Bendigo leads the way in innovation: A local govt. success story
See also: 2006 Regional Co-operation and Development Forum
November 27, 2006
Local government is doing its bit to keep up with the move to the broadband super highway by taking up innovative high-tech projects.
A top Australian research body, National Economics, has lauded the action by local government in a report released today.
It says the Bendigo Community Telco is the example for local government to follow so it can keep up with the move to the broadband super highway.
Other local government areas with innovative projects include a "smart communities" action project in the Uralla Shire in Northern NSW that has grown into a "Granite Globe" business by which several IT firms are setting up in Uralla.
Other regions with similar projects include the Coorong District Council in South Australia and the Rural City of Murray Bridge, also in SA, which has been praised for its innovative telecommunications approach.
The 158-page State of the Regions 2006-07 Report, released today, was commissioned by the Australian Local Government Association. The report is sponsored by the Jardine Lloyd Thompson insurance group.
It says improving the capacity for innovation in regional Australia would enhance export opportunities and bring better paid and more highly skilled employment.
The 2006-07 study builds on the State of the Regions 2005-06 report, which identified communications infrastructure as a key driver of economic growth.
The first communications organisation of its type in Australia, the Bendigo Community Telco started in 2000. It was initiated by the City of Greater Bendigo and developed by the Bendigo Bank and associates.
The report points out that the "telecommunication spend" in the area covered by the telco has grown to about $160 million a year. It says domestic, business and educational use is expected to increase significantly.
The telco has grown from being a limited liability company with issued capital of five $1 shares to enjoying a revenue growth of 27 per cent and being listed on the Bendigo Stock Exchange.
Bendigo Community Telco offers line rental, internet access, local and long distance calls on fixed lines and mobile telephone services, mirroring the services offered by its larger competitors.
National Economics says the telco is playing an increasingly important role - as investment capacity of the firm increases - in boosting telecommunication infrastructure in the Bendigo region.
It also provides more local and relatively highly skilled jobs, adding to the skills base of the immediate region. As well, the telco enhances the environment for creating telecommunication businesses, as skilled workers look at setting up for themselves and businesses consider moving to the region. The Bendigo Community Telco has worked closely with Powercor Telecom, which has set up optic fibre network links to the Melbourne CBD, western Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo.
» 2006-07 State of the Regions report
- Contact
- Amanda Lynch, Director, ALGA Public Affairs - 0419 123 862
- Michael Spencer, National Economics - 0419 123862
