Blue Mountains Hotel Run by Australian University Students

Last night I stayed at the Waldorf Leura Gardens Resort Hotel in the Blue Mountains near Sydney. I selected this as the closest to the Everglades Historic House and Gardens. This was to attend the Leura Shakespeare Festival adapted and directed by Damien Ryan. After arriving I noticed that the hotel is staffed by students of the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (BMIHMS) of Torrens University. The students are on holidays, so there were professionals staffing the hotel this weekend.

My last stay at a university hotel school was the Hotel Samudra, a training hotel of the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management (SLITHM). Like the former hotel school at the Hotel Kurragong in Canberra (where I ran some events in the 1990s), Samudra caters to a small number of guests and has classrooms in the building.

The Waldorf Leura is very different, being an existing hotel which caters to the general public, with academic facilities located across the road in a separate facility. Apart from the signs mentioning Torrens University, you would not know this was associated with a university.

The Waldorf Leura grounds include the gardens created by Lady Mabel Fairfax and her gardener Hector Hood worked on this garden from the 1920s. Perhaps these could be used for outdoor theatrical performances, like those n Cambridge.

ps: Thanks to the Leura Newsagency for a wire coat-hanger to temporarily fix a dangling car tail-pipe.
 

Sydney Silicon Harbor Proposal

ATP Sydney 1998

The NSW Government has proposed that the "White Bay Power Station will be reborn as a hub for knowledge-intensive industries", with a Request For Proposals to be issued this week. This is indented to form part of the "Bays Precinct", to the north west of the Sydney CBD on the Sydney waterfront. It happens that I proposed the reuse of a power station for a hi-tech center to designers studying this site in 2002.

In 2002 design students and staff from the "new" Bauhaus Dessau in Germany, visited Sydney and undertook a planning exercise for the area now known as the bays precinct. They were interested in the role of computers and telecommunications in the city, so I gave them a talk on Canberra's fibre optic broadband system entitled Canberra: Encircled by Light. As a footnote to this I proposed reusing the old Canberra power-station as a hi-tech centre.

The results of the Bauhaus study were published in 2003, as the book "Serve City: Interactive urbanism" by Neil Leach, Wilfried Hackenbroich and Regina Sonnabend, available in the libraries of the University of Sydney and Western Sydney and from Amazon.com.

Sydney hi-tech company Atlassian have suggested that the existing Australian Technology Park (ATP) which is in a repurposed railways workshop in Redfern would be more more viable. It does seem odd that the NSW government would be proposing establishing a new tech park, when they already have one languishing on the other side of the city.

In my closing address to the 1998 Information Industry Outlook Conference, I used the ATP to illustrate how Australia could create a cultured image to market its information industries. Rather than Silicon Valley, I suggested that Australia should model its hi-tech start-up strategy on Cambridge (England) and the so-called "Cambridge phenomenon".

An area which is growing organically into a hi-tech center is around UTS in Ultimo. This has the new UTS Innovation Building and the adjacent Fishburners Co-working Space.

New Years Eve Fireworks in Sydney

New Years Eve Fireworks in Sydney from Greenwich, looking out at Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbor (where a lucky few are glamping).

Treehouse at Menangle NSW

For years I have wondered about the house on slits beside the Hume Highway, between Sydney and Canberra. On this trip I noted it was near the Nepean River bridge. So I looked on Google Maps, but could not see a structure. A web search found "Getting tanked" by Tim the Yowie Man (Jul 7 2012), who reports the structure is a water tank. This is surprising as it looks like a house, with a pitched roof. An alternative explanation from the Border mail ("The Smoking Gun", Nov. 16, 2012), is that it was originally a tobacco drying facility.

Stayed in the Convent Glen Innes

On my way from Sydney to Brisbane by car this week I stayed overnight at The Convent Glen Innes. This, as the name suggests, is a former convent building in the NSW town of Glen Innes, which is being refurbished as accommodation. So far two floors of the north wing of the building has been turned into backpacker standard rooms. There is also a TV lounge and kitchen with complementary tea and coffee (there are fast food stores across the road). The night I stayed I was the only guest and had my pick of the higher standard rooms on the top floor. These have a wide screen HDTV, double beds, a wash basin, heater and space for hanging clothes. There is a shared toilet and bathroom at the end of the floor.

Everything is very clean and newly refurbished. The building has been sensitively converted keeping the character of the old dark brick building. There are wide cloisters and a statue (presumably of some saint) on the front of the building.  It was a little creepy being the only one in residence and this might be a good location for a murder mystery weekend or a Rocky Horror Picture Show themed event.

There is more work to be done on the building (it was apparently purchased in 2008). I was able to peek through a hole in the partition to see a new floor which has started to be laid in the front wing (some of the best architectural details of the building, such as stone fireplaces and stained glass, are still hidden away). One change which needs to be made are inset screens in the windows, as there were a few mosquitoes during the night.The windows have patterned glass (to be changed to clear) and only open about 100 mm, giving a slightly claustrophobic feeling (or perhaps "cloistered" would be the word). In the current extremely hot weather I would wish for a small fan.

