1. Digital Economy Update
26 April 2012

2. Coordinated regional and local planning

3. 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

4. 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

5. Central Highlands ICT Study
Strategies
Leadership 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

6. 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

7. www.nbnco.com.au

8. 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+)

9. www.nbn.gov.au

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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?

16. 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…