Consultation with agriculture sector at Northern Rivers regarding Digital Economy Strategy

2. Digital Economy Strategy
Consultation:
Agriculture sector

3. Why are we here?
• Introduction – Fergal Coleman
• To discuss the digital economy and how Northern
Rivers can grasp the opportunities
• It’s not a meeting about the NBN – the NBN is one
(important) enabler
• It’s about information, discussion and ongoing
involvement
• We want your ideas and thoughts

4. We have already started
• www.digitalnorthernrivers.com.au
• Diagnostic: www.digitaleconomy.net.au
• Twitter: @digital_nr #digitaleconomy
• Get involved, contribute and stay up to date

5. Agenda
• Introductions (5 min)
• Overview of the NBN (15 min)
• The digital economy (10 min)
• Agriculture– some examples (5 min)
• What the digital economy means for the region? (40 mins)
• How can the agriculture sector :
• Deliver better service to it’s customers and community
• Get efficiencies in their organisations(40 mins)
• Next steps (5 mins)

6. What does the NBN mean?
• Faster… much, much, faster
The NBN will provide 93 per cent of households broadband speeds of
up to 100 megabits per second (Mbps), or about 28 times faster than
most people experience today. The remaining premises (seven per
cent) will be connected via a combination of wireless and satellite
technologies providing peak speeds of at least 12 Mbps.
• More reliable
• Ubiquitous

7. Speed Comparison
http://www.nbntasmania.com.au/index.php?Doo=PageView&id=273

8. NBN is a wholesaler
Pricing: http://www.bit.com.au/Guide/312738,nbn-prices-the-
cheapest-plans-from-14-providers-compared.aspx

9. Future Proofing
Google Fiber
here, and
Singapore
building this

10. We Need to Get Up to Speed

11. The NBN is not the Digital Economy
The Digital Economy is what we decide to develop using the NBN:
It involves innovation and change: new skills, new processes, new
business models

12. The Digital Economy is about better lives!
The eight National 'Digital Economy Goals' focus on the areas of:
• Online participation by Australian households (Digital Divide)
• Online engagement by Australian businesses and not-for-profit organisations
• Smart management of our environment and infrastructure
• Improved health and aged care
• Expanded online education
• Increased teleworking
• Improved online government service delivery and engagement
• Greater digital engagement in regional Australia.

13. Examples and new models
• Households: Kansas City – 6 HD movies being streamed in one house!
Digital champions, Digital divide
• Shoes of Prey, Freelancer.com.au
• Health and Aged Care – Fruit Ninja and Health!, Lower Murray Medical
and Vidyo, Edisse.com
• Education: Coursera.org, khanacademy.com,
• Increased teleworking – It works - My company! (Anglesea, Docklands,
Mumbai, Dublin)
• Data.gov.au, Gov2.0, online consultation, virtual libraries
• Big Data, 3D printing, crowd sourcing

14. Examples: Agriculture
• Smart Farms – Armidale
• Pathways to improved production
(Precision Agriculture)
10-30% reduction in fertiliser input (rainfed and
irrigated crops)
50-100% improvement in yield:water ratio (irrigated
crops)
20% improvement in pasture use efficiency
• #Agchat
• http://nationalfoodplan.govspace.gov.au/

15. Examples: Agriculture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xc897XbV1ZM

16. Examples: Farmz

17. Examples: Horticulture Australia

18. The Agricultural Industry @ Northern Rivers
1. What needs to be done to leverage high speed
broadband in the Agriculture sector?
• Strengths and weaknesses of the agriculture industries in NR
• Opportunities – what are they and how can we maximise
them
• Threats – what are they and how can we minimise them?
What three things should the sector prioritise?

19. For your own organisation
1. Discuss with a partner one how the Digital Economy will change
your business?
• New markets/customers
• New ways of making/delivering your service?
• New suppliers/partners
• Internal efficiencies – web technologies
What’s the one thing you will do in your own organisation after
today?

20. Next Steps
• We will document the outcomes from today
• We will follow up with further questions?
• A draft will be made available for comment
• Stay involved, promote and engage with us at
www.digitalnorthernrivers.com.au