SUMMARY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKSHOP OUTCOMES

On 13th November 2006, eighteen senior managers from Local Government in Ballarat and surrounding regions came together across two workshops to discuss how the Ballarat region can further develop ICT capacity, investment and employment opportunities critical to Ballarat ™s future. The workshop format included:

1. Ballarat ICT Project Background

2. Participant introductions
   1. What unit/section are you from?
   2. How does your unit use ICT? (e.g. to interact with the community, to engage with local businesses)
   3. Provide one suggestion for applying ICT in the future?

3. Breakout session
   1. How can the City better develop community usage of ICT?
   2. How can the City better develop business usage of ICT?
   3. How can the City better attract new ICT businesses?
   4. How can the City better support the development of existing ICT businesses?
   5. What should be the priority areas of the Ballarat ICT 2030 strategy?
      
4. Reporting from breakout session
   
5. Concluding remarks (5 mins)

The workshops were facilitated by Dr Patrice Braun and David Lynch from the University of Ballarat's Centre for Regional Innovation and Competitiveness. Other UB Team Members in attendance included Kate Martin and Helen Thompson.

Summary of City of Ballarat Business Unit Manager Workshop

Participants identified that information communications technology (ICT), particularly in the sense of online communication, is just seen as one part of the suite of tools Council use to communicate with business and the community. A strong sense came from each of these Business Unit Managers that ICTis used for communication and dissemination of information to those members of the community who are able to and do access information through technology “ thereby missing out a large percentage of the population.

Internal use of ICT is much more widespread, with staff and other management, finance, communication, planning, mapping and data storage all online. Some of the respondents wished for better technology to facilitate more work flexibility for their staff, usually related to mobility and information storage and organisation. Thoughts about the future were nearly all focused on making the move from communication to interaction, so that more of the community are able to not only access service information, but USE services online. Security concerns and a lack of (or the cost of) infrastructure were cited as the main obstacles to be overcome before this could occur.

GIS, Healthcare, Tourism/Promotion of Ballarat and the use of information technology for information, support and management were the main areas where ICT was seen as a strength at the moment. Internal management of finance, staff, standard type communication and some purchasing were some of the ways that the City use ICT currently.

Examples of ICT innovations included

• PDAs have greatly improved efficiency in some work areas.
• Online delivery of planning documents is becoming more common with outcome of less paperwork in office.
• Mobile technologies such as laptop computers used by inspectors etc on building sites - benefits of better response times.
• More sophisticated web-based services supporting tourism and resident attraction.These services are achieving better promotion of Ballarat -attracting a broader range of tourists and new residents.
• Practical, bookings for most things available online.
• Electronic payment systems are available, and electronic billing systems (eg rates) are beginning to emerge and be used.
• Ballarat councillors receive electronic agendas etc, which has increased efficiency and reduced paper use.

Barriers to the increased use of ICT and potential solutions included

• The age of Ballarat's current population in relation to their potential or desire to adopt ICT - this will become less of an issue as younger generations age.
• A trading house of sorts, where people donate old computers and they are distributed to, or used to teach those sectors of the community that have had limited access to ICT hardware and software.
• Loss of social capital due to reduced need for social interaction.
• Creation of community hubs - ICT may actually help the smaller communities on the periphery, and decentralising these hubs back out to the smaller communities might actually be an improvement for them.
• Prohibitive cost of new infrastructure for individual businesses.
• Collective purchasing options/other cost reduction options.
• Advocacy and information to be available from the City.

Future wish list included

• Telecommuting and online learning particularly in terms of professional development (save lots of time and money if staff could access 2 hr training session at their desks instead of having to take a whole day to travel to Melbourne).
• Ability for public to not only access information online, but to be able to get permits etc online and be able to watch the progress of their application as it is in process. A virtual contact centre service models (and here Ballarat should be able to lead the way) transactions that occur without staff having to touch them.
• Personalised interactivity “ but personalised interactivity that is easy and that non technical people can understand. Technology that is quick, easy, fast and responsive “ when we choose to use it (as in, it is everywhere so it is our choice when to use it).
• Wireless devices for optimum communication with staff. This would also enable real time uploading of information from staff in the field. HACC workers are an example, but also the people who build or maintain roads “ it would be great if they could just get to where the work is to be done, and then download the GPS/GIS information that tells them technical details they need.
• ICT interaction with people directly “ Tourist walks past site of local significance - hologram type image or audio at a minimum is delivered direct to mobile phone or in car “ virtual tour guides for the City in any language a person chooses.
• Efficient and reliable collection, storage and management of information collected from the field (but also within the office).
• Improved email use, email is being used poorly and there is room for improvement “ perhaps ways of having online communication/meetings without the bulk of emails.
• Democratic participation and polling improved by ICT.

Summary of Neighbouring Local Government Workshop

The second workshop was targeted towards Economic Development and Information Technology professionals from neighbouring Local Government areas with the Moorabool and Golden Plains Shiresrepresented.  Participants expressed that infrastructure is the essential element in the region (as distinct from just Ballarat) being able to move forward regarding ICT.

• Both Shires would like to be included in ICT 2030
• They seeing benefits in Ballarat advocating on their behalf and where possible providing support.
• Ballarat has far more options and opportunity to lobby for infrastructure improvements.
• If Ballarat was speaking on the smaller shires behalf - providers and government will listen.
• There are opportunities to further build on established relationships between the Shires and with staff at the City.
• Missed opportunities for infrastructure upgrades were cited as something that needs to be worked on; the fast rail tracks being constructed meant that there was an opportunity to ˜piggy back ™ ICT infrastructure right past some of the towns, but this was not seen as an option by the companies.

In terms of looking toward the furture, participants felt they really needed to catch up to where the City of Ballarat is currently to be able to take advantage of, and actively source, the opportunities under discussion for the ICT 2030 document.

Key Priority Areas

• Upgrade infrastructure and make it broadly accessible and cost effective.
• Regional areas need to be made as important to providers as the more lucrative highly populated areas “ with the sale of Telstra there is a real concern that regional areas will just be completely overlooked (Telstra have to provide some service to regional areas as part of deal with the Government “ is that going to change when they are sold? The service provision now is not good, so if regional areas were any more overlooked, it would be disasterous).
• Ballarat to advocate for the smaller LGAs and work with the other councils “ they are interested and want to be strategic about the region as much as Ballarat does. GIS is a strategy where collaboration between the LGAs is possible, but external funding needs to be sourced to kick start the process because none of the LGAs can afford to do that themselves “ even combined.
• Social aspects “ skills and social fabric.
• Should be more geared towards Ballarat and region as opposed to being just Ballarat “ the focus needs to be more broad to encompass those shires that have a tendency to be lost between Melbourne and Ballarat, and Geelong and Ballarat.
• Make sure there is a synergy with the State and Federal agenda.

What is the ONE thing you would choose to enable the future?

• Research and development to help residential and business to use available (natural and other) resources better, from water to manufacturing and animal husbandry.

What do you see for 2020?

• People more relaxed
• ICT can provide the lifestyle that the LGAs are trying to sell. Factories being run by one person, and that person is relaxed too.
• Ballarat will be a known name (reputation) as the ICT capital in Victoria “ should be the first thing people think of when you say ICT and Victoria in the same sentence.

What has changed in the last 10 years?

• The IT literacy of general staff.
• Efficiency and management.

For further information on these workshops or other activities associated with the Ballarat ICT 2030 project contact Helen Thompson via email h.thompson@ballarat.edu.au or telephone 03 5327 9418.