Digital Economy Update

26 April 2012

Coordinated regional and local planning

Digital Economy Strategies

• Ballarat ICT 2030• Moorabool Community Broadband and

Telecommunications Study• Central Highlands ICT Study• Wimmera Southern Mallee ICT Study• Yarra Ranges Broadband Economy Report• Great South Coast Regional Communications

Strategy• Southern Melbourne RDA – call for proposal out now

Central Highlands ICT Plan

• Lateral Plains and the UB completed the Central Highlands ICT Study in December 2010. See www.cecc.com.au/chict_index.php

• Last presented to the Mayors and CEOs Forum on 8 July 2011 to highlight opportunities under the National Digital Economy Strategy and the benefit of a collaborative and strategic response

• At that time it was clear that the Moorabool Shire was confirmed as one of the first 40 communities to benefit from the NBN.

• UB was seeking confirmation that Ballarat and Surrounds would be eligible for funding under future funding rounds

Central Highlands ICT StudyStrategiesLeadership celebrate ICT success – establish annual ICT showcase

Advocacy achieve targeted engagement through distribution of study outputs

Infrastructure build regional knowledge and skills – engage with developers, engineers, planners

NBN aggregate data which NBN Co have confirmed will accelerate planning – initiate project to maximise regional benefits from the Bacchus Marsh – Stage 2 NBN release site

Local government establish ICT grants program, attract resources and support

Collaboration models business case development in advance of new funding programs

Skills build business and community readiness – position region as source for NBN skills

Research and development monitor the social and economic impacts of ICT and broadband diffusion in the Grampians region – Produce annual report card

NBN Rollout Plans

• NBN Co rollout plans have further expanded since that time – most recently as a result of the announcement of 3 year rollout plan by NBN Co

• Rollout activities in the Central Highlands will include fibre in Bacchus Marsh, Central Ballarat and Creswick and fixed wireless services in parts of the City of Ballarat, and Golden Plains, Hepburn, Moorabool and Pyrenees Shires. For more details see www.nbnco.com.au

www.nbnco.com.au

Digital Economy Strategy

• National Digital Economy Strategy programs– Digital Hubs program ($23.8m)– Digital Enterprise initiative ($12.4m)– NBN-Enabled Education and Skills program ($27.2m)– Digital Local Government ($17.1m)– National Telework Week

• Moorabool Shire– Bacchus Marsh as one on first 40 communities to

benefit from NBN (potential $2m+)

www.nbn.gov.au

Digital Hubs and Digital Enterprise

• On Friday 13 April, Senator Conroy announced round three of the Digital Hubs and Digital Enterprise programs

• The local government areas of Ballarat, Golden Plains, Hepburn and Pyrenees are eligible Victorian communities under Round 3.

• Central Highlands LGAs are likely to be invited to respond to other programs such as the Digital Local Government Program which assists local governments to deliver innovative online services—in particular, to homes and businesses.

Digital Hubs

• The Digital Hubs program will provide residents in the local community with training in digital literacy skills to help them to participate in the NBN-enabled digital economy.

• Community organisations, including public libraries and local councils are eligible to provide the activities.

• The total amount of funding provided for the operation of a Digital Hub will generally be between $150,000 and $350,000 for a period of two years

• www.dbcde.gov.au/digital_economy/programs_and_initiatives/digital_hubs_program

Digital Enterprise

• The Digital Enterprise program will provide training and advice to small-to-medium sized enterprises and not-for-profit organisations, including local cultural institutions.

• The program will help these organisations to better understand how they can maximise the opportunities for greater digital engagement, enabled by the NBN.

• The total amount of funding provided in an eligible location will generally be between $140,000 and $270,000 for a period of two years.

• www.dbcde.gov.au/digital_economy/programs_and_initiatives/digital_enterprise_program

Benefits of coordinated response• Regional stakeholders jointly developed the Central Highlands

ICT strategy• Working at the regional scale is one of the success factors in

attracting the NBN• Applications for the Digital Enterprise and Digital Hubs programs

close in two weeks time (2 pm on 10 May 2012)• More efficient to prepare one application under each program

rather a possible eight applications• Combining efforts could increase the quality and scope of

activities • Activities could be tailored to meet regional priorities – e.g.

agriculture, retail, tourism, community• Linkages can be established with established and emerging

digital economy projects

Some project examples• AIS, ASC and VU

– Sport Spatial Mapping and Data Analysis

• Broadband Enabled Innovation Program– Visualising Victoria’s Groundwater– Three-dimensional tele-medicine– Green Monitor Energy and Environmental monitoring

• NBN Enabled Skills and Education– Eureka I’ve Found It – Digitising regional historical collections from

Ballarat and beyond

• Digital Local Government– Improve the quality, availability and timeliness of local government

service

Moorabool Experience• Broadband Enabled Innovation Program

– High Capacity Innovative Broadband Web 3.0 Service Delivery

• Digital Local Government– Enhanced business and community access to local government

services will be achieved via web-based spatial mapping approaches that are replicable and scalable

• NBN Enabled Telehealth Pilot – DHS, BHS, GRHA, Moorabool and Melton Shires, UB

• Digital Hubs– ‘The Laurels’ – Bacchus Marsh’s community managed registered

training organisation

• Digital Enterprise– How can new local government service models be profiled?– Will evaluation outcomes support future regional planning?

Questions and discussion• LGA aspirations

– Individually and collectively

• Aspirations of other stakeholders– RDA Grampians, Ballarat ICT Limited, Lateral Plains, UB and others

• Digital hubs– Where will hubs be located in Moorabool, Ballarat, Pyrenees, Golden

Plains and Pyrenees regions

• Digital enterprises– What are the existing networks that could be leveraged? (e.g. Commerce

Ballarat, Ballarat ICT Limited, Central Highlands Primary Care Partnership, Central Highlands Agribusiness Forum, Local history networks, Sports Assemblies, Probus Clubs, Landcare Groups, etc.

• Role for local government– Premises, staff, communications, marketing

• Project partners– Project management, specialist skills, equipment, training, support

services, evaluation…