TasICT Election Priorities

  • Uplift ICT Skills Availability

Internationally there is a major shortage of ICT workers and the situation is exasperated in Tasmania due to us being an island state. Government support is required to work with industry on programs to close this gap including:

  • [Continued] funding of biennial industry scan.
    • Awareness of pathways into ICT for both young and mature age students.
    • Early introduction of digital skills in childhood learning.
    • Upskilling of teachers to support delivery of skills.
    • Upskilling workers in capability to support ICT activities.
    • Supporting skilled migrants.

  • Leverage Emerging Technologies

Advancements in technology, such as AI, to provide new business opportunities, ways of working for existing businesses, lift productivity, make the state more effective and create capacity. Government support is required to:

  • Encourage investment in new technologies.
    • Develop, and promote, guidelines for safe and ethical use of technology.
    • Adopt technologies within State Government to drive efficiencies.
  •  Buy Local

TasICT promotes businesses who invest in Tasmania through establishment of people and/or physical offices within the state. Government support is required to:

  • Ensure Government procurement policy, as part of procurement of both goods and services, appropriately considers business that have invested in Tasmania through an increased level of detail in the Local Impact Assessment process.

  • Adoption of Digital Services

Provision of digital services provides for seamless access to Government services. Government needs to:

  • Continue to invest in development and promotion of digital services to Tasmanians with a focus on it is safe to use such with the right attention to risks.
    • Promote Cyber Security awareness to assist both individuals and business with understanding the risks and how to mitigate.
    • Expanded telecommunications for regional Tasmania, addressing blackspots, leveraging contemporary technology to achieve this. ie Not necessarily fixed line services.
    • Invest in ensuring resilience in telecommunication services between Tasmania and mainland Australia.

Who is TasICT?

TasICT is the peak industry body for the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) industries and the leading advocacy and policy group in Tasmania.

TasICT is a non-profit organisation supporting more than 150 members (startups, small medium enterprises, corporates, individuals) across the State by engaging with the industry, consumers and government as well as national and international partners. The industry body plays a pivotal role in assisting government to shape future ICT policy and ensures the collective voice of our growing member base is heard.

The goal of TasICT is to support the state’s ICT industry evolve around long-term strategic initiatives to encourage investment which transitions to skills, jobs and further investment across all sectors.

TasICT has a strong member elected committee with representation from a cross-section of the Tasmanian ICT industry:

President: David Mills (MyState)Vice President: Karen Murfett (Data#3)
Treasurer: Kathleen Mackay (UTAS)Secretary: Charmaine Stanton (Hydro)
Committee Members:
Nigel Bailey (Spirit of Tasmania)Nick Bird (Bank of Us)
Mel Wagner (FortifyEdge)Georgi Brown (Red Apple IT)
Hayley Sheppard (Tasnetworks)Lainie Good (Intuit Technologies)
Chris Jackson (Fortinet)Russell Kelly (NBNCo)

The volunteer committee steer and support TasICT paid employees, CEO and Events Manager (1.6 FTE), to develop and execute on strategic initiatives.