I booked The Convent via Bookings.com, but you can phone directly on +61 0417222777  or email. One problem I had is that the location of The Convent Glen Innes is about 200m north of that shown on by car navigation maps (including Google maps). The official address given is  161b Church Street, 2370 Glen Innes. But the actual location is on the north side of St Josepth's School, to the north of a roundabout (not the south side as the maps suggest). You enter though an unused looking grass and dirt drive, then around the front of the building to the abandoned looking north side, where there is a door to the office.

Santa-land Under the Archway in Sydney

The play "The Santaland Diaries" by the Archway One Theatre Company in Sydney would be good for a hens night. As the only male in the audience, I felt a little out of place. Andrew Fritz gave an excellent one man performance in tights, as an actor who has to swallow their pride and spend Christmas as one of the elves in Macey's Department store.

Archway 1 Theatre is located in the brick viaduct under the Sydney Light Rail line. The play is set in a New York loft apartment and Santa's house in Macey's store. The solid old brick vault over the stage provides an atmospheric setting (with trams rumbling overhead reminiscent of the NY EL). The layers of white Christmas decoration add whimsy. But some of the play's NY references do not translate well for an Australian audience, particularly the racial issues.

There are a few laughs, but perhaps not enough to sustain the performance. A one man show is always difficult and in this case the material lets the actor down. SantaLand Diaries was an essay by David Sedaris, read on US NPR and later adapted for the stage by by Joe Mantello.

There are three more performances Santaland Diaries, 13, 14 and 15 December. The theater can be very difficult to find: park in Chapman Road and continue down the street on foot, past the bollards, to the archway under the viaduct.

Ecofestival Sydney Inner West Spring Festival Today

Greetings from the Footprints Ecofestival  in Sydney's inner west. This spring festival started at 11am today and is on until 3pm.There is the Eco-Annandale Art Exhibition in White Creek Cottage, a  pedal powered Footprints Film Festival and Footprints Clothing Swap.

I am reminded of the play Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth, which opened Thursday night at the New Theater in Sydney. The play takes place during a spring festival, much like the one on today.

Donald Friend's Love Me Sailor Returns to Bathurst

Greetings from the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, where the Mayor has just opened the latest exhibition by Merrick Fry. The Mayor mentioned that the gallery had recently purchased  Love Me Sailor by Donald Friend (1949?). This was painted at, and of, the former gold-field, Hill End near Bathurst.

Bathurst Art and Learning

Greetings from Bathurst NSW. After meandering through the Blue Mountains, with raisin toast and coffee from the buffet car, the 7:10am XPT train arrived from Sydney on tim. I am here for the opening of the Merrick Fry exhibition at the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery. Before then I thought I would visit the Charles Sturt University (CSU), to look at their new

Master of Education (Knowledge Networks and Digital Innovation).

.

Backpackers by the Beach Newcastle

The Newcastle Beach YHA was full so I stayed at the nearby Backpackers by the Beach for one night. It is one block from the railway station, so easy to get to by train. But if arriving by car, parking outside is limited (had to park a block away in the Mall on a rainy Saturday night). The building is on the corner of Hunter and Pacific Streets.

The location is excellent, between Newcastle's main street and a short distance from the beach.  There is a cafe next-door and late night supermarket not far away.

The reception is on the ground floor which is also the share kitchen and lounge. his makes for a convivial atmosphere. The rooms are up a steep steel fire-escape type stair. I was in room 7 on the third floor. There are views of Newcastle and the water from this floor.

Some reviewers complained about mosquitoes, but the room had working fly-screens. The facilities were very good for a backpackers. But then I have stayed at places where all the windows were bricked up. ;-)

Digital Economy Industry Action Plan NSW

The NSW Government has issued a Digital Economy Industry Action Plan (12 December 2012). There appear to be few amendments from the Draft, leaked by the Sydney Morning Herald in June("Heavy fog on information superhighway as action plan scorned as 'fluff", Asher Moses, 12 June 2012). There are seven initiatives in the plan (down from eight in the draft):

1. Achieving Digital Leadership (was: International Digital Leadership)
2. Building Digital Skills (was: "Digital Skills")
3. Connecting Regional Communities
4. Implementing Open Data Innovation (was: "Open Data Innovation")
5. Growing Sydney’s Digital Precinct (was: "Digital Precinct")
6. Improving Finance and Investment Channels (was: "Finance and Investment Channels")
7. Driving Infrastructure Productivity (was: "Integrated Port Logistics System")

The dropped initiative is "SME-Corporate-Government Networks".

The first initiative of "Achieving Digital Leadership" would be better described as "Marketing NSW As a Place for Creative Industries". That is, the state needs to market itself as a place where digital businesses can set up. The obvious way to do this is to showcase major digital organizations already located in NSW. One way I suggest the NSW Government do this is to sponsor events particularly less formal free "un-conferences", at places such as Google Sydney, the Australian Technology Park and NSW universities, vocational training centres and cultural institutions. GovHack/GovCamp (which I am helping organize), provides a model for showcasing Australia to the world. One venue with considerable potential is the "National Centre for Creative Learning" at the new Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art Building.

