OUTBACK CONNECT PROGRAM

In reply to Mr MARSHALL (Norwood—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (26 June 2012).

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Recreation and Sport): The National Partnership for Remote Indigenous Public Internet Access was agreed with the Commonwealth on 2 July, 2009.

This five year program was established to deliver improved public internet access facilities, and training in computer and internet use, to remote Indigenous communities, as a Closing the Gap initiative.

In South Australia, this program was first implemented in Oodnadatta and Marree in 2010. Yalata in the Far West of the State, and the APY communities of Amata and Mimili established internet centres in 2012.

The indicative Commonwealth funding for South Australia for this National Partnership was $464,412 over five years. To date, South Australia has received $244,587 in Commonwealth funding and contributed $330,000 of state funds to this program. It is anticipated that in 2012-13 up to $250,000 in Commonwealth funds will be requested for the operation of the established facilities in the five communities of Oodnadatta, Marree, Amata, Mimili and Yalata.

The Outback Connect program provided basic digital literacy training through an online interactive classroom, to people living in regional and remote communities, from 2005 to 2011. This program was formally evaluated in June 2011 and the decision made to conclude this program and develop new approaches to digital literacy in South Australia. Digital literacy strategies implemented since then include:

the development of the Forward IT digital literacy website—www.forwardit.sa.gov.au, which is freely available to all

the requirement that Adult Community Education programs include a digital literacy focus, with 25% of funded projects required to deliver digital literacy training

the implementation of various digital literacy programs based on an 'intermediary model' for digital literacy support, providing digital literacy support at a local level.