IT 2010

Background

Ballarat IT 2010 is a high level discussion paper outlining the key benefits, differentiations and broad industry development the factors emanating from a Victorian State IT Centre to be located at Ballarat. The discussion paper concluded that the Victorian government establishment of a major IT Centre at Ballarat to supply computer processing and other services for the Public Transport Commission and VicRoads when coupled with other regional initiatives and advantages had the potential to underpin the development of a sustainable, world class information technology industry focussed on Victoria. However, for this vision to be realised, rapid action needed to be taken to consolidate and enhance the first step. In particular, the development strategy focussed on four IT market segments for which competitive advantages existed in Ballarat. These market segments are:

• Interactive Multi Media
• Geographic Information Services
• Health Sector IT
• Government and Private Sector IT outsourcing

An investigation into the regional economic impact of investment in Information Technology (IT) in Victoria, prepared for the Department of Business and Employment, Econsult (1994), produced a number of recommendations and findings. A key element of the recommendations was the identified need to establish an IT Industry development strategy that "identifies and analyses regional opportunities based on the competitive strengths of the region."

Following on from this development strategy recommendation was the need to develop action plans that addressed the implementation of the plans in a controlled and effective manner.

The investigation concluded that IT investment could be justified in a number of regions in Victoria, where each regional investment developed linkages with the strategic industries within the respective region.

Specifically, the Ballarat Development Board took the recommendations from the report and directed their attention towards the development of an IT industry development strategy. Together with the Victorian Government's consideration, at the time, of a number of measures to encourage investment in the IT industry including the expansion of the State Data Centre in Ballarat and the outsourcing of public sector IT service provision that were to impact on the region, the Ballarat Development Board elected to use the "window of opportunity" to their best advantage.

IT 2010 Implementation

IT 2010 was initiated in November 1994.

Vision - "By the year 2010 Ballarat will be recognised as a primary Australian focus area that has contributed to Victorian becoming the heart of the information industry in the Asia Pacific region."

Goal 1 - To establish a firm base of public and private IT industry in the Ballarat region that is focused, export oriented and complimentary to the overall growth of the region and the State.

Goal 2 - To provide facilities to the rest of Victoria that will enhance the growth of an internationally competitive Victorian IT industry and highly cost effective international best practice in the use of IT by industry and Government.

The IT 2010 strategy highlighted the importance of fostering an entrepreneurial culture and growing local IT skills.

Four key areas of focus were identified for their growth potential and for the synergy that they had with existing industry or organisations within the Ballarat region.

• Interactive multimedia which required a digital intermediate form to be established for content derived from any medium, be it text, data, audio, graphics, or video animation.
• Geographic Information Systems, which included such uses as:
  • Land-use planning and management - agricultural/industrial
  • Police/army/emergency services support
  • Water management, including Reticulation/irrigation/salinity forecasting
  • Transport management
  • Mine planning and management
• Health sector IT, where software development surrounding Case management, Diagnosis, Case-mix analysis, and Patient Care Management could provide enhanced capabilities for Health sectors such as: public and private hospitals, pathology laboratories, and nursing homes
• Government and private sector outsourcing, whereby specialised IT resources could be bought in by Government and private sector on a consultancy, or "as needed" basis.

The IT 2010 strategy also emphasised:

• the need to create an environment that supports innovation.
• the need to provide sustainable employment
• the opportunity to support economic development for the region
• a requirement to ensure availability of appropriate infrastructure.

Action plan 1995-1997

The IT 2010 Strategy incorporated the following action plan for the period 1995-1997:

• Ensure that special consideration be given in all State Government IT Outsourcing to facilities being provided from IT Centres in the Ballarat region.
  • It would be proposed that the Government consider varying the Department of Finance "Guidelines for Outsourcing" to include a requirement that proposing vendors be advised that preference will be given to Ballarat centred alternatives.
• Establish a Task-Force in Ballarat, in cooperation with the Office of Geographic Data Coordination, to develop a model by which State based GIS and other related data can be provided cost-effectively to Business and Industry.
  • The Task-Force would include Government and Industry representatives, and be funded sufficiently to allow for the development of a sound business plan for the facility.

The Task-Force would also focus on the development of the State central map base facility in Ballarat, to provide consistent and accurate base map information online to State, Agency, and private users on a fee for service basis. Clients could then develop their own layers to add to the base data and to share with other clients.

• Establish a Ballarat Regional Task-Force, coordinated with the Office of Regional Development, to investigate options for the establishment of active multi media software development facilities to provide education and information programmes, in cooperation with the Food processing, Agriculture, Tourism, Health, Education and Mining industries.
• Establish a Ballarat Regional Task-Force, in cooperation with the Department of Health and Community Services, to develop a requirements analysis for Health industry software developments in Case Management, Diagnosis, CaseMix analysis, and Patient Care Management.
  • The Task-Force would include Government, IT Industry and Health professionals from the Ballarat Region, and would eb funded sufficiently to allow consulting assistance for the development of a requirements statement.

Building on the IT 2010 Strategy

The rapid growth and development of ever improving technology has meant that some of the planning undertaken in the IT 2010 Strategy has already been surpassed. In order to build on the IT 2010 Strategy, and ensure continued opportunities for community well-being and prosperity, the City of Ballarat has produced a strategy called "Ballarat the Connected Community". "Ballarat the Connected Community" will be the City of Ballarat's key Information and Communication Technology (ICT) framework for all community members from 2005 to 2010, and will deliver achievable and measurable actions that will progress the realisation of the following fundamental themes:

• Development of Community Usage
• Development of Business Usage
• Attraction of new and growth of existing ICT and associated business to Ballarat
• Resources required to achieve the above

During the 2030 Consultation individuals involved in the development of  Ballarat IT 2010 were invited to provide feedbeek. Click here to review the feedback form.