The Committee for Gippsland Inc
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The Committee for Gippsland Inc www.committeeforgippsland.com.au ABN: 68225605779 P: 03 5623 3219 PO Box 380 E: [email protected] F: 03 5623 2905 Suite1, 62 Smith St Warragul VIC 3820 29 August, 2013 Executive Officer Rural and Regional Committee Parliament House East Melbourne VIC 3002 By email: [email protected] Submission to the Inquiry into the opportunities for people to use telecommuting & e-business to work remotely in rural and regional Victoria The Committee for Gippsland welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Victorian Parliament’s Rural and Regional Committee Inquiry into the opportunities for people to use telecommuting and e-business to work remotely in rural and regional Victoria. The Committee for Gippsland is the peak business and industry organisation for the Gippsland region. Established in 2011, the organisation represents nearly 80 businesses and community organisations, collectively employing nearly 10,000 people across the Gippsland region. Sector neutral, the Committee for Gippsland represents higher education providers, transport operators, manufacturing businesses, dairy and meat processors, professional services, tourism operators, power stations, hospital and healthcare providers, small businesses and community groups. The Committee for Gippsland has three foundation level members, including the Patties Foods, Esso Australia and bankmecu. In preparation for the Committee for Gippsland’s submission to this discussion paper, our members and stakeholders were consulted about the terms of reference and other relevant material to encourage them to provide input and feedback about their own experiences. The Committee for Gippsland acknowledges the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference and has responded in its submission accordingly to the following: Committee for Gippsland Inc The Committee for Gippsland Inc www.committeeforgippsland.com.au ABN: 68225605779 P: 03 5623 3219 PO Box 380 E: [email protected] F: 03 5623 2905 Suite1, 62 Smith St Warragul VIC 3820 The terms of reference include: a. identifying the potential benefits for rural and regional Victoria if more people were able to work remotely; b. examining best practice in e-business and remote working policy in other jurisdictions; c. identifying any legislative impediments at a state, federal or local government level; d. determining potential workplace relations, or occupational health and safety issues that would need to be addressed; and e. establishing potential productivity, infrastructure or other savings associated with fewer employers and employees needing travel to and from work each day.1 Among the feedback the Committee for Gippsland received from our members, the following themes emerged most prominently: • The fibre rollout of the National Broadband Network to key Gippsland towns not currently on the schedule, for example Sale, Bairnsdale, Moe, Warragul, Leongatha, Korumburra and Wonthaggi (not currently in the plan) needs to be accelerated and made a priority. • Mobile coverage in areas that are not deemed to be commercially viable for telecommunications operators could be considered for federal or state government cooperation and support to increase coverage across these areas. Some examples include Kongwak, Walhalla, Licola, Dumbalk, Tarra Valley, Lake Tyers, and parts of the Princes Highway in far East Gippsland. • Mobile coverage on the Gippsland Rail corridor is impacted by black spot areas – signal disruption/absence which impacts commuter’s ability to conduct business or undertake leisure activities whilst travelling While not intending to address every point raised in terms of reference, the Committee for Gippsland makes the following comments: a. Identifying the potential benefits for rural and regional Victoria if more people were able to work remotely; Gippsland’s population is projected to expand from around 248,500 in 2006 to 306,600 in 2026.2 A growing part of this population will commute from their home base in towns like Warragul, Drouin, and Trafalgar and even up to Traralgon into Melbourne or the southeast each day for work via Vline train. 