Following Livable Brisbane released in 1993 and Living Suburbs in 1996, Brisbane City Council has recently distributed for public comment its draft plan Living in Brisbane 2010. This sets out priorities for maintaining and enhancing the City’s livability over the next decade.
Living in Brisbane 2010 recognises that the City will face many new challenges resulting from population growth and changing demographics, more advanced and affordable technology, the changing nature and role of work and leisure and continued urban development.
The plan focuses on seven key themes of livability, one of which is ‘Smart City’. Under this theme, Council has developed strategies for creating an advanced technology environment. This will equip Brisbane’s residents and businesses to carve out a better future within the new global economy.
“We have set a target to have 60 percent of our residents and businesses online by 2002,” said Brisbane’s Chief Executive Officer, Jude Munro.“With 39 percent online in 1999 and 47 percent in 2000, we believe this target is achievable.”
Jude Munro said that Council is using a number of strategies including a schools program, library access and training, and seminars to assist business people to go online.
“Currently, 11,000 residents per year are undertaking internet training through our libraries,” she said. “Our target is to have 300,000 residents and business people undertake internet training by 2005. To address the digital divide, an important part of our strategy is to ensure we are reaching specific groups who might otherwise miss out, such as older people and single parents.”
In June, ourbrisbane.com will go online. This is a community portal or gateway for people to access City businesses and community organisations, as well as Council programs and services.
“It is based on the concept of networked villages, providing electronic access to all businesses and community groups,” Jude Munro said. “We aim to bring ten villages online each year.”
The launch, later this month, of ourbrisbane.com will see five villages wired up and ready to go.As well as being able to carry out Council transactions online, ourbrisbane.com promotes online shopping and a wealth of community information all accessible from the one portal or entry point.
“Our approach to Smart City fits with the Queensland Government’s ‘Smart State’ program,” Jude Munro said.
