House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-02 Daily Xml

Contents

BROADBAND INTERNET

300 Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite) (23 August 2011) (First Session). With respect to 2011-12 Budget Paper 4—Volume 2, p198—

1. How is South Australia's competitiveness on broadband in percentage terms of internet connections to households compared to other States?

2. What were the participation rates for these 'internet access and digital literacy programs'?

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Recreation and Sport):

1. The most recently published data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics regarding broadband in percentage terms of internet connections to households showed that South Australia was within the required range for this target as defined in the previous version of South Australia's Strategic Plan. For South Australian households the percentage is 91 per cent compared to the national percentage of 92 per cent. That data was collected in the 2010-11 financial year.

2. The Agency Statement refers to the Oodnadatta and Marree digital literacy programs, which are part of the National Partnership Agreement for Remote Indigenous Internet Access. The model which has been successfully implemented in South Australia trains a local mentor who is able to provide specific and individual support to the community to meet specific needs and build confidence in using digital technology and applications.

In Oodnadatta in 2010–11, there were 52 registered users of the centre, out of a population of 100 people, with reported uses including access to online Government services, weather and road conditions, on-line shopping and e-banking and social networking. There were 51 individual training sessions provided in Marree in 2010-11 on a range of computer and internet topics and around 50 hours of informal help provided to the local community, a participation rate of 50 per cent of the total population.