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To close the digital inclusion gap for First Nations Australians, the federal government has established an advisory council led by acclaimed indigenous scriptwriter and Order of Australia winner Dorothy ‘Dot’ West.
West is a Noongar woman from Western Australia’s south-west who has a wealth of media and broadcasting expertise. For last year’s contributions to First Nations media and communications, she received a Medal of the Order of Australia.
According to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, the group—which was suggested in the 2021 Regional Telecommunications Review—will identify and counsel the government on “practical measures” to assist progress towards equal levels of digital inclusion for First Nations people by 2026.
In addition to looking at ways to improve data collection, it will attempt to address the access, affordability, and digital ability obstacles to digital inclusion in both metropolitan and regional populations.
The panel will also include Naomi Moran, the chair of First Nations Media Australia; cultural heritage specialist Dr. Lyndon Ormond-Parker; Macquarie University Professor Bronwyn Carlson; and digital inclusion community advocate Talei Elu.
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The group’s members were made public by Communications Minister Michelle Rowland prior to the group’s initial meeting in Adelaide, reviving attempts to solve systemic connection concerns in “true partnership.”
Rowland said, “Boosting digital inclusion is a key focus of the Albanese Government – especially when it comes to supporting greater connectivity for First Nations Australians.”
She added that digital inclusion is “more than just a nice to have, it’s a necessity.”
The “breadth and depth of experience and perspectives” that the advisory committee members bring to the table will assist in delivering “real change” for First Nations People’s digital inclusion, according to Rowland.
The most recent data shows that in 2014–15, 73.5% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who were 15 years of age or older used the internet at home. The lowest rates of residential internet connectivity were seen in Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
The panel will also take into account the conclusions of the First Nations Digital Inclusion Roundtable held last month and featured specialists from the media, broadcasting and telecommunications industries.
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Source: Innovation Aus
Jaw de Guzman is the content producer for Comms Room, a knowledge platform and website aimed at assisting the communications industry and its professionals.