1 Victorian Parliament Rural and Regional Committee Inquiring into opportunities for people to use telecommuting and e- Business to work remotely in rural and regional Victoria, terms of reference: http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/rrc/article/2048 2 Regional Development Victoria, Gippsland’s Outlook: http://www.rdv.vic.gov.au/victorian-regions/gippsland/gippslands- outlook Committee for Gippsland Inc The Committee for Gippsland Inc www.committeeforgippsland.com.au ABN: 68225605779 P: 03 5623 3219 PO Box 380 E: [email protected] F: 03 5623 2905 Suite1, 62 Smith St Warragul VIC 3820 Whether during their commute, or while working from home, these residents need to be able to rely on high speed broadband and available telecommunications networks. A feature on the commuter community from Gippsland was highlighted recently, focussing on Baw Baw Shire, which will have a predicted population of 60,452 by 2026.3 As a region, Gippsland is a diverse and resource driven region. Gippsland is 4.2 million hectares in size, with a population of nearly 260,000 people. By 2026, this is forecast to grow to over 300,000. With an average travel time of around 90 minutes from Melbourne, Gippsland is serviced by freeway and express V/Line rail. It is one of Victoria’s eight key regional growth areas, along with Ballarat, Geelong and Bendigo. Gippsland aspires to develop itself as a national food bowl, with its natural advantages of access to water and high yield agricultural land, utilized across a range of sectors, from beef to dairying, and from horticulture to food processing. 4 Professional services is a fast growing sector in the region’s economy, and around 40 per cent of the employment in Gippsland is drawn from the retail sector, which makes the subject of this inquiry particularly relevant. Ensuring Gippsland has the telecommunications availability and infrastructure to provide more residents and businesses with the option to work from home or set up home based businesses in the towns mentioned above is an important economic consideration for the region. The Committee for Gippsland also acknowledges the submission made to this Inquiry by Bass Coast Shire, who noted that: One of the main reasons people identify for not moving their permanent residence and business to Bass Coast is limited bandwidth and reliable internet connection. Once this is in place however and people are able to work remotely it will have a major impact upon the Shire.5 The Committee for Gippsland supports the view that investing in infrastructure in this area will assist the economic development and liveability of Bass Coast Shire and other shires within the region. 3 Meet the countryside commuters, The Age – 27 Aug 2013: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/meet-the-countryside- commuters-20130826-2sm4n.html 4 One Gippsland: Committee for Gippsland, RDA Gippsland & Gippsland Local Government Network, March 2013: http://gippslandregionalplan.com.au/media/One_Gippsland_priority_projects_March_2013.pdf 5 Submission by Bass Coast Shire Council to Inquiry into the opportunities for people to use telecommuting and e-Business to work remotely in rural and regional Victoria, August 2013: http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/rrc/ITEB/Subs/003.20130531.Gippsland_Broadband_Connectivi ty_Strategy_Group.pdf Committee for Gippsland Inc The Committee for Gippsland Inc www.committeeforgippsland.com.au ABN: 68225605779 P: 03 5623 3219 PO Box 380 E: [email protected] F: 03 5623 2905 Suite1, 62 Smith St Warragul VIC 3820 d. Determining potential workplace relations, or occupational health and safety issues that would need to be addressed: The Committee for Gippsland recognises that opportunities for employees to work remotely (from home or local/regional hubs) have significant benefits for many employers and employers. It is also recognised that support by employers for their staff working in these settings is likely to be quite diverse. e. Establishing potential productivity, infrastructure or other savings associated with fewer employers and employees needing travel to and from work each day. There is a significant potential in savings, in infrastructure terms and in productivity for both employer and employees: • Workplace meetings – formal or informal “catch-up” sessions will be a mixture of face- to-face and also utilise the video-conferencing route using currently available tools such as Skype. The need for an employee to travel to a meeting at head office, or for employers to meet with remote staff will be reduced, in turn reducing travel time – a significant cost saving to the business/and or the employee and the cost/impact of travel. • Self employed/sole traders often work from a home office; travelling to meet customers/clients. Enhancements in telecommuting and e-business will allow meetings – video conference meetings – increasingly to be used as needed in place of travel to a client’s place of work. Conclusion In conclusion, the Committee for Gippsland makes the following recommendations for the Committee to consider in the context of this Inquiry: 1 Recognising that high-speed internet connection capability will be crucial enabler of telecommuting and e-business, the Committee for Gippsland urges the Rural and Regional Committee to advocate for the fibre rollout of the National Broadband Network to key Gippsland towns not currently on the schedule be included. In addition, that this work be accelerated