ADM+S researchers join Albanese Government’s First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group
Authors Leah Hawkins and Loren Dela Cruz
Date 30 January 2023
ADM+S Researchers Dr Lyndon Ormond-Parker and Prof Bronwyn Carlson join the Albanese Government’s recently established First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group, alongside Ms Talei Elu, Ms Naomi Moran, and chair Ms Dorothy West OAM.
The First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group will provide advice to Government and identify practical measures to support progress towards Target 17 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap which commits to equal levels of digital inclusion for First Nations people by 2026.
They will focus on ways to address the access, affordability and digital ability barriers to First Nations digital inclusion, across the telecommunications, media and broadcasting sectors; working closely with First Nations people to identify solutions which have the greatest impact.
Achieving equal levels of digital inclusion is critical for First Nations Australians given the fundamental importance of connectivity for economic and social opportunities. Digital inclusion is critical for employment, social connectedness, and to access online services including financial services, telehealth and education.
“The creation of the First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group recognises that more needs to be done to ensure all Australians can take advantage of the benefits of the digital world. The Group will provide practical advice to Government on how to address significant barriers to digital inclusion for First Nations Australians, particularly in remote areas,” said Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP.
ADM+S Research Fellow Dr Lyndon Ormond-Parker is an expert in First Nations digital inclusion, cultural heritage and on-country learning. He is a key investigator on the Mapping the Digital Gap research project—a four-year project by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making and Society (ADM+S) in partnership with Telstra that is measuring digital inclusion and media use in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Prof Bronwyn Carlson is an ADM+S Affiliate and an expert in First Nations social media use and online safety. She is Head of Indigenous Studies at Macquarie University and the recipient of three consecutive Australian Research Council grants that focus on Indigenous people’s cultural, social, intimate and political engagements on social media.
Learn more about the Advisory Group.
Contributions to the work of the group are welcome and can be sent to: FirstNationsDigitalInclusion@infrastructure.gov.au.
