Digital Hub Developments

Published on 31 January 2023

Rural City of Wangaratta is continuing to take action to improve digital literacy across the municipality by leading the management of Wangaratta’s Digital Hub for the next eighteen months.

Council has received funding from the Victorian Government to identify opportunities and test options for the long-term financially independent and sustainable operation of the Hub.

“Council is invested in the service the Digital Hub provides to this community. We advocated for it to be established and will now work to ensure it is able to adapt and continue,” said Councillor Irene Grant.

“Many people in our municipality lack digital skills, limiting and restricting them from using technology which in turn affects access to education, health resources, and social services – which all require levels of digital interface.”

“The Wangaratta Digital Hub plays an important role in providing our community with assistance and skill building to address this inequity,” said Cr Grant.

The Wangaratta Digital Hub in Docker Street has been open since 2019 as a centrally located accessible and inclusive place for people and organisations to foster a culture of innovation, develop the digital ecosystem, and build community capacity in relation to digital ability and the use of technology.

North East Tracks Local Learning and Employment Network (LLEN) ran the facility from inception and provided a valuable service for many community members. The challenges of the past three years of Covid proved contrary to the continuation of the service in the same model.

Rural City of Wangaratta is pleased to be a part of reinventing the operational model of the Hub which will continue to offer accessible and affordable digital technology services and opportunities for digital inclusion and innovation to a broad group of community and business users.

While the doors to the facility temporarily remain closed for the transition of the Hub between organisations, some of the services provided at the Hub including computer use and internet access, are available at the Wangaratta Library next door to the Hub on Docker Street.