Launch of DIA Community ICT Resource and launch of new Computers in Homes

It is with the greatest of pleasure that I greet Nga Tamariki o te Kohu, the children of the mist, here in the inner sanctum of Te Urewera.

It is only fitting that I bring with me the greetings of Nga Wairiki/Ngati Apa from within the Whangaehu Valley to greet your valleys of Ahikereru and Ruatahuna. And from the heights of Ruapehu we greet your sacred mountain, Maungapohatu. From the depths of the Whanganui River we pay our respects to Te Tamāhine-a-Hine-mataroa.

Our whakapapa, our precious connections through linking our genealogical footprint, is the time-honoured way in which we have communicated with one another.

Today we bring a whole new meaning to our histories of shared experiences and relationships. Today we celebrate the contemporary story of communication through building community digital literacy and connectivity.

All of the evidence that crosses my desk tells me that digitally literate and connected whānau, hapū, iwi and wider communities are essential for a strong and resilient society.

So today is an ideal time to both pay tribute to the ongoing dedication of our communities while at the same time capitalising on the Government’s investment in broadband.

As the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector I have been determined that community funding should be targeted towards meeting the needs of our communities.

I remember at the time of the announcement, Lawrence Zwimpfer, Contracts Director for the 2020 Communications Trust, said that he felt the funding was “a real win for families in some of the most digitally disconnected areas of the country” as it would provide “access to technology they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford.”

I have been very aware that the communities most likely to benefit from any investment were Māori, Pasifika and those in remote or rural areas, and people aged over 65 years – those groups who have historically missed out on access to online initiatives.

I have always been one who has found any injustice intolerable – my focus has been driven by the momentum achieved when we promote and practice an inclusive society. In my mind, lack of access to technology – or quite simply being locked out of mobile coverage – seems to me the ultimate practice of exclusion.

And so it was really exciting that last year in Budget 2010 I was able to announce that Government would be investing $8,345 million over three years for digital literacy and connection.

The funding was allocated to two proven community-based initiatives:

• the New Zealand Computer Clubhouse Trust to invest in two additional Computer Clubhouses; and to the

• 2020 Communications Trust to deliver Computers in Homes programmes to 3,000 more families over three years.

The Bay of Plenty was identified as a priority region for Computers in Homes programmes

And so here we are today.

With Lawrence’s words ringing in my ears, I am of course very keen to see the fruits of our investment and you can be sure that I will be keeping a watch out on every development that occurs coming out of Te Urewera.

What I love about the Computers in Homes programme is that it is all about whānau – and that is of course the ultimate factor underpinning its success. It’s about whanau driving their own destinies – learning together, irrespective of age.

It is about whanau innovation and entrepreneurship - whānau connecting with their local schools to uplift lift education levels of tamariki as well as upskilling parents in using digital technologies.

It is particularly appropriate that today we are announcing a further fifteen families are being invited to participate in the Computers in Homes programme at Te Rewarewa Marae.

Computers in Homes at Te Rewarewa Marae builds on a long standing relationship between the Tūhoe Education Authority and Computers in Homes. Established in 1999, the Authority was mandated by fifteen of your schools, your respective whānau and hapū to advance the education of children in the Tūhoe rohe.

In 2001-2003 the Tūhoe Education Authority, in partnership with 2020 Communications Trust, worked with schools in the rohe, and set up the first Computers in Homes programme which placed computers in 135 homes.

And I want to congratulate Haromi Williams and Kathleen Taipeti from the Tūhoe Education Authority as the project sponsors, and Ivan Lomax - the Computers in Homes Bay of Plenty Regional Coordinator - for your incredible commitment to bringing this programme to the whānau in this rohe.

Tūhoe’s commitment to improving its people’s access to information and communication technology is extensive. Tuhoe has quite rightly identified technology as a significant tool to enable their people to improve their lives by accessing information and education.

What we have seen over the last decade is a substantial increase in information and communications technology Tuhoe style.

I am told that in 2005, many parts of the rohe did not have access to the Internet. The Computers in Homes Tūhoe project thrived on the challenge - and in partnership with the 2020 Communications Trust and the University of Waikato brought the worldwide web to some thirty Tuhoe whanau with the initial investment of new multi-media computers and wireless broadband connection from a WtiFi network.

But it wasn’t just about hard-drives and online access.

It was also about growing whanau. Many whānau members were trained to build, deploy and provide basic maintenance for the network.

A year later digital technology was then brought to the iwi’s most remote regions with another significant project in partnership with Rural Link, and rural broadband provider Rezare Systems. An Iwi wide WiFi network was established through the Ministry of Economic Development’s Rural Broadband Challenge fund.

This brings me to the second reason we are here today – the launch of the resource: Honoa te hapori me te hapū ki te ipurangi - Getting your community and hapū online.

This is a fantastic resource to assist communities and hapū who want to become more digitally literate. The resource provides advice on how to set up and manage a range of digital projects with case studies of successful digital initiatives.

What really struck me about this resource was knowing that the practical successes and learnings that have shaped the Tuhoe ICT journey encouraged them to share their experience with a wider audience – and I want to thank the Tūhoe Education Authority for the generosity and the breadth of their vision.

The resource was written for and by people in communities and hapū. It draws on the experience and knowledge of people from all parts of the digital spectrum.

I want to particularly acknowledge the generous contribution of time and input from the Tūhoe Education Authority, and people from Ngāti Apa, Ngātiwai Trust, Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāi Tahu.

I am advised that this is a first.

To the Department’s knowledge, Honoa te hapori me te hapū ki te ipurangi, is the first online resource providing practical advice on setting up digital projects in New Zealand developed by and for people in communities and hapū.

As you will see on the screen today, it can principally be found online on the CommunityNet Aotearoa website.

I want to thank CommunityNet Aotearoa for their gift of manaaki in hosting this resource. This website is designed for people working in and with whānau, hapū and iwi and community organisations. The CommunityNet Aotearoa site as a whole was recently updated. It has a new home page making it easier for users to navigate and access information.

This is a wonderful occasion.

I congratulate you all for your efforts, and I wish you all much success in the connections you will make across the Tuhoe Nation; across Aotearoa and indeed throughout the global community as you enter the online world.