With a mission to bridge the digital divide and create greater opportunities for all Western Australians, the McGowan Government has launched The Digital Inclusion in WA Blueprint, an outline of strategic approaches and key initiatives to make WA a digitally inclusive State.
The launch, which was hosted at illuminance Solutions office in Perth on Friday 16 December 2022, was made possible through the collaboration between the WA Government and West Tech Assemblage.
The Digital Inclusion in WA Blueprint was released by Innovation and the Digital Economy Minister Stephen Dawson, who noted the government’s commitment and strategic approach to addressing digital disadvantage across the State.
The Blueprint Implementation Program starts the process of making WA a more digitally inclusive state, giving people of all ages, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, abilities, income levels and locations, the skills and tools to access and engage with digital technology and online services.
“Today is a very important day for our state and the community as we take an important step towards achieving digital inclusion,” said Parliamentary Secretary Hannah Mary Beazley MLA, who launched the blueprint as her first official duty in her new role. “Our objective is to ensure that all Western Australians can easily access and use digital technologies. We know that increased access to digital technologies can help those at risk of social isolation, bring economic opportunities to remote and regional areas and improve social and educational outcomes.”
In his welcome to country for the launch, respected Aboriginal Elder, story-teller and cultural guide Dr Noel Nannup said: “When I have the opportunity to do a welcome to country, I always go back to the old basics, which is to connect to the spiritual world. And I know that can be foreign to a lot of people involved in the digital world. When you have a digital world like this, the opportunities that are going to be lent to us through that ancient way using this modern technology is going to be a benefit not just to us as Aboriginal people, but us as Australians.”
Makwana describe the blueprint as the first step to making WA a more digitally inclusive state; now what is needed is to continue in the spirit of collaboration to make sure that no-one is left behind.
“Over the past few years there have been a lot of partnerships happening to address the digital divide, but more is needed,” he said. “The government blueprint creates a pathway for us to ensure we achieve the objective of digital inclusion.”
Speakers 2021
Hannah Mary Beazley MLA
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Emergency Services; Innovation and the Digital Economy; Medical Research and Volunteering
Nilesh Makwana
Chair – West Tech Assemblage
CEO – illuminance Solutions
WTA 2022 was supported by:
Photography by Aline Kuba and videography by Yuri Cartland