The task force recommended making local libraries "epicentres of digital activity". This is not exactly a new idea, being suggested by the ACS in "Vision for a Networked Nation" in 1994 and subsequently implemented by Australian local, state and federal governments. However, libraries are now reinventing themselves as places for informal learning and this should be supported by the NSW government. Libraries provide a natural place for learning circles to meet and for people who are doing formal online study to get togehter for mutual support. This would complement the proposal to encourage vocational education and training providers to "deliver digital programs into regional areas".

While students can learn online, it helps if they have a group to help them and access to information professionals (that is librarians). The ACT Government has implemented this strategy in a bricks and mortar, by including a public library and TAFE campus in the one building in the Gungahlin Library and Learning Centre.

The NSW Digital Economy Taskforce was established by the NSW Government in 2011 to develop an Industry Action Plan to outline a vision and strategy for the state’s Digital Economy over the decade to 2021. The period to 2021 will be one of unprecedented change: increased demand and competition from emerging economies; a growing and ageing population; rising healthcare costs; the need for new skills; demands on ageing infrastructure; and the requirement for improved productivity. These are just some of the challenges facing NSW. A strong and vibrant Digital Economy will be an essential factor in helping to address these challenges and drive economic growth in NSW.

Underpinning the Digital Economy is the widespread adoption and effective exploitation of ICT. Today, ICT pervades many aspects of our lives, from the way we work and interact, to how we entertain ourselves. Looking forward, those organisations that can most effectively exploit ICT to transform the way they do business, develop new products and services, improve their efficiency and better serve their customers will be leaders in the Digital Economy.

The Digital Economy Taskforce has considered a number of issues that impact growth in the Digital Economy including: export opportunities; innovation; productivity; investment; skills; employment and workforce participation; business conditions; and global competitiveness. Based on an extensive consultation process, we have developed seven major recommendations and allied actions for immediate consideration:

• Achieving Digital Leadership
• Building Digital Skills
• Connecting Regional Communities
• Implementing Open Data Innovation
• Growing Sydney’s Digital Precinct
• Improving Finance and Investment Channels
• Driving Infrastructure Productivity

Achieving Digital Leadership

We need to position NSW as a global leader in the Digital Economy in which ICT is central to productivity, innovation and competitiveness across all sectors. A future NSW Digital Economy will foster new ideas, create opportunities for innovators and entrepreneurs, revolutionise the delivery of government services and transform value creation across all industries.

Building Digital Skills

For NSW to remain competitive in the next decade, it needs a vibrant, competent and technically literate workforce. The Taskforce recommends improving the digital skills and technology knowledge of NSW citizens, the development of a new technology curriculum; exploitation of e-Learning and digital technology; and improved availability and quality of digital skills through industry-led initiatives to engage and educate the future workforce.

Connecting Regional Communities

Improving access to digital services will drive growth in regional economies and enhance the quality of life in regional NSW. The Taskforce recommends stimulating the Digital Economy in regional NSW communities by improving technology access and literacy, and by encouraging regional stakeholders to develop local digital strategies. Implementing Open Data Innovation Open Data access will empower citizens and organisations to use public data to drive innovation and create new and unique solutions in areas such as transport and health. The Taskforce recommends focussed and effective implementation of the NSW ICT Strategy 2012 including the identification of priority government datasets in consultation with government, industry and the research community; implementing an open access licensing framework across NSW government; and investing in the necessary IT infrastructure to support efficient access to data.

Growing Sydney’s Digital Precinct

Growing Sydney's Digital Precinct will support the development of an ‘innovation ecosystem’ for NSW. By bringing together industry leaders, entrepreneurs in emerging technologies, relevant research and academic partners, the Digital Precinct will become a force of innovation and entrepreneurship, attracting our best and brightest, and generating a substantial new source of economic activity. The Taskforce recommends additional investment to support the growth and development of the Digital Precinct focusing on infrastructure, work spaces, global identity and connectivity.

Improving Finance and Investment Channels

Difficulty in accessing finance has been identified as an impediment for high-growth small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups. For NSW to grow the Digital Economy and underpin its future, it will be essential to open new, and expand existing, funding sources. The Taskforce recommends increasing funding opportunities for NSW-based high-growth companies, both by diversifying the sources of capital available to these companies and by attracting international investors.

Driving Infrastructure Productivity

ICT is transforming many sectors of the economy including healthcare, education, transport and logistics. NSW can achieve significant productivity gains through the use of ICT in infrastructure design, operation and optimisation. The NSW Government should ensure that all state infrastructure projects should integrate ICT to deliver smart infrastructure. This represents a significant opportunity for Government and the private sector to explore ICT driven productivity gains from investment in a range of major infrastructure projects, including roads, railways, ports and hospitals, and in Sydney a new international convention and exhibition centre, and Barangaroo. The Taskforce recommends piloting programs in this area, with initial focus on an integrated port logistics system. ...

From: Executive Summary, Digital Economy Industry Action Plan, NSW Government, 12 December 2012

Cool Night on a Slow Moving Train

Greetings from the overnight train from Melbourne to Sydney. This is a NSW CountryLink XPT , which left Melbourne's Southern Cross Railway Station on time at 7:55pm and is due at Sydney Central Station at 8:20pm. We are one hour late due to track-works, but that is hardly noticeable in the first class sleeper compartment, with breakfast served on time.

The compartment has three seats during the day and converts to two single bunk beds. There is a shower/toilet shared by each two compartments. Showering on a moving train is a challenging experience, but it is refreshing.

