Communiqués
Online Council
26 September 2003, Hobart
A national broadband strategy, regional and remote telecommunications services and improving e-government service delivery were among the issues discussed in Hobart today at the eleventh Ministerial meeting of the Online Council.
Broadband and e-government
Ministers from the Australian Government, state governments, the Northern Territory Government and the President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) addressed a broad range of issues driving the growth of Australia's information economy.
Governments were represented by:
- Australian Government
- Senator Richard Alston (Chair)
Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts - Tasmania
- Jim Bacon, Premier, Tasmania
- New South Wales
- John Della Bosca
Special Minister of State, Minister for Commerce, Minister for Industrial Relations, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for the Central Coast - Queensland
- Paul Lucas
Minister for Innovation and Information Economy - Western Australia
- Ken Travers
Parliamentary Secretary for State Development - South Australia
- Jane Lomax-Smith
Minister for Tourism, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Employment Training and Further Education - Australian Local Government Association
- Cr Mike Montgomery, President
- Victoria
- Randall Straw
Executive Director, Multimedia Victoria
Participating by video link from Alice Springs:
- Northern Territory
- Peter Toyne
Minister for Justice and Attorney General, Minister for Communications, Minister for Corporate and Information Services, Minister for Central Australia
eGovernment service delivery improvements
Online Council members supported the efforts of the Australian Government, states, territories and local government to collaborate to improve service delivery to citizens. The application of emerging technologies makes possible a transformation in the way jurisdictions can work together for the benefit of citizens.
All governments are working to develop agreements that will support improved delivery of services in a way that is secure and respects the privacy of citizens.
Centrelink and the Western Australian Government are supporting Online Council by developing a model agreement that could be applied across other jurisdictions and agencies. This will reduce red tape for Centrelink customers who wish to obtain a range of state based concessions such as housing or motor vehicle registration. A simple online transaction will replace current time consuming, manual verification processes. The Australian Local Government Association is also supporting this work which could potentially extend its reach to more than 600 local councils.
More projects are planned using the model agreement being developed to provide greater cross agency collaboration and improved services to citizens and business.
Response to the regional telecommunications inquiry
In response to the Regional Telecommunications Inquiry (RTI), the Australian Government is providing funding of $180 million over four years to address concerns raised in the RTI report and to ensure that consumers in regional, rural and remote Australia continue to benefit from the service improvements achieved in recent years. The Australian Government is implementing its response to the RTI as a matter of priority. In particular, it has already made substantial progress in addressing service adequacy recommendations made by the Inquiry and in consolidating improvements by locking in Telstra commitments.
The Australian Government's response to the RTI includes over $140 million in funding for the implementation of a National Broadband Strategy (NBS) which includes:
- $2.9 million over four years for a national coordination mechanism, the National Broadband Strategy Implementation Group (NBSIG).
- $107.8 million over four years for the Higher Bandwidth Incentive Scheme (HBIS) to provide a financial incentive for higher bandwidth service providers to offer services in regional, rural and remote areas at prices reasonably equitable with those available in metropolitan areas.
- $8.4 million to assist demand aggregation brokers to harness community demand for broadband services in rural areas.
- $23.7 million for a Co-ordinated Communications Infrastructure Fund to boost broadband take-up in key sectors such as health and education.
- $15.9 million to extend terrestrial mobile phone coverage.
- $4.0 million to extend the satellite handset subsidy program.
- $10.1 million for IT training and support services in rural and remote areas where formal training programs are currently not accessible.
In delivering its response to the RTI, the Australian Government will work closely with key stakeholders, including state and territory governments, to maximise benefits to regional consumers. In particular, the Australian Government will seek to work with state and territory governments through the Online Council on a number of issues, including the ongoing support of online access centres, development of a strategic plan for regional telecommunications, and in the development of programs announced as part of the response.
National Broadband Strategy
Online Council considered and endorsed the National Broadband Strategy (NBS). Victoria reserved its position. The NBS provides a framework for coordinating activities across all levels of government. It provides a holistic approach to broadband development across Australia.
The NBS has been developed in partnership between the Australian Government, state, territory and local governments. This united front on broadband shows that all levels of government realise the potential economic and community benefits that broadband can deliver and the need for cooperative policy development and investment strategies. The NBS will be publicly released in the near future.
