[LINK] "Advancing Australia as a Digital Economy"

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Media Release

Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy
Leader of the Government in the Senate
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Digital Productivity

Government taking action to achieve goal of Australia becoming a world-
leading digital economy by 2020

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator 
Stephen Conroy, today released "Advancing Australia as a Digital Economy – 
An Update to the National Digital Economy Strategy", which lays out the 
next steps towards delivering the Government’s vision for Australia to 
become a leading digital economy by 2020.

“The Update to the National Digital Economy Strategy (NDES) sets Australia 
on the path to a secure economic future beyond the resources boom, 
underpinned by our investment in the National Broadband Network.” (snip)


The 2011 NDES set eight goals, which together form a vision for Australia 
to be a vibrant, thriving, world-leading digital economy.  The Update 
outlines 24 actions the Government will take to work towards the 
achievement of those goals.

These actions include:

Digital First – a plan to have the vast majority of government services 
entirely online by the end of 2017.

Digital Careers – a development program for school students to help 
increase the number of Australians who have a career in information and 
communication technology.

Promoting the adoption of cloud computing by government agencies and 
ensuring Australia is a trusted hub for data storage and processing.

Reviewing the regulations around Employee Share Schemes and consulting on 
crowd-sourced equity funding to boost support for Australian tech start-
ups; and

Expanding the Digital Enterprise and Local Government Programs to support 
small businesses, not for profit organisations, and local governments to 
better engage with the digital economy.

“The Gillard Government has a vision for Australia to be a world-leading 
digital economy, which is underpinned by our investment in the National 
Broadband Network.

“The NBN will transform the delivery of services across education, health 
care, and aged care. But the Government must also play its part to support 
the community make the most of what the NBN will provide.”

Senator Conroy released the Update at the Digital Productivity Conference 
in Brisbane today.  The Conference brings together experts from industry, 
government, academia and research and the not-for-profit sector to discuss 
Australia’s digital future and showcase the transformational change and 
opportunities high-speed broadband makes possible.

The Update to the National Digital Economy Strategy can be found at: 
http://www.nbn.gov.au/nbn-benefits/national-digital-economy-strategy/

The Digital Productivity Conference is being webcast and can be found at 
www.nbn.gov.au/nbn-benefits/digital-productivity-conference

Date: 12 June 2013. Contact: Adam Sims 0408 258 457


Commitments in the NDES Update:

Action 1. Complete the development of a new curriculum for technologies

The Australian Curriculum embeds ICT skills as a general capability across 
all learning areas of the curriculum. It will also include the subjects of 
Digital Technologies and Design Technologies, which all students will study 
from Foundation to Year 8.

Action 2. Partner with industry to promote digital careers

National ICT Australia will be funded to lead a consortium that will 
develop programs to promote careers in ICT skills to school students.

Action 3. Expand the use of the Document Verification Service

The Government will work with state and territory governments to enhance 
the accessibility, usability and efficiency of the Document Verification 
Service – and also make the system more widely available to the private 
sector.

Action 4. Investigate the use of trusted third-party credentials by 
government

The Government will investigate the use of higher assurance digital 
credentials issued by commercial providers such as financial institutions 
and the use of existing digital credentials, including third party 
credentials.

Action 5. Release the Digital Citizenship Best Practice Principles

The Government will release the principles in the second half of 2013 and 
encourage Australians to practise digital citizenship’s core 
characteristics.

Action 6. Develop the National Plan to Combat Cybercrime

The Australian Government is working with state and territory governments 
to develop the National Plan to Combat Cybercrime, which outlines a 
strategic framework for how Australian governments will respond to the 
threat posed by cybercrime. The plan is expected to be released in mid 
2013.

Action 7. Review the regulatory arrangements for employee share schemes

Government will review the tax treatment of employee share schemes and 
develop guidance to reduce the administrative burden of establishing such 
schemes.

Action 8. Consult on an Australian crowd-sourced equity funding scheme

The Government will develop a best practice framework for Crowd Sourced 
Equity Funding.