The compartment has a power-point, handy for laptops and mobile charging (although mobile data and cell coverage becomes intermittent outside the city, due in part to the metallic anti-reflective coting on the windows blocking radio signals).

Outside the city there is not much variation in the countryside: trees, fields and the odd cow and horse. This does not quite compare with the Rock Mountains, the Swiss Alps, or Thessaloniki to Istanbul. But particularly for rail enthusiasts, this is one to tick off on the list. You should book soon, as the NSW Government has announced a restructure of railways and the service is likely to be canceled (see: "RailCorp split divides opinion", Ben Neutze, The Current, 16 May 2012).

ps:Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train was a 1988 film by Bob Ellis with Wendy Hughes and Colin Friels, set on a NSW overnight train. This trip did not have quite that excitement.

GovCamp NSW Co-Lab

The University of NSW CBD Campus is hosting "NSW is GovCamp NSW Co-Lab" 25 June 2012. This is free one day informal "unconference" where the general public, industry and government people can redesign government processes. Register online.

Topics for each 20 minute mini-session will be nominated by the attendees on the day. At GovCampNSW Co-Lab topics will be influenced by the participants’ collaborative discussion around innovation for public service.

As a guide, topics discussed may include:

• Innovation and agency resilience
• New ways of doing public service delivery
• Collaboration and co-creation
• Policy development and citizen participation
• Policies relating to Gov 2.0 implementation
• The impacts of “mobile” on government
• Online community engagement
• Open data standards, copyright and use
• Location intelligence and geospatial strategies
  

NSW Digital Economy Industry Action Plan

The Sydney Morning Herald has released what they claim to be the full text of the "Draft NSW Digital Economy Industry Action Plan". The SMH reported criticism of the draft plan and the makeup of the industry committee in "Heavy fog on information superhighway as action plan scorned as 'fluff" (Asher Moses, 12 June 2012).

The plan is 53 pages long (415 Kbytes) and proposes eight initiatives:

1. International Digital Leadership
2. Digital Precinct
3. Connected Regional Communities
4. Digital Skills
5. Finance and Investment Channels
6. SME-Corporate-Government Networks
7. Open Data Innovation
8. Integrated Port Logistics System

Having been involved in preparing such plans before I can understand how frustrating it can be and how hard not to just come up with the same bland platitudes as previous plans.
The first initiative of "International Digital Leadership" would be better described as "Marketing NSW As a Place for Creative Industries". That is, the state needs to market itself as a place where digital businesses can set up. The obvious way to do this is to showcase major digital organizations already located in NSW. One way I suggest the NSW Government do this is to sponsor events particularly less formal free "un-conferences", at places such as Google Sydney, the Australian Technology Park and NSW universities, vocational training centres and cultural institutions. The recent GovHack/GovCamp (which I helped organize), provide an excellent model for showcasing Australia to the world. One venue with considerable potential is the "National Centre for Creative Learning" at the new Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art Building.
The task force recommended creating a "NSW Digital physical and virtual precinct". This is not a particularly new idea, the NSW government invested a considerable amount in the "Australian Technology Park", with some limited success. Government attempts to build "virtual precincts" have been even less successful. The plan's recommendation of "Building multi-disciplinary teams including thought leaders from government, business, academia and community will produce pioneering digital research and industry-applied solutions." is an example of the sort of nonsense language which can harm, rather than help such initiatives.

The report recommends "stimulating the Digital Economy of regional NSW communities by improving technology access and literacy to allow communities from across NSW to connect". This would be an excellent complement to the implementation of the NBN. However, it will require investment and some politically difficult changes to current government services. As a example, school teachers will require retraining to use online educational techniques. This will improve access to education in regional areas, but will also result in the closure of some face-to-face teaching facilities.

The report correctly identifies the importance of digital skills and education for them. However, there are no proposals to bring this about. One area of need is digital skills for senior management in government, the commercial sector and academia. While more junior staff are learning how to implement digital initiatives, they are being held back by a lack of basic understanding by their superiors. Formal courses at business schools and also less formal "un-conference" events tailored for senior executives would valuable to help them "get it". The less formal events can also be used for marketing NSW as a digitally literate place. A live web cast of senior NSW executives at an event on digital industry, with the camera panning to take in the view of the Sydney Opera House, would be a powerful marketing tool.

The plan's proposals for Finance & Investment Channels and SME-Corporation-Government Networks do not appear to be workable. It would be more cost effective for the NSW Government to remove impediments for business generally and provide support for staff straining and basic infrastructure.

The last two of the plan's proposals appear to not fit with the previous six and may have been added at the last minute. Open access to government data is worthwhile, but is unlikely to have a major effect on NSW industry. Integrated port logistics would be useful, given NSW's lack of investment in this area, but has little to do digital issues generally.
Here are some excerpts from the plan:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The NSW Digital Economy Task Force was established by the NSW Government to develop an Industry Action Plans to position this key sector of the State's economy for strong growth over the next decade.

