A Digital Equity Living Lab in Doveton is being launched to trial new digital infrastructure and community activities.
Developed in line with the City of Casey’s Digital Equity Framework, the council is launching the lab to improve digital inclusion in the area.
The Lab concept will involve deploying a range of trials with partners, in collaboration with the community, to gain feedback to inform any changes for future plans and aims to increase access, affordability, and digital ability for Doveton residents.
Doveton residents are invited to come to the Digital Doveton Festival from 11.00 am to 2.00 pm on Saturday 4 June at Autumn Place to learn more about the trials while also discovering how they can take advantage of some free resources and provide their feedback on future digital projects in Doveton.
Casey Cardinia Libraries and Council are hosting Doveton’s Digital Day Out, a free technology expo from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm on Saturday 25 June at Autumn Place Community Hub and Doveton Library. The event will showcase new technology, including virtual reality and robotics, as well as online tools from jobs to training, government assistance and more. Residents also have the chance to win one in five laptops by pre-registering for the event.
City of Casey Chair of Administrators Noelene Duff PSM, said that all community members deserve fair access to digital resources and the associated benefits, and encouraged Doveton residents to engage in the free events and activities.
“Council is committed to building digital equity in Casey through ensuring community members have access to digital tools, skills and the confidence needed for full and ongoing participation in our increasingly online society, democracy, and economy,“ said Ms Duff.
“We know that Doveton has the highest rate of digital disadvantage and exclusion in Casey, and the Digital Equity Living Lab aims to build digital equity and empowerment across the suburb through testing innovative ideas and infrastructure.”
Doveton has been selected for the program as it has the highest rate of digital disadvantage and exclusion in Casey, with 2016 Census data identifying that 22 per cent of households do not access the internet at home. This is significantly more than the Casey average of 10 per cent and the South-East Melbourne and Greater Melbourne averages of 11 per cent.
Free public WiFi was installed in the outdoor public area at Autumn Place in December 2021. Since then there has been a significant uptake with 717 unique visitors since its rollout, and almost half of those users being repeat visitors.
For more information about the Digital Equity Living Lab and upcoming event visit the Digital Doveton web page.
