Local Government Forum for Broadband speech

Hon Nanaia Mahuta
Minister of Local Government
Speech at the official opening of the Local Government Forum for Broadband Conference at the Renouf Foyer, Wellington Convention Centre, 116 Wakefield Street, Wellington on 20 February 2008, 8.30am

Introduction:
I want to acknowledge the Hon David Cunliffe, Minister for Information Technology, Your worship the Mayor of Wellington, Kerry Prendergast, Telecom chief executive officer, Paul Reynolds, and President of Local Government New Zealand, Basil Morrisson, who are with us here today.
Thank you Basil for your opening remarks and it’s great to be here and welcome to all of you who are with us this morning.
This event has been initiated by LGNZ (the National Council of Local Government New Zealand) who understand the strategic benefits of an event such as this to help better define the nature of how Central Government, the private sector and industry can work alongside Local Government, as we all have a part to play to optimise growth in our communities and regions.

Local Government’s role in addressing Broadband Needs:
For the first time, we are here to discuss the question of “what is local government’s role in addressing the broadband needs of communities going forward?”
The work being done over the next two days will help to develop a clear and common understanding of two things:
• What are the roles of central and local government in this issue?
• How will we provide broadband services?
The Local Government Act 2002 provides for “local authorities to play a broad role in promoting the social, cultural, environmental and economic wellbeing of local communities.”
It is essential that local authorities work together with their communities to identify what is important, such as reliable and affordable access to Information Communications Technology (ICT).
As local government leaders, you will play a critical role in ensuring your communities can access the types of technologies that allow them to be effective participants in the digital age.
Strong Partnership:
In order to make this happen there must be strong partnership between central government, local government, businesses and members of the community.
These partnerships will enable councils to improve access to reliable and affordable broadband.
For the Government’s part, we believe that affordable high-speed connectivity is necessary to lifting national productivity and driving economic growth in every region.
The provision of broadband is becoming as crucial as having a system of local roads.
Throughout this Conference, I have no doubt that there will be many interesting and productive discussions concerning the different roles of industry, central government, and local authorities in this matter. In doing so there will be opportunities to identify exactly where the points of collaboration can occur.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Local government is looking for certainty and agreement concerning its role and what is best left to the private sector to resolve.

Central Government’s role:
Central government believes that local government is an integral part of addressing the need for greater access to broadband technology. As a result of the joint working relationship, the government is working to develop a better understanding of how local government fits in to national strategies, my collegue Hon. David Cunliffe will elaborate on this matter in his speech.
As technology develops, it will become increasingly important that our two levels of government work together on matters of national importance this is necessary if we are to deliver on the goals of the Digital Strategy.

Community’s partnership:
Communities play an important role for New Zealanders in their access to ICT.
The Aotearoa People’s Network is a great example of powerful partnership. It provides free access to broadband Internet services in public libraries so that all New Zealanders can benefit from creating, accessing and experiencing digital content. The public library network, run by councils, is an essential hub of information exchange and has been for many years.
The People’s Network is well positioned to deliver free IT equipment, networking and access to web-based tools and services for communities, within a safe environment.
Councils are creators and users of digital content. This helps them to keep in touch with their ratepayers and all citizens. Technology will enable a wider variety of people to participate in the business of councils and to be more involved in shaping the future direction of their communities.

e-government strategy:
Another example of the partnerships between central and local government is the
e-government strategy. Where previously we had one strategy for each level of government, we now have a strategy for the whole country.
Councils have the opportunity to integrate ICT into their existing community services.
This process has begun. Some pioneering councils have already established e-centres in existing locations such as Marae and libraries.
With the help of government funding, the Upper Hutt City Council has converted the former community centre in Timberlea into a community ICT hub. It runs after school programmes, training and acts as an access point to broadband for the community.
Many local authorities are already either developing or implementing broadband strategies, including direct investment in infrastructure. They have policies and investments that provide for community access to broadband and some have a range of services available.
Wellington City Council has recently formed an advisory group to consider a project to deliver affordable, high-speed Internet across the city by 2012.
This Labour-led government is assisting community and voluntary groups to facilitate connectivity, provide access to content and improve the confidence of communities in the use of ICT.
The Digital Strategy’s Community Partnership Fund and Broadband Challenge Fund have worked to accelerate the provision of affordable broadband services to regional centres.
The landscape for telecommunications is rapidly changing within New Zealand and this does make the planning environment a challenging one for councils.
I am sure my colleague, Hon David Cunliffe, will be talking more about some of the current issues in telecommunications, such as the effects of local loop unbundling on investment, and the structural separation of Telecom.
It is my hope that this Conference will develop our understanding of broadband issues and determine how we can work together to achieve the best outcome for ALL New Zealanders.

Conclusion:
Once again thank you for the invitation to be here this morning. I anticipate that the Conference will be productive and make the most of the stimulating programme put together by LGNZ (Local Government New Zealand).
It is with great pleasure that I now hand over to the first keynote speaker for the day, Hon David Cunliffe, Minister for Information Technology.

Nö reira, tënä koutou, tënä koutou, kia ora tätou katoa.