Action 9. Minimise exemptions under the Electronic Transactions Act 1999

The Government will review Electronic Transactions Regulations 2000 to 
remove outdated exceptions to Commonwealth electronic transaction 
legislation by December 2014.

Action 10. Promoting the adoption of cloud computing in Australia

To promote the smart adoption of cloud computing, the Government will:

identify training and skills development across the public sector and 
ensure that agencies consider cloud services for relevant ICT procurements
develop resources to assist small businesses, not-for-profit organisations 
and consumers acquire cloud services with confidence
work in partnership with cloud vendors to promote Australia as a trusted 
hub for data storage and processing, and encourage foreign investment in 
cloud services.
Action 11. Explore making the Geo-coded National Address File (G-NAF) a 
freely available data set

Government will explore options for providing open access to the G-NAF, 
including an analysis of the legal, financial and security implications.

Action 12. Release the Big Data strategy

The Government will release its Big Data Strategy in 2013, and continue to 
support the Data Analytics Centre of Excellence.

Action 13. Implement the Digital First initiative

Under Digital First, by December 2017, Government agencies will provide 
their clients with user-friendly online access to priority services, 
allowing end-to-end processing for those services through a choice of a 
single authentication method that enables access to a range of services 
without needing multiple passwords and/or multiple tests of credentials.

Action 14. Boost the Keeping Seniors Connected program

The Government will provide senior Australians with free access to the 
latest technology and to training that will educate seniors on issues of 
particular concern to them, such as cybersecurity and cybersafety.

Action 15. Expand the Digital Enterprise program and develop industry 
specific digital business kits

The Government will expand the Digital Enterprise program and develop 
industry specific digital business kits to provide small to medium 
enterprises (SMEs) and the not-for-profit sector with resources to better 
engage with the digital economy.

Action 16. Consideration of expansion of the Medicare Benefits Schedule for 
telehealth items

The Government will undertake a review in 2013 to determine the costs and 
benefits of an expanded range of MBS telehealth items to include patients 
participating in video based consultations with their GP.

Action 17. Evaluate outcomes from telehealth trials and develop action 
plans to address key challenges

During 2014-15, the Government will evaluate the current telehealth trials, 
share trial findings and lessons with the healthcare community, and use the 
findings to develop action plans to address key telehealth issues

Action 18. Implement video consultation for the after-hours GP Helpline and 
the Pregnancy, Birth and Baby Helpline

>From the second half of 2013, the Government will commence a phased 
implementation of video-consultation capability starting with the after-
hours GP Helpline and the 24 hour Pregnancy, Birth and Baby Helpline.

Action 19. Support increased use of digital platforms to provide aged care 
services

The Government will introduce a range of reforms such as:

revision of relevant aged care program guidelines to recognise and 
encourage the use of innovative and digital delivery options for the 
provision of aged care services
expansion of the Community Visitors Scheme into home care including through 
the use of technology
launch the ‘My Aged Care’ website to provide coordinated information for 
aged care services.
Action 20. Encourage access to virtual classes for vocational education and 
training (VET) students

The Government will work with the states and territories to promote virtual 
delivery of VET.

Action 21. Conduct an annual National Telework Week

The Government will conduct an annual National Telework Week to promote the 
benefits of telework and facilitate the take-up of telework.

Action 22. Facilitate more efficient use of rail infrastructure

The Government will collaborate with mainland state governments to develop 
a single national spectrum allocation for interoperable train communication 
systems in metropolitan and regional areas.

Action 23. Expand the Digital Local Government program

The Government will extend the Digital Local Government program to enable 
around 15 additional local councils, including many in regional areas, to 
take advantage of the NBN to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of 
the services they deliver.

Action 24. Provide free wi-fi access to remote Indigenous communities

The Government will progressively adapt community satellite telephones to 
provide public Wi-Fi services to remote Indigenous communities.

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Cheers,
Stephen