Industry Action Plans are an important element of NSW 2021, the Government’s 10 year strategic plan. The decade to 2021 will present both opportunities and challenges for our cities, towns, businesses and communities. For example, our position in an increasingly connected global economy, with fluid markets and consumer demand, advances in new technology, and a growing and ageing population, are just some of the mega-drivers that we need to navigate. Industry Action Plans will help NSW industries meet these challenges as well as capitalise on opportunities.

This Industry Action Plans has been developed with the aim of ensuring strong growth, resilience, improved innovation and productivity, global competitiveness, and new investment opportunities for the NSW Digital Economy over the next decade.

The task force has considered a significant number of potential recommendations and examined the impact and achievability to arrive at eight areas that will have significant potential for the NSW Digital Economy to 2021. The recommendation categories are:
• International Digital Leadership
• Digital Precinct
• Connected Regional Communities
• Digital Skills
• Finance and Investment Channels
• SME-Corporation-Government Networks
• Open Data Innovation
• Integrated Port Logistics Systems

International Digital Leadership

Positioning NSW as a digital global leader will attract business opportunities here by promoting the state’s digital product and service capabilities – particularly in sectors where the State enjoys competitive advantage such as media and mobile.

The task force recommends positioning NSW as a global leader in the digital space by demonstrating innovation, increasing activity, promoting & celebrating success stories, forming partnerships and increasing exports.

Digital Precinct

Establishing a digital innovation precinct with both a physical and ‘online’ presence will supports the growth of an innovation ecosystem across NSW. Building multi-disciplinary teams including thought leaders from government, business, academia and community will produce pioneering digital research and industry-applied solutions.

The task force recommends creating a NSW Digital physical and virtual precinct so that communities from all over NSW can connect.

Connected Regional Communities

Access to digital services will drive regional economies, improving access to services, and improving the quality of life in regional NSW.

The task force recommends stimulating the Digital Economy of regional NSW communities by improving technology access and literacy to allow communities from across NSW to connect.

Digital Skills

For NSW to be competitive in the digital age, it needs access to a stable, competent and expanding workforce; encompassing high calibre technical and business skills, and the ability to take full advantage of the Digital Economy.

This recommendation aims to improve availability and quality of digital skills through targeted engagement and education throughout the community.

Finance and Investment Channels

Difficulty in accessing finance has been identified as an impediment for high growth SMEs and start ups. This recommendation aims to improve Finance & Investment Channels through various funding innovations.

SME-Corporation-Government Networks

Collaborative networks that efficiently link technology-based small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to corporate and public partners will facilitate investment, trade, procurement and acquisition opportunities, including leading online solutions for the provision of government services.

The task force recommends creating active and collaborative SME / Corporation / Government Networks to increase opportunities.

Open Data Innovation

Open access will empower citizens and organisations to use public data and information to drive industry innovation and unlock valuable solutions e.g. information on bus locations.

The task force recommends facilitating access to open government and public data to drive innovation and unlock solutions.

Integrated Port Logistics Systems

Development of integrated port logistics will optimise the passage of freight from producer to consumer, build best-in-class infrastructure and boost NSW economic productivity.

The task force recommends piloting programs in this area. ...


TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7
INDUSTRY VISION 9
D
INDUSTRY ACTION PLAN SCOPE 10
INDUSTRY COMPARATIVE POSITION AND 12
Industry Profile 12
Trends and Outlook 13
Industry Issues 14
Challenges & Risks 15
OUTCOMES OF INDUSTRY CONSULTATIONS 18
Submissions 18
Regional Forums 20
RECOMMENDATIONS 23
INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL LEADERSHIP 23
DIGITAL PRECINCT 26
CONNECTED REGIONAL COMMUNITIES 29
DIGITAL SKILLS 33
FINANCE AND INVESTMENT CHANNELS 37
SME-CORPORATION-GOVERNMENT NETWORKS 42
OPEN DATA INNOVATION 46
INTEGRATED PORT LOGISTICS SYSTEMS 50
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 53

-----------------
Education and Research

The presence in Sydney of the headquarters of National Information and Communications Technology Australia (NICTA) and the CSIRO ICT Centre, as well as five national centres of excellence, and two cooperative research centres in ICT–related research fields, forms an essential element of the diversity of the ICT sector.

Private R&D also flourishes in NSW, with foreign multi–nationals locating their research facilities here.

Our higher education system and strong vocational training institutions have supported the development of a highly skilled ICT workforce. In 2009, for example, there were over 14,000 students studying Information Technology at the 11 universities in NSW, and a further 14,400 students were studying information technology at NSW TAFE Colleges and through other vocational education and training providers in 2009. ...

Skills Shortages

Research suggests that major Digital projects such as the National Broadband Network and the increasing use of Web2.0 will generate significant future demand and competition for Digital talent.

The workforce and environment of the ICT and Creative Industries are dynamic. Issues such as changing technology, labour market variation, offshoring of ICT and Creative Industries and evolving business needs present ongoing human capital challenges.

Since 2004, enrolments in higher education ICT courses have declined by 6 per cent per year. Over the same period, enrolments in other courses have increased by 4 per cent per year. ...

Skills

Contributors felt that skills were an issue for the Digital Economy, both from the point of view of delivering and interacting with the Digital Economy, and also in the use of technology for delivering education more generally.

The skilled workforce, and consumer and business skills
to interact with the Digital Economy featured widely, as did access to education, technology in schools, and the workforce of the future. ...

