Smart futures for the ACT region: Telecommuter hubs feasibility study

Help us help you achieve a better lifestyle/business/community

Sustaining Our Towns is funded by the NSW Environmental Trustwww.sustainingourtowns.org.au/

The problem: commuting costs people, employers and the community

Source: ABS Census

Approximately 36% of working age population

of Palerang

Costs: People

• Health impacted by stress• Work-life balance – less time• Job opportunities limited to those within

commuter distance• Large ecological footprint – especially for rural

residents• Petrol and other travel costs

Costs: Employers

• Parking provision• Office space and facilities• Environmental footprint –

corporate responsibility• Productivity and

absenteeism• Recruitment and retention

of staff – limited to commutable distance

Costs: Community

• Traffic & pollution• Accident & injury• Loss of participation in local economies• Loss of participation in local communities• Higher road maintenance and greater use of public

facilities• Larger environmental footprint

Is increased tele-working a solution?

Impact Change Approx value ($m)

Time savings 20 million hrs in commuting

630

Fuel savings 120 million litres of fuel 160

Carbon emissions avoided

320 000 million tonnes of CO2 e

6

Congestion costs avoided

5% fall in traffic 470

Overall value of 10% of population teleworking 50% of the time is $1.2 billion.

Source: Impacts of Teleworking under the NBN , Access Economics (July 2010)

Teleworking is working all or part of the time away from your employers’ office. Teleworkers work from home, in their cars or at tele-centres.

What might it look like?

• More employers facilitating their employees to work from home more often

• Modest re-fit to multi-function community centres etc to provide technological access for community, tele-workers, training etc

• Purpose-built centres in regional centres with priority NBN access, professional office surroundings, services, libraries and co-location of local business

A range of models including:

Our project

1. Recruit champions & engage local community

2. On-line survey of potential users’ needs, barriers & opportunities

3. Research ACT employer needs, barriers & opportunities

4. Research hub options and costs in Bungendore region

5. Develop business plan / feasibility report

Employers: Australian Federal GovernmentDept Broadband, Communications

& Digital Economy

Policy

Plans/Procedures

Practice

Digital economy Goals(includes teleworking)

Roll-out of NBN

Whole of Government ICT Workforce Plan(Includes mobility strategy and teleworking policy)

Australian Public Service Commission

Secretaries ICT Governance Board

Teleworking Unit

Anecdotal evidence of isolated cases of teleworking across the Public Service.

Other EmployersEmployer Relevant Policy

NSW Government Recommitment to decentralisation

ACT Government Commitment to cut 40% of 1990 greenhouse gas emissions by 2020

Local government Anecdotal evidence of tele-commuting

Private sector NAB, American Express, IBM – utilise remote or tele-working

Our strategy

• The Sustaining Our Towns feasibility study (with Bungendore region focus) is a way to answer the question – are there enough push factors that such an initiative could be viable in the short to medium future?

• If yes, work with Regional Development Australia Southern Inland and SEROC to develop a regional study and proposal to fund infrastructure costs

Are you a potential tele-commuter?

• Fill out our survey, here or on-line• Join our email list• Become a champion within your organisation

Are you a potential business collaborator?

• Join our email list• Let’s talk!• Become a local champion for our project!

Teleworking resources

• APSC Teleworking for ITC staff http://www.apsc.gov.au/publications10/ictretention.pdf

• NSW Government RTA Tele-working Manual (includes everything about setting up in your workplace) http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/usingroads/traveldemandmanagement/teleworking/index.html

• Tele-working clip http://www.nbn.gov.au/media-centre/videos/do-something-chairman-jon-dee/

Barriers & Opportunities: People

• Have to make changes to lifestyles and timetables

• Potential to feel isolated

• Balance changes in where you shop/access other facilities with more time and increased availability of local facilities

• Greater use of social networks, Tele-commuter centres and existing local facilities

Barriers and Opportunities: Employers

• Trust

• Security• Reliability of technology• Set-up costs

• Increases with greater experience of tele-commuting

• No real issues• NBN rollout• Less than savings

Barriers and Opportunities: Community

• Lack of available office space

• Lack of office services• Local shopping/

business limitations

• Refit existing buildings, look to funding purpose built

• Business opportunity!!• Business opportunity!!

What do we need from our champions?

• Promote our project through your normal work and networks

• Be available for occasional strategic advice• If you see an opportunity, let us know and

help us seize it!• Help us recruit other champions in useful

places!