The Group will play a key role in supporting progress towards Target 17 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap—working towards equal levels of digital inclusion for First Nations people by 2026.
The Group will work closely with First Nations people to identify solutions which will have the greatest impact.
The Group will be chaired by Ms Dorothy West OAM, who has extensive experience across media and broadcasting sector, and is a strong advocate for digital inclusion for First Nations people. Ms West is a Noongar woman from the south west of Western Australia and has served as a member of the SBS Board since 2012. Other members of the Group are:
- Associate Professor Lyndon Ormond-Parker, an expert in First Nations digital inclusion, cultural heritage and on-country learning
- Professor Bronwyn Carlson, an expert in First Nations social media use and online safety
- Ms Talei Elu, a community advocate for digital inclusion and member of the Queensland Government First Nations Consultative Committee
- Ms Naomi Moran, the Chair of First Nations Media Australia (FNMA) and General Manager of Koori Mail Newspaper.
The Advisory Group will provide advice on how the Government can best support progress towards Target 17, by identifying practical measures across the telecommunications, media and broadcasting sector. This work will complement broader efforts across government, industry and the not-for-profit sector to support digital inclusion.
Achieving this goal will help enable a range of benefits for First Nations Australians, including employment opportunities, social connectedness, and improved access to online services such as telehealth and online education.
For more information on the Advisory Group, including its membership, visit the First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group page.
Contributions to the work of the group are welcome and can be sent to FirstNationsDigitalInclusion@infrastructure.gov.au.