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SA state election a Chance to seize digital opportunities
ACS lays out technology roadmap for next government
8 March 2022 – for immediate release
ACS, the professional association for Australia’s technology sector, has called on South Australia’s major parties to seize the technology opportunities presented to the state over the past two years to boost the economy and opportunities for communities.
Ahead of the March 19 state election, the Australian Computer Society has released its policy platform to raise South Australia’s place in the nation’s – and global – digital economy.
The pandemic and a series of investment announcements over the past two years have seen a reversal of South Australia’s long standing tech brain drain and ACS believes 2022 is the year the state can seize the opportunity to build on recent growth and develop SA as a leading modern digital economy.
“As South Australians, we’ve seen a lot of our best and brightest head interstate or overseas for opportunities,” said Chris Radbone, ACS South Australian Branch Chair. “However the last two years have seen a reversal of that outward flow as organisations de-centralised and the state saw a wave of technology industry investments by both the private and public sectors.
“So the 2022 election is an opportunity to put in the state-level policies that build on those opportunities and give all South Australians, regardless of who they are and where they live, the benefits of being part of the high-growth global digital economy.
“Our platform lays out some measures the next government can implement over its term to boost digital education, government services and regional development. It’s essential all parts of society are included in the state’s digital growth and we hope we can build on the opportunities.”
With the success of Lot14, the decision to base the Australian Space Agency in Adelaide, and recent announcements by major technology organisations to open national IT centres in the state, South Australia is now well positioned to be a leading centre for innovation and the digital industries.
ACS’ proposals look to building the entire state’s capacity beyond Adelaide city and into the suburbs and regions to ensure the future digital dividend is shared across South Australia.
In the platform, ACS proposes a program aiming to build on the recent successes of the South Australian IT sector; bolster the regional digital accessibility and strengthen the state’s P-12 IT education capacity.
Attract more tech professionals
The Covid crisis saw a reversal of South Australia’s long standing ‘brain drain’. The post-pandemic world is an opportunity to build on the opportunities presented to the state.
Accordingly, ACS calls on the next South Australian government to give local technology providers the opportunity to compete with national and global competitors in tendering for contracts and projects while providing incentives for multinationals to establish operations in the state.
Improve technology education
For South Australia to be an attractive place to live and invest, we need to be offering the best opportunities for our kids. ACS calls on the incoming government to increase students’ access to IT education while expanding the following programs:
· The SA Cyber Security Traineeship – increase places available in the scheme
· Entrepreneurial Specialist Schools – expand the existing program beyond the current five schools
Build collaboration across the cybersecurity sector
Recent government security breaches have highlighted the vulnerabilities of our connected society. The establishment of the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre (A3C) is an excellent step in cementing South Australia’s leadership in this critical sector and ACS would encourage the government to boost collaboration within the sector and strengthen relationships with domestic and regional centres of excellence.
Raise the importance of IT within government
As we’ve seen during the Covid pandemic, technology is essential to running a modern, prosperous society. Accordingly, the sector should have appropriate representation in the state Cabinet. ACS proposes the next government appoints a Cabinet level minister responsible for ensuring South Australians have access to the tools of the modern economy.
Boost regional technology support and connectivity
The benefits of technology are not confined to cities, and it is important regional communities are not left behind, particularly given the importance of IT to the agriculture and mining sectors. ACS asks the next government to support high speed connectivity to the regions while offering programs to boost the digital literacy of regional communities and businesses.
“We hope all candidates in the upcoming election take note of the importance of the technology sector to the future of their communities and the next government implements these and other measures to build our state’s digital capacity,” concluded Mr Radbone.
Director of Corporate Affairs and Public Policy
About Us
ACS is the professional association for Australia’s technology sector and the largest community with 47,000+ members from across business, government and education.
ACS champions the technologies, people and skills critical to Australia’s future, creating value for ACS members, the tech sector and society in four ways:
Community
Our focus is on fostering an innovative and inclusive community that is dedicated to powering positive change through technology.
Capability
We set the standard for assessing, developing and recognising the skills and experience of technology professionals.
Career
We create career pathways to guide technology professionals and ensure Australia has a pipeline of talent with the right skills and knowledge.
Migration
We assess and support skilled technology migrants to address critical skills shortages, improve diversity and enrich Australia’s workforce.
Find out more at: acs.org.au