Michael Ferguson,Minister for Science and Technology
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is committed to improving digital inclusion for all Tasmanians and ensuring that the more vulnerable in our community are not left behind in the digital revolution.
We welcome the recent release of the Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2021, which shows that our State has made progress with digital inclusion despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report shows Tasmania’s score has improved from 63 per cent in 2020 to 66 per cent in 2021 and since coming to Government in 2014, our index score has steadily improved year-on-year.
While this upward trend is pleasing, we know there is still much more work to be done and we are focussed on delivering a number of practical measures to assist Tasmanians to enhance their digital skills.
That’s why we have doubled funding to our digital inclusion program; Digital Ready for Daily Life to $700,000 through to 2025, with the additional investment delivering more support and training opportunities for Tasmanians.
This includes the appointment of four Digital Ambassadors to promote the range of free digital assistance available around the State, as well as provide small group training sessions directly to our communities.
The Digital Ambassadors will work with community organisations to provide educational sessions in regional locations, fostering a supportive and encouraging peer-environment.
This new resource will supplement the existing Digital Ready for Daily Life program as well as the Libraries Tasmania program, which offers a range of basic computing and technology introduction courses, as well as free access to computers and the internet at more than 50 locations.
And of course, Tasmanians can also get online through our Free Wi-Fi network which is available in 72 locations around the State.
This means even more Tasmanians will have better access to information to improve their digital skills, or to assist those seeking to help someone with little or limited online knowledge.
