Council - 23 August 2010

BACKGROUND

1. Council, on 12th October 2009, endorsed the Mayoral Minute to investigate the introduction of an “e-Parra Strategy” which will seek to have Parramatta established as a ‘Wireless City’, utilising Wi-Fi Technology (Wireless Fidelity Technology).

2. Following some initial discussions, the initiation of the NBN program and the December 2009 NBN Forum at Parramatta the e-Parra Strategic Vision document was created to allow for discussions to commence as to what were the expectations and understanding of the e-Parra direction. There were three components: the wireless city; Civic 2.0; and civic place tec studio (see Attachment 1).

3. It was evident that the e-Parra vision required a roadmap to further progress the idea. The e-Parra Roadmap Program was established to further explore and develop a framework and potential of the e-Parra concept.

4. The objective of the Roadmap Project was to investigate the readiness, willingness and capacity of Council and external stakeholders to develop an e-Parra strategy.

5. The project involved the development of a roadmap framework expanding on the previous strategic vision document, conducting a number of consultations to test assumptions, gather ideas to determine the most appropriate next steps and complete a report.

6. A broad range of community and council consultation occurred to expand on the broad vision document in creating the roadmap framework. Significant support information was produced, with Attachment 2 being a sample. The consultations evidenced a wide variation of understanding, need, interest and potential opportunities.

7. Attachment 3 is the final draft e-Parra Roadmap Project Report for review and comment. The report includes details of the project brief, what was done, what was learned, outcomes, recommendations, a list of potential projects from the consultations and supporting project and reference information.

8. The key outcomes of the e-Parra Roadmap Project were an interest from the Parramatta community for a ‘connected city’ program; there is a clear need to have a Council focused e-Parra program of leadership through e-Government activities as well as a broader city-wide ParraConnect program; the need to create a comprehensive list of prioritised programs and projects; the establishment of a “Parramatta City Chief Information Office” that is the custodian of ParraConnect.

9. The main recommendations are the establishment of an interim working Committee with Council and community representation to oversee the development of ParraConnect; set objectives for the creation of the Parramatta City CIO; establish a staff cross-functional team to develop the e- Parra Program for Council; and for both ParraConnect and e-Parra to identify a list of priority projects.

10. The report contains a range of evidence and learning’s from around the world that both validate the outcomes and recommendations and provides project and reference information for future decision making.

11. The report concludes in part that cities “are all increasingly dependent on new information and communication technologies and smarter ways to collaborate and share knowledge. The evidence is growing that cities which invest in the platforms and infrastructure of open communication and collaboration are making their communities more liveable – attractive, sustainable and resilient. A city that is connected makes the most of the skills and expertise of its citizens, provides a platform for new thinking and innovation, makes its administration more efficient and productive and creates relationships of trust and participation between citizens and government and between citizens themselves”.

ISSUES/OPTIONS/CONSEQUENCES

12. The e-Parra Roadmap report provides the community and Council with a series of outcomes and recommendations that have the potential to further progress and develop a connected community.

13. We have reached a position that allows Council to determine its level of commitment in moving the programs forward. With the ParraConnect program, Council has the opportunity to build on its relationships with the community to determine a long term plan with a range of projects that could be community driven. The report details a range of opportunities the ParraConnect Advisory Committee can priorities and progress with some support from Council.

14. The Parramatta City Chief Information Office will provide a co ordination/driver role for the ParraConnect Committee in developing a holistic program.

15. e-Parra has commenced with the formation of a cross-function team to develop an internal program. There are also a number of recommendations from the Service Review that will be considered in identifying e-government initiatives for the program of activities. These activities will be largely incorporated into the normal functions and operations of Council.

16. There are a number of activities that are currently being investigated as part of the e-Parra Program and include a CBD wireless mesh trial, creation of a parking and planning alert application, an application competition working with University of Western Sydney and range of business and community organisations, Council website redesign and development and kiosk applications.

CONSULTATION & TIMING

17. The attached e-Parra Roadmap report details a comprehensive range of consultation and engagement across the community and council.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATION FOR COUNCIL

18. At this stage the financial implications of both programs will be contained within the current budget.

Greg Smith

Group Manager Corporate Services

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1	e-Parra Strategic Vision - February 2010	13 Pages
2	ParraConnects	4 Pages
3	draft e-Parra Roadmap Project Report	72 Pages