Australia 2020
The ALIA Board is discussing attendance at and submissions to the Prime Minister’s Australia 2020 summit to be held on 19 and
The media release outlining the purpose of the summit and the key issues is available at http://www.australia2020.gov.au/news/index.cfm In summary:“The Summit aims to bring together some of the best and brightest brains from across the country to tackle the long term challenges confronting Australia’s future - challenges which require long-term responses from the nation beyond the usual three year electoral cycle. Details of the ten critical areas that will be discussed are outlined along with the channels for involvement for the Australian public.”
We think that it is very important to have the LIS profession represented and that the key area proposed in the media release that we should focus on is:
Economic Infrastructure, the digital economy and the future of our cities
The Australia Government is committed to building world class infrastructure to improve the competitiveness of our businesses and quality of life in Australia’s cities and regions. Our priorities for advanced infrastructure include modern, safe and efficient freight and passenger transport networks, a high speed National Broadband Network, and reliable water and energy infrastructure. World class broadband infrastructure alone could add $20 billion to the Australian each year according to some estimates. Modern infrastructure is critical to reducing costs for business and building the platforms for future economic growth.The Australia 2020 Summit will examine ways to:
· Boost public and private investment in economic infrastructure
· Improve planning and coordination of infrastructure investment across different levels of government and the public and private sectors (including maximising the most efficient future design of our cities)
· Ensure that digital technologies are harnessed to improve consumer services, business productivity and the delivery of government services.
We have started on a draft submission. ALIA’s advocacy for public access to information and library services fits remarkably well within this topic.The Australia 2020 summit web site is now up with dates and further information.
Some key dates:
Nominations for attendance:
Submissions due:
Do have a look at the web site - http://www.australia2020.gov.au/
We are working with other library groups and will keep ALIA members informed as the issue progresses. Regards