Council preparing digital enablement plan
Rotorua businessman Tony Hadlow at Rotorua Lakes Council's recent Digital Journey Day.
Rotorua Lakes Council is developing a digital enablement plan. The plan is to be submitted to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to capitalise on new investment opportunities from the government's broadband expansion programme.
Recently the council staged a Digital Journey Day with local businesses as a starting point for developing a digital strategy for Rotorua. The digital strategy is expected to be one of the key actions of the digital enablement plan.
The Digital Journey Day workshop a number of local businesses, identified a range of initiatives including expanded free WiFi, a Rotorua city app, identification of digital ambassadors' and improving support for local businesses looking to improve their digital presence.
Rotorua Lakes Council Economic Growth Portfolio lead, Deputy Mayor Dave Donaldson, said the council would be continuing to identify potential initiatives between now and 18 September when the digital enablement plan was due to be submitted to MBIE.
In the meantime we will be getting out to talk with more people in our community and then prioritising what is affordable and realistic.
We identified seven areas across the district as priorities for investment from the Rural Broadband Fund. These were based on available data on broadband access, and feedback from those communities.
A large number of mobile blackspots at lakes Tarawera, Okareka and Tikitapu, and Whakarewarewa Forest, were identified as priorities for investment from the Mobile Blackspot fund.
In addition to the specific actions to be confirmed in our digital enablement plan, the council has committed to ensuring that any consents required are processed as efficiently and effectively as possible.
We will also be using our communications channels to assist with improving awareness of the services available and their potential benefits.