Page 1729 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 18 August 1992
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Communications and Computer Industry
MS ELLIS: My question is directed to the Chief Minister. Can the Chief Minister comment on Mr De Domenico's suggestion that the Government has declined to "jump on the band wagon" in relation to his technopolis because it was not the Government's idea?
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, I would like to comment on Mr De Domenico's claims in this regard. I am particularly aware that Mr De Domenico said, "But the Government were, or have been, invited through all this". Let me say at the outset that Mr De Domenico has not approached me, as the Minister responsible for industry development, for economic development, in the ACT, on this matter, let alone invited me to his closed workshop on the matter. So I think that it is incorrect to say that the Government have been invited and have simply declined.
It is, however, a matter of Mr De Domenico leaping onto a band wagon - one which has been going for some time. The Government has been pursuing - in fact, since before Mr De Domenico was a member of the Assembly - the promotion and the encouragement of communications and computer technology development in the ACT. We have been committed to the concept of the ACT as the nation's capital in communications and computing and have taken a number of actions in that regard. In May, I launched a campaign in association with representatives from AOTC and Optus, who are the leaders in the communications field in Australia. As part of that campaign, some 1,500 brochures were sent out. That brochure was entitled "Canberra - Australia's communications and computing capital".
The brochure was sent to four target groups. They included our own local information technology business; government decision makers; decision makers in major companies; and interstate information technology businesses. That brochure has drawn a very gratifying response. There have been 164 inquiries about it and 154 of those inquiries have been for further information about Canberra's potential as the communications and computing capital. There have also been some tangible results from that campaign. I quote just one instance: A New Zealand company called Azimuth, which is a consulting company, has actually chosen Canberra, ahead of Melbourne and Sydney, for its Australian headquarters. They have, in fact, started advertising for senior executives, so we expect that that new business will be getting under way and new jobs will be created in the ACT. There have also been a number of inquiries from other companies wishing either to expand or to start a new business in the ACT.
Following on from that campaign launch, Madam Speaker, the Government has also been putting forward a proposal for a televillage. That proposal is expected to be finalised by the end of this month. It comprises a number of elements. They include, for instance, the incorporation of advanced telecommunications networks into the development of Gungahlin and an advanced telecommunications centre to manage that network and to provide linkages between Australian industry and the Gungahlin demonstrator site. The aim of the televillage is to provide a demonstrator site at Gungahlin that is based on the delivery of advanced telecommunication services. Obviously, AOTC is expected to benefit for a number of reasons, which include the development and the experience of delivering value added services. Australian industry would also benefit from that because of the products and services that would be able to be developed for the advanced network before they were made generally available both nationally and internationally.
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