chatswood transport hubs and nearby workplaces.

Why join

• Build something meaningful in just one day
• Meet and collaborate with other talented builders
• Get exposure to council leaders and local stakeholders
• Present your idea at the 2026 Support Local Presentation Night (for the top 3 winning teams)
• And of course… prizes and good vibes

Event schedule

9 am – Welcome and kickoff
9:30 am – AI workshop
10:30 am to 3 pm – Hackathon (with lunch provided)
3 pm to 4 pm – Team presentations
4 pm to 5 pm – Awards and celebration

Spots are limited. Complete the registration form to secure your spot. If you’ve been waiting for a chance to actually build something meaningful – this is it. Morning tea, lunch and nibbles and drinks all included.

When

Location

cirque by Centuria, Level 7, 9 Help Street, Chatswood, 2067, View Map