Keeping up with digital - Tasman and Nelson are picking up speed

With the first stage of ultrafast broadband being rolled out across large parts of the region, it’s never been more important for business and the wider community to engage with new digital technology. Whether you’re a retailer; a business working its way around the cloud, or a householder trying to get to grips with online payments and school networks - digital is pretty much an everyday fact of life.

As a region the importance of this has been recognised, with a part-time digital coordinator being appointed to help organisations and businesses collaborate across Tasman and Nelson, and work towards digital success. The new role is being supported by the Nelson Regional Economic Development Agency and both Councils.

A draft digital enablement plan is already off the blocks, with a number of projects in the pipeline. Karen Lee is the new digital coordinator, and she says: ‘Digital development doesn’t belong to any one agency or organisation - to grow our digital success as a region takes collaboration and sharing skills and knowledge. We have many successful organisations in this area - now it’s important we help the wider region by putting systems and resources in place’.

First project off the blocks will be a trial Richmond SmartWeek event during the week commencing 27 June. Karen says: ‘we are trialling the SmartWeek concept in order to provide very localised engagement and education at a grassroots level for each community - if our first Smartweek is successful then this is an event we’ll be able to replicate at a community level across the region’. Richmond SmartWeek is being partnered with Tasman District Libraries, and will include a week of activities, seminars and workshops run across different venues in Richmond. The programme will include sessions to support local business as well as the wider community, with several workshops already in place. Organisations that would like to be involved are encouraged to contact Karen at karen@eda.co.nz.

Projects planned for further down the line include a Nelson Techfest and a local forum to share ideas and resources - providing a platform for successful digital collaboration.

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