From: "Draft NSW Digital Economy Industry Action Plan", NSW Government(?), 2012.

Education Key to NSW Digital Economy

The NSW Government invited input for a "NSW Digital Economy Industry Action Plan" in October 2011. The Sydney Morning Herald reports criticism of the draft plan (which has not been released) and the makeup of the industry committee ("Heavy fog on information superhighway as action plan scorned as 'fluff", Asher Moses, 12 June 2012).

There is an "NSW Digital Economy Industry Action Plan Issues Paper" available (October 2011). The proposed vision in the paper is:

By 2020, NSW is recognised globally for leading innovation and driving productivity gains in key sectors of the economy, enabled by strong, vibrant and connected ICT and Creative Industries.

Such vision statements are by their nature vague. The interesting part here is the suggested connection between ICT and creative industries. That is between the engineering, science and business part of ICT and the use of ICT in arts, film production, TV, video games and the like.

While the issues paper mentions education in support of the ICT industry, it fails to give sufficient emphasis to the role of ICT in support of the education industry. After mining, education is Australia's largest export industry. ICT is playing an increasing role in the delivery of education and will be key to students and their parents, deciding what country to have educate their children. If NSW wants its second largest export industry to prosper, then it needs to ensure that there is an ICT industry to support NSW educational institutions.

The report notes the decline in undergraduate ICT student enrollments and increases in postgraduate enrollments, but suggests no change in government policy in response.

Curiously there is no mention of the Australian Technology Park and the lessons which may be learned from that NSW Government venture.

Some education related excerpts from the issues paper:

Suggested areas of focus ...

Skills and Research: contribute to the development of a skilled, highly technologically competent workforce with internationally recognised centres of industry partnered education, research, technology development and entrepreneurship; increase collaboration between universities and other training institutions and industry to ensure that training is focussed on meeting the needs of industry. ...

3 Industry Profile

While the enabling industries of ICT and Creative are strong stand-alone industries in NSW, they are also critical in improving productivity and increasing competitiveness of other industries including Finance, Health, Education, and Energy. ...

Education and Research
The presence in Sydney of the National Information and Communications Technology Research Centre of Excellence as well as five national centres of excellence and two cooperative research centres in ICT–related research fields, forms an essential element of the diversity of the ICT sector. Private R&D also flourishes in NSW, with foreign multi–nationals locating their research facilities here.

Our higher education system and strong vocational training institutions have supported the development of a highly skilled ICT workforce. In 2008, for example, there were over 13,000 students studying Information Technology at the 11 universities in NSW, and a further 14,400 students were studying information technology at NSW TAFE Colleges and through other vocational education and training providers in 2009. ...

Innovative Applications
Considerable potential exists to accelerate the development of innovative applications centred on greater ’connectivity’. Modelling work in Access Economics’ 2020 Foresighting Study shows that the transport, utilities, property and health care sectors in NSW will receive a very high productivity benefit from the NBN. Other sectors such as education, accommodation, finance and retail will also receive a high benefit. Through its capacity to develop and/or deploy technologies and to provide services, the State’s Digital industry is well placed to help businesses in these other sectors as well as households make the most from the NBN. ...

Skills Shortages

... Since 2004, enrolments in higher education ICT courses have declined by 6 per cent per year. Computer science courses have the highest proportion of ICT enrolments, although this has declined over time. Over the same period, enrolments in other courses have increased by 4 per cent per year. Conversely, enrolments in postgraduate ICT courses increased significantly. ...

1. Collaborative Solutions Program

... The program adopts a contemporary approach to industry development through catalysing collaboration. This model has demonstrated successful outcomes in other ICT leading nations in delivering innovative world-class solutions in sectors such as Tourism, Finance, Education, Healthcare, and Media and Entertainment. This initiative is a proactive approach to developing our ICT industry to deliver world-class solutions and economic growth in our strategic sectors. ...

3. Interactive Media Fund

... increasing involvement in serious games in collaboration with sectors such as e-health, education, defence, emergency management. ...

4. Australian Centre for Broadband Innovation

... E-Government - working with Government to develop ICT platforms and deliver access to better education, health, and utility services. ...

From: "NSW Digital Economy Industry Action Plan Issues Paper", NSW Government, October 2011.

New Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art Building

The new Museum of Contemporary Art building has opened in Sydney. The best part of the new building is the MCA Cafe and Sculpture Terrace on the fourth floor, with views of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, the Rocks, the Sydney Opera House and Circular Quay. The Menu includes "Mulloway with Quinoa, Broad Bean & Preserved Lemon Salad". The cafe has one of the great gallery cafe views of the world, comparable with the clock tower cafe in Musee D'orsay, Paris.

The new building also has an extensive education facility called the "National Centre for Creative Learning" and a small library. Unfortunately the learning centre and library appear to being still fitted out.

The most disappointing part of the building are the galleries in the old section. These have a sterile and claustrophobic feel. Some of the blinds are up, showing harbor and city views, which helps relieve the oppressive feel of the galleries.

Smart Grid, Smart City Seminar Electric cars

Ausgrid are running a seminar on Electric cars, at their "Smart Grid, Smart City " center, 26 April 2012 in Newcastle, NSW. Unfortunately you would have difficulty working that out from their very poorly designed web site. So appended are the details from the PDF document emailed to me (I could not find this on the web site).