The implementation of the NBS will be overseen by the NBSIG which has representation from all levels of government. The NBSIG will consider strategies to address broadband priorities and evaluate progress in achieving outcomes. The NBSIG will work cooperatively with all stakeholders in implementing the NBS, particularly in the telecommunications, health, education and research sectors and in regional areas, to maximise the potential of broadband.
Aggregation of demand for telecommunications services
Online Council recognises the potential for improving services and reducing costs through a coordinated approach to purchasing telecommunications services. Bringing together government demand offers an opportunity to provide new services and improve the quality of existing services, particularly in regional and remote areas. It can also reduce the cost of providing government services.
Online Council recognises the benefits of a competitive telecommunications market in providing innovative solutions and containing costs. The challenge for governments across Australia is to bring together the benefits of coordinated purchasing and aggregated demand while fostering competition. This is particularly important in smaller, regional markets.
State and territory governments are of the view that the benefits of aggregation would be greatly increased if Australian Government telecommunications were made available for aggregation initiatives and the Australian Government agreed to consider the ramifications of this proposition.
The approach proposed under the National Broadband Strategy has the potential to deliver the benefits of aggregation and foster competition at a local level. Online Council supports the work of the National Broadband Strategy Implementation Group in exploring options for delivering better telecommunications through aggregation and competition.
The Commonwealth, state and territory governments and representatives of local government resolved to work collaboratively to develop solutions that pursue the twin objectives of aggregation and competition.
Strategies for the sustainability of online access centres
The Online Council acknowledged the significant role that online access centres play to meet the social and economic needs of regional communities, and recognised that their value extended well beyond providing access to online services and affordable ICT training.
The Council noted that all tiers of government had provided considerable assistance to establish these centres, but there was now a need to comprehensively examine the issues that would contribute to their sustainability.
State, territory and local governments agreed to work as a matter of urgency with the Australian Government to develop strategies aimed at maintaining the viability of online access centres, within the framework of the proposed Strategic Plan for Regional Telecommunications.
Action plan for remote indigenous communities
Online Council members noted the good progress being made in implementing the Telecommunications Action Plan for Remote Indigenous Communities (TAPRIC). In particular, the innovative multimedia project involving remote Indigenous communities in the preservation and presentation of their languages is expected to provide very significant potential benefits for communities. The Online Council welcomed the provision of computer packages to improve internet access for the 135 remote indigenous communities participating in the Extended Zones 2-Way Satellite Internet Service offer. The relevant state and territory governments are working closely with the Australian Government in implementing the action plan for remote indigenous communities.
ICT framework for the future
The Online Council agreed that it would play a leading role in taking forward the issues identified in the ICT Framework for the Future report, Enabling our Future, particularly where it could assist with national coordination. A working party of officials has been established to progress relevant recommendations of the report that include:
- improving ICT investment attraction and ICT strengths promotion
- improving coordination of ICT strategies between jurisdictions
- facilitating recognition of the critical enabling role of ICT in improving productivity, driving business efficiencies and supporting innovation
- improving accounting for the total national ICT capability
- making it easier for SMEs to sell to governments and big business
- bringing together major focal points of R&D activity and the innovation infrastructure to drive cluster development
Enabling our Future was released by Senator Alston, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, on 15 April 2003. It focuses on key elements in the innovation infrastructure that will support the longer-term development of the industry and the growth of a national ICT capability.
National leadership for advancing the information economy
Online Council members agreed to contribute to the Australian Government's review of the priorities that were originally set out in the 1998 A Strategic Framework for the Information Economy-Identifying Priorities for Action. In order to address the emerging challenges of maintaining Australia's position as a leading information economy nation, Online Council members agreed that a renewed and heightened level of effort was necessary and required collaborative action by governments, businesses and communities.
Improved regional wireless data networks
The Online Council agreed to establish a working group within the NBSIG to progress the expansion of wireless data services to rural and regional Australia for use by emergency and essential services and business.
Media contact
Simon Troeth, Senator Alston's Office, 02 6277 7480 or 0439 425 373
Paul Malone, Council Secretariat, 02 6271 1080
