Smart futures for the ACT region: Telecommuter hubs feasibility study

1. Smart futures for the ACT region: Telecommuter hubs feasibility study Help us help you achieve a better lifestyle/business/community Sustaining Our Towns is funded by the NSW Environmental Trust www.sustainingourtowns.org.au/

2. The problem: commuting costs people, employers and the community Approximately 36% of working age population of Palerang Source: ABS Census

3. Costs: People • Health impacted by stress • Work-life balance – less time • Job opportunities limited to those within commuter distance • Large ecological footprint – especially for rural residents • Petrol and other travel costs

4. Costs: Employers • Parking provision • Office space and facilities • Environmental footprint – corporate responsibility • Productivity and absenteeism • Recruitment and retention of staff – limited to commutable distance

5. Costs: Community • Traffic & pollution • Accident & injury • Loss of participation in local economies • Loss of participation in local communities • Higher road maintenance and greater use of public facilities • Larger environmental footprint

6. Is increased tele-working a solution? Teleworking is working all or part of the time away from your employers’ office. Teleworkers work from home, in their cars or at tele-centres. Overall value of 10% of population teleworking 50% of the time is $1.2 billion. Source: Impacts of Teleworking under the NBN , Access Economics (July 2010)

7. What might it look like? A range of models including: • More employers facilitating their employees to work from home more often • Modest re-fit to multi-function community centresetc to provide technological access for community, tele-workers, training etc • Purpose-built centres in regional centres with priority NBN access, professional office surroundings, services, libraries and co-location of local business

8. Our project • Recruit champions & engage local community • On-line survey of potential users’ needs, barriers & opportunities • Research ACT employer needs, barriers & opportunities • Research hub options and costs in Bungendore region • Develop business plan / feasibility report

9. Employers: Australian Federal Government Dept Broadband, Communications & Digital Economy Policy Digital economy Goals (includes teleworking) Roll-out of NBN Teleworking Unit Plans/Procedures Australian Public Service Commission Whole of Government ICT Workforce Plan (Includes mobility strategy and teleworking policy) Secretaries ICT Governance Board Practice Anecdotal evidence of isolated cases of teleworking across the Public Service.

10. Other Employers

11. Our strategy • The Sustaining Our Towns feasibility study (with Bungendore region focus) is a way to answer the question – are there enough push factors that such an initiative could be viable in the short to medium future? • If yes, work with Regional Development Australia Southern Inland and SEROC to develop a regional study and proposal to fund infrastructure costs

12. Are you a potential tele-commuter? • Fill out our survey, here or on-line • Join our email list • Become a champion within your organisation

13. Are you a potential business collaborator? • Join our email list • Let’s talk! • Become a local champion for our project!

14. Teleworking resources • APSC Teleworking for ITC staff http://www.apsc.gov.au/publications10/ictretention.pdf • NSW Government RTA Tele-working Manual (includes everything about setting up in your workplace) http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/usingroads/traveldemandmanagement/teleworking/index.html • Tele-working clip http://www.nbn.gov.au/media-centre/videos/do-something-chairman-jon-dee/

15. Barriers & Opportunities: People • Have to make changes to lifestyles and timetables • Potential to feel isolated • Balance changes in where you shop/access other facilities with more time and increased availability of local facilities • Greater use of social networks, Tele-commuter centres and existing local facilities

16. Barriers and Opportunities: Employers • Trust • Security • Reliability of technology • Set-up costs • Increases with greater experience of tele-commuting • No real issues • NBN rollout • Less than savings

17. Barriers and Opportunities: Community • Lack of available office space • Lack of office services • Local shopping/ business limitations • Refit existing buildings, look to funding purpose built • Business opportunity!! • Business opportunity!!

18. What do we need from our champions? • Promote our project through your normal work and networks • Be available for occasional strategic advice • If you see an opportunity, let us know and help us seize it! • Help us recruit other champions in useful places!