Of course an electric car will cost several times as much as an equivalent petrol car and cause more pollution when charged from the coal fired power provided by Ausgrid. So electric cars are not a practical replacement for privately owned cars, but they may be useful for company fleets and share car schemes, where renewable power is available on-site.

Smart Grid, Smart City Seminar
Electric cars: The journey so far

Ausgrid is delighted to invite you to a seminar Who should attend on electric cars at the Smart Grid, Smart City
Centre on Thursday, 26 April.

The Smart Grid, Smart City project is an exciting Australian Government initiative led by Ausgrid. The project is trialling
new innovations in electricity generation and household
energy management – including an electric car trial in and
around the area.

A fleet of electric cars are driving the streets in the Hunter as
part of the trial.

We will share:
• What is an electric car
• Why we are doing the trial and how
• Charge point infrastructure deployment
• The impact on the electricity grid
• The project status to date

Also, hear first-hand, personal anecdotes of driving the
electric car daily up and down the Coast. Our driver has
unique experiences to share of driving the electric car in
various conditions.

At the Smart Grid, Smart City Centre you can also experience
all our brightest ideas – the Centre is an interactive, educational and fun way to look at electricity from its sources to the appliances in your home.

This event will provide some interesting insights into the latest in electric cars and provide an overview of their role in the Smart Grid, Smart City project.

Thursday, 26 April 2012
Time 12.30pm-1.30pm OR 6.00pm-7.00pm
Venue: Smart Grid, Smart City Centre
19 Honeysuckle Drive, Newcastle 2300
(located west of the Honeysuckle Hotel)
Cost: Free.
Finger food will be provided.
RSVP by Monday, 23 April 2012

Registration is essential as places are limited. Register via
www.smartgridsmartcity.com.au/eventsregistration or call
1300 922 746.

Further information
Margot Smith on 02 8288 7820 or
email margot.smith@ausgrid.com.au
We will have an electric car at the event – come and see it on display!

Planning Sydney Online

Marghanita da Cruz has proposed using online tools for planning NSW in a submission to the NSW Planning System Review. About all I would add is using an on-line democratic dialogue process.

Reduce energy use and maintain quality of life

The NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Commission released a Research Report - Determinants of residential energy and water consumption in Sydney and surrounds along with a Fact Sheet and Consumption Comparator. This says that detached houses with one or two people have higher energy bills. Also low-income households tend to be in such houses proportionally increasing their energy bills. The report suggests that energy use can be reduced by replacing resistance electric hot water systems, disconnecting a second fridge (beer fridge), using clothes dryers and
air conditioners less. Both water and energy use can be reduced with low-flow showerheads and tap aerators.

This is all sensible advice. However, Australia has a stock of large inefficient detached houses designed for much larger families than currently occupy them. It would take many decades for these to be replaced with smaller, more efficient housing, even if there were policies in place to make that happen. One solution would be to divide detached housing to make two or three town houses. Alother would be policies to encourge people to share larger houses.

Some policies are in conflict. As an example, resistance hot water systems are now banned for new homes and as replacement in older ones. But new energy efficient hot water systems have a high capital cost, placing them out of reach for low income families. A simple alternative would be to use a smaller resistive electric hot water system. Small electric hot water systems are inexpensive and more efficient than large models, but are now banned.

Also small hot water systems can be placed in the hose near the kitchen and bathroom, resulting in less heat lost in the plumbing and less water loss when the tap is let running waiting for the hot water. Large units have to be placed outside the home, with longer pipe runs, more heat and water wasted.

Contents

Introduction and executive summary 9
1.1 We specified 2 types of model - ‘characteristics’ models and ‘uses’ models 9
1.2 Overview of results for the ‘characteristics’ models 11
1.3 Overview of results for the ‘energy uses’ models 11
1.4 Applying the ‘energy uses’ models to households with the same incomes and the same numbers of occupants
1.5 Policy implications: how to reduce energy consumption while maintaining the quality of life
1.6 Overview of results for the ‘water uses’ model
1.7 The Consumption Comparator
1.8 The structure of the report

2 How we analysed the household survey data 12
2.1 We used regression models to analyse the household survey data 12
2.2 We specified 2 types of model - ‘characteristics’ models and ‘uses’ models 14
2.3 How we present the results 14
2.4 Some of the terms used in this report 15

3 The determinants of electricity consumption 17
3.1 The context: average and median electricity consumption in NSW 17
3.2 The relationship between household characteristics and electricity consumption - the ‘characteristics’ model
3.3 How household characteristics are associated with different uses for electricity
3.4 The relationship between electricity consumption and what it is used for - the ‘energy uses’ model
3.5 How well our ‘energy uses’ model predicts electricity consumption

4 The determinants of gas consumption 34
4.1 The characteristics of households that use gas 35
4.2 The relationship between household characteristics and gas consumption - the ‘characteristics’ model
4.3 The amount of gas used for and cooking, heating and hot water
4.4 The relationship between gas consumption and what it is used for - the 'energy uses’ model
4.5 How well our ‘energy uses’ model predicts gas consumption

