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| Local Communities Receive Online Boost |
 Marsha Thomson MP |
Media release
From the Minister for Information and Communication Technology
Friday, 3 December 2004
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The Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Marsha Thomson today launched Connecting Communities: the Second Wave at Disabled Motorists Victoria as part of International Day for People with a Disability. |
Ms Thomson said this program would continue the Bracks Government's progress in bringing the benefits of the internet to parts of the community that were missing out.
"We are continuing the important work we started in 1999 to close the digital divide," Ms Thomson said.
"Across Victoria, individuals, families, businesses and communities are using the Internet to pay bills, to do homework, to seek jobs and most of all to keep in touch. But that wasn't the case in 1999, when we started on this journey.
"At that stage we were worried the benefits of the Internet were occurring unequally across the community and we set about doing something about it."
Ms Thomson said the Bracks Government's Connecting Communities framework had been highly successful.
"Today there are an estimated 10,000 public Internet access terminals across the State," Ms Thomson said.
"More than 100,000 Victorians have been trained in the use of the Internet and more than 2,700 online communities have been established."
Ms Thomson said Internet use across Victoria had dramatically increased over the last five years.
"Fifty-seven per cent of adult Victorians now use the Internet, and the number of households with internet access has more than doubled to 54 per cent since 1999," she said.
"More than 50 per cent of Victorian women now use the Internet compared with one third in 1999 and 50 per cent of provincial Victorians are using the Internet compared with 32 per cent in 1999.
"That means we've made enormous progress on bridging the digital divide for Victorians but some groups continue to experience difficulties. That's why we still think there is an important role for the State government to play in assisting particular Victorians to access and use the Internet."
Ms Thomson said the funding from Connecting Communities: the second wave will go towards a number of initiatives including a program to deliver introductory Internet training for people with a disability.
"We will also be providing $3.5 million to support continuing free and affordable public Internet access to disadvantaged groups," she said.
"This means that existing public internet access sites across Victoria will be supported to provide up to 500,000 hours of internet access for the target groups."
Ms Thomson said there was also an additional $1 million for the highly successful My Connected Community Program that allows Victorians with mutual interests to create on-line communities to engage with each other and share experiences.
"It provides Victorians with the training and support they need to get online, stay in touch and build Internet skills and experience," she said.
Under the My Connected Community program, community groups are provided with the support and tools to establish a website, publish online, network to members and communicate with similar communities of interest elsewhere via the Internet.
The My Connected Community program in particular will target people with a disability, senior Victorians, unemployed people and those outside the education system and workforce.
Ms Thomson said more than 2,700 community groups had established an online presence through the program with a total of more than 35,000 registered users.
The My Connected Community funding round opens today and closes at 4.00pm Thursday 10 February 2005.
For further information, application forms and guidelines, contact the My Connected Community Secretariat at VICNET on 1800 629 835 or 8664 7001 during business hours or visit the My Connected Community website at mc2.vicnet.net.au/funding
For more information about Connecting Communities: the second wave or the Achievements of Connecting Communities go to www.mmv.vic.gov.au/communities
| Connecting Communities the second wave (3MB, 32 pages) 
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 Adobe PDF (large filesize: 3Mb) |
Achievements of Connecting Communities (Dec 2004 - 16 pages) 
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Adobe PDF (large filesize: 1Mb) |
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