1. eDemocracy – a Queensland perspective Kerrie Oakes, Principal Policy Officer, eDemocracy Policy Department of Communities July 2005

2. eDemocracy – what is it? The use of information and communication technology, such as the internet, mobile and digital technologies, to increase public participation in government decision-making

3. Queensland context 3.7 million people over 1.7 million sq km 73% of Queensland households have a computer at home Of those, 82% have access to the internet or email Increasing number of people considering using the internet to contact government People aged 18 – 34 are most likely to say they would prefer to use the internet to contact government

4. Background Election commitment (2001) Whole-of-government project led by eDemocracy Unit in Department of the Premier and Cabinet (2001) CBRC funding of $3.25M over three years (2001) eDemocracy Policy Framework (2001) Four initiatives: -ePetitions (August 2002 ) – www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Petitions -internet broadcast of Parliament (April 2003) - www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Broadcast -online consultation – ConsultQld (May 2003) - www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au/consultqld -community engagement website – www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au(December 2003) Shift to Strategic Policy Directorate in new Department of Communities (2004) Revised eDemocracy Policy Framework (October 2004)

5. Benefits of online policy consultation Benefits to communities Increased access Safe, secure and simple Have a say in government decision-making Central list of consultations Benefits to agencies Additional tool to support offline community engagement processes Tap into new and diverse audiences Increases transparency Cost effective All submissions are easily accessible in a database

6. Challenges of online policy consultation Challenges Not always a suitable mechanism Diverse and public discussion Requires dedicated resources to develop, monitor and moderate Needs to be well planned, structured, timed and promoted Agencies need to provide timely feedback to people who have participated

7. ConsultQld – results to date Operating for over 2 years Online consultations on 16 policy issues to date 2,000 participants, ranging from 3 to 805 responses 49% of participants are women 71% of users from Brisbane region 72% of participants asked to have their views posted to the website for others to read 1/3 of users had never contacted government about issues important to them before using ConsultQld

8. Future eDemocracy directions in Queensland Get involved tools – eNewsletter, online poll, eSurvey and discussion forums ‘Get involved in your community’ Online Ministerial Regional Community Forums Capacity building and partnerships Central Queensland sitting of Parliament

9. For more information … Kerrie Oakes Principal Policy Officer, eDemocracy Policy Strategic Policy Directorate Department of Communities GPO Box 806 Brisbane QLD 4001 Australia E: kerrie.oakes@communities.qld.gov.au P: +61 7 322 45601