❓ The Minister for Regional Development updates the house on the review of the Community Resource Centre (CRC) network, highlighting the government's ongoing support and future plans to enhance its services, particularly in remote and regional areas.
AnsweredQoN 673Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTRE NETWORK — REVIEW
673. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the
Minister for Regional Development:
The Western Australian Regional Development Trust recently
published its review of the Western Australian community resource centre
network. Can the minister please update the house on this review and how the
Liberal–National government is continuing to support these important
services?
673. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the
Minister for Regional Development:
The Western Australian Regional Development Trust recently
published its review of the Western Australian community resource centre
network. Can the minister please update the house on this review and how the
Liberal–National government is continuing to support these important
services?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Central Wheatbelt for the question. I
also acknowledge the 30 or so community resource centre coordinators from
across the length and breadth of the state who are in the gallery today to
watch the proceedings of Parliament. I welcome them to Parliament and thank
them very much for the role they play in driving the community resource centre
network across the state.
For the benefit of those members who are not aware, CRCs are
the old telecentre network that was started under a previous Liberal–National
government by Hendy Cowan back in the 1990s. That was an important network of
government information delivery. It was essentially set up in the beginning to
provide access to computers and the Internet for country communities at a time
when not many households had a computer. Obviously over time that has changed,
and most households now have a computer, and so the telecentre network needed
to morph into something new. Upon coming to government, the Liberal–National
government decided that it would put a renewed effort and focus into the
community resource centre network, with a substantial injection of funds—$40
million over the last five years—to revitalise that network and help
CRCs modernise their service delivery to ensure they continue to be relevant to
their local communities. There are now 109 community resource centres across
the length and breadth of this state. They are a central location for
government information, access to technology, education workshops, meeting
rooms and training opportunities. In many of these 109 communities, they are
the only government representation and focus.
Mr P.B. Watson :
Apart from their local member!
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
Yes, apart from their local members, who have all been very supportive of the
CRCs.
The Regional Development Trust was tasked with doing a review
of the CRC network. The trust received 98 submissions and held 37 meetings with
key stakeholders across the state. The trust has now published its report, with
recommendations for the future of the CRC network. That report is available
online. On the back of these recommendations, the Liberal–National
government has given our response to that review, and we will now continue our
work to maximise the role that the CRC network plays in the community and will
play into the future. The network already provides a very valuable service, and
our aim is to further increase the growth, relevance and value of the CRC
network to the community. We aim to improve access to all services, especially
in remote and regional Western Australia. The review talks about working more
collaboratively with local government in those communities, and I know there is
a determination to do that. The review talks also about better engagement with
Indigenous communities. During the summer break, I visited the Mowanjum CRC,
which is just out of Derby, and I was impressed with what it is doing at the
local level to deliver services to that community.
The Department of Regional Development will work with the
network to get the best outcomes possible. We are getting on with the job, and
I would encourage all members to look at that review and come to me if they
have any ideas on how we can enhance the service delivery of the community
resource network. A network of 109 centres across the length and breadth of
regional Western Australia is a unique government service delivery tool. We are
looking to make better use of technology to provide services into remote
communities in which those services have not existed previously. The community
resource network has a very, very strong future under the Liberal–National
government.
also acknowledge the 30 or so community resource centre coordinators from
across the length and breadth of the state who are in the gallery today to
watch the proceedings of Parliament. I welcome them to Parliament and thank
them very much for the role they play in driving the community resource centre
network across the state.
For the benefit of those members who are not aware, CRCs are
the old telecentre network that was started under a previous Liberal–National
government by Hendy Cowan back in the 1990s. That was an important network of
government information delivery. It was essentially set up in the beginning to
provide access to computers and the Internet for country communities at a time
when not many households had a computer. Obviously over time that has changed,
and most households now have a computer, and so the telecentre network needed
to morph into something new. Upon coming to government, the Liberal–National
government decided that it would put a renewed effort and focus into the
community resource centre network, with a substantial injection of funds—$40
million over the last five years—to revitalise that network and help
CRCs modernise their service delivery to ensure they continue to be relevant to
their local communities. There are now 109 community resource centres across
the length and breadth of this state. They are a central location for
government information, access to technology, education workshops, meeting
rooms and training opportunities. In many of these 109 communities, they are
the only government representation and focus.
Mr P.B. Watson :
Apart from their local member!
Mr B.J. GRYLLS :
Yes, apart from their local members, who have all been very supportive of the
CRCs.
The Regional Development Trust was tasked with doing a review
of the CRC network. The trust received 98 submissions and held 37 meetings with
key stakeholders across the state. The trust has now published its report, with
recommendations for the future of the CRC network. That report is available
online. On the back of these recommendations, the Liberal–National
government has given our response to that review, and we will now continue our
work to maximise the role that the CRC network plays in the community and will
play into the future. The network already provides a very valuable service, and
our aim is to further increase the growth, relevance and value of the CRC
network to the community. We aim to improve access to all services, especially
in remote and regional Western Australia. The review talks about working more
collaboratively with local government in those communities, and I know there is
a determination to do that. The review talks also about better engagement with
Indigenous communities. During the summer break, I visited the Mowanjum CRC,
which is just out of Derby, and I was impressed with what it is doing at the
local level to deliver services to that community.
The Department of Regional Development will work with the
network to get the best outcomes possible. We are getting on with the job, and
I would encourage all members to look at that review and come to me if they
have any ideas on how we can enhance the service delivery of the community
resource network. A network of 109 centres across the length and breadth of
regional Western Australia is a unique government service delivery tool. We are
looking to make better use of technology to provide services into remote
communities in which those services have not existed previously. The community
resource network has a very, very strong future under the Liberal–National
government.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.