Page 3333 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 18 September 2013
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manufacturing and finance and insurance sectors. Australia’s economy and the high standard of living Australians enjoy are a result of the ICT sector’s substantial contribution.
According to the Australian Computer Society, or ACS, and Australian Bureau of Statistic figures, the ACT ICT sector employs more than 21,000 Canberrans, which is around 10 per cent of the ACT’s entire workforce. The ACT government recognises that the digital economy is fundamentally important to our future productivity, our competitiveness and our social and economic wellbeing. Correspondingly, the ACT government was a founding member of NICTA—Australia’s information communications technology research centre of excellence—in partnership, of course, with ANU, the University of NSW and the New South Wales government.
Effective use of the internet and digital technologies offer opportunities for our city to improve connectedness of citizens and organisations; improve service delivery, both public and private; drive and facilitate economic transformation, innovation, efficiency and productivity; support social engagement and inclusion; improve environmental outcomes; and improve democratic participation and policy outcomes.
A key objective of the ACT government’s approach is to ensure widespread access to affordable and high speed internet and digital technologies so the ACT community as a whole will benefit from faster and more efficient online communications. There are four key elements to the ACT’s approach to maximising the benefits from the digital economy, and the first is digital inclusion. We aim to increase and improve connectivity of Canberra citizens to the internet and the use of digital technologies. Free computing services and access to the internet are provided at ACT libraries, and we are examining free wi-fi hotspots in town centres. Both government and non-government schools will be provided access to high speed broadband.
The second element is open government. We will continue to give effect to the ACT government’s commitment to providing open, accountable and transparent government involving ACT citizens in decision-making processes in a meaningful, accountable, responsive and equitable way. The ACT government both invests in and uses ICT to promote open government and online community engagement for the benefit of the community and regards government information as a public resource.
The third element is engagement. The ACT government is committed to engaging with citizens using digital tools to enable citizen-centric collaborative government. The government conducts community cabinets using Twitter to engage directly with ACT residents as well as community groups and non-government organisations. Time to talk and ACT community engagement online sites are permanent forums for online community consultations, enabling a broad cross-section of the community to participate in government policymaking and decision making. A wide range of ICT-supported programs are in place across the ACT, ranging from streamlining access to services with Canberra Connect through to support for the online schools community with the smart schools, smart students program.
The fourth is industry development. Faster broadband speeds delivered by the NBN will support the further development of a vibrant digital sector and start-up companies.
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