5 The determinants of energy usage bills
5.1 Why we used energy bills to estimate consumption
5.2 The relationship between household characteristics and energy bills - the ‘characteristics’ model
5.3 The relationship between energy bills and what energy is used for - the ‘energy uses’ model
5.4 The impact on energy bills and electricity consumption of having a Controlled Load electricity supply
5.5 The impact on energy bills of using gas for hot water and space heating

6 The determinants of energy consumption by income and number of occupants
6.1 The relationship between energy consumption and what it is used for by income group - the ‘energy uses’ model
6.2 The relationship between energy consumption and what it is used for by household size - the ‘energy uses’ model
6.3 Policy implications: how to reduce energy consumption while maintaining the quality of life

7 The determinants of water consumption
7.1 The context: water supply conditions and average consumption in the survey areas
7.2 The relationship between household characteristics and water consumption - the ‘characteristics’ model
7.3 How household characteristics are associated with different uses for water
7.4 The relationship between water consumption and what it is used for - the ‘water uses’ model
7.5 How well our ‘water uses’ model predicts water consumption
7.6 The impact of dwelling type on water consumption

Appendices
A Information about the surveyed households
B Information about our regression analysis
C Detailed regressions results for gas
D Detailed regressions results for energy
E Detailed regressions results by household income and number of occupant 160
F Detailed regressions results for water
G Technical information for electricity and water
H Detailed regression results for electricity

Glossary ...

From: Research Report - Determinants of residential energy and water consumption in Sydney and surrounds , NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Commission, December 2011

Being Creative in Sydney

Last night I attended the Combined Industry Christmas Party for TV and film people at the NSW Writers Centre, in Callan Park, Sydney. This was a magical evening, a worthy topic for the films those in attendance write, direct and film. Callan Park is a the former Rozelle Hospital on a large spread of parkland overlooking a bay of Sydney Harbor. Historic former hospital buildings house the Sydney College of the Arts, the NSW Writers’ Centre, and there are proposals for a city farm.

The party was a joint event including the Australian Directors Guild (ADG), Australian Production Design Guild (APDG), Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC), Australian Screen Editors Guild (ASE), Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) and Australian Screen Sound Guild (ASSG).

For a first hand account of the writer's centre, there is Jennifer Smart's Blog. My experience was confined to the party. It starts by walking down what looks like a service road, past some old buildings to the back door of a sandstone cottage. A good sign, party-wise, is a portable cold room, next to the door.

Entering past the kitchen, there is am imposing staircase (I realize that this building is much large than it looks from the entry). Amongst the period wall paneling there are Ikea style modern bookcases stacked with books and modern (but comfortable) Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chairs. Leading off this are offices and meeting rooms. Walking through what must have been the formal front door of the building, I see one meeting room laid out with cold food and a BBQ visible just out the door.

Out the door is a wide veranda, overlooking a garden with flowering trees and a hint of the harbor in the distance. The veranda has a table for red wine, a table for white, water and orange juice.

Then you notice the people. This is not a party for the beautiful people who are in front of the camera, it is for the creative thinkers behind the camera. They are not especially well dressed, being more Bohemia comfortable. There is something systematic and professional about the groups. This is a celebration and a festive occasion, but there are pitches bing made, proposals being discussed, business cards being stored up for future ventures.

As twilight descends part of the magic of the event becomes evident: those present are from different but mutually dependent parts of the one industry. The conversations starts by identifying which part of the industry you are from, what projects you have worked on and with whom.

As an IT professional, I am both on the periphery and at the center of the TV and film industry. Both TV and film have converted almost entirely to digital image technology, to the point where it is novelty for a chemical film to be used in a production. But the industry is still not sure what to do creatively with "convergence": the merging of still photography, print media, motion pictures, music on Internet connected platforms. The Industry is still working out an uncomfortable relationship with the web and along has come the mobile platforms of smart phones and tablet computers to create new challenges.

3D film seems almost a technological sanctuary for the creative part of the film industry. It is new technology and creates challenges in production, but is easily conceptually and creatively understood and produces a product which can be thought about and handled like2D film. But computer games and hand-held platforms challenge what a film or TV show is.

Wandering through this crowd I felt a little out of place, having forgotten to bring any business cards and not being able to name drop any film projects or directors. But then a voice said "Hello Tom" and there was Michela Ledwidge, Writer/Director/Producer and board member of ADG. Michela is from the seriously technical end of using IT for creative purposes. She was the Webmaster at the National Library of Australia in the mid 1990s. This was a period when a loose coalition of public servants, academics and IT industry people were putting the Federal Government on the Internet and the web. Michela now does the digital strategy for creative industries, including cloud services for media productions.

It was interesting to see how in the one space on the veranda of the writer center, we had people reminiscing about making black and white film documentaries for the ABC in its early days and a group showing off their latest creative project on Apple iPhones, using 3D and gaming technology. The technology had changed, but in many ways the essence of the industry remained the same.

Challenges remain for this industry, there was at least one heated argument on the veranda about the Internet threatening the industry due to rampant pirating of films. The old hands want their intellectual property protected, while the digital natives want to develop new revenue streams on-line. This is not a debate which will be settled soon and most likely took place over drinks when the printing press and the video tape were invented.