The Brumby Government website eGovernment Resource Centre has been voted one of the top ten sites changing the world of internet and politics.
Information and Communication Technology Minister Theo Theophanous said the website made the Top Ten Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics awards, run by PoliticsOnline and the World eDemocracy Forum .
“The Top Ten Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics awards recognise excellence in eDemocracy and the innovators and pioneers who are bringing democracy online – we are delighted to be acknowledged in this way,” Mr Theophanous said.
“Attracting more than 20,000 visitors each month, Victoria’s eGovernment Resource Centre provides a starting point to get more involved in government and the community with summaries of more than 12,400 external resources and 1490 articles on eDemocracy and eGovernment.
“The eGovernment Resource Centre is the only Australian website to be nominated for these prestigious awards and will compete for the top honour this week in Paris, as part of the World eDemocracy Forum.
"It's a fantastic Brumby Government initiative, with the website’s professional excellence and commitment to democracy demonstrating that eDemocracy is alive and well across Victoria.”
The eGovernment Resource Centre provides access to the Victorian Government body of knowledge on information and communications technology on a huge range of topics from cyber security, to podcasting, to wireless connectivity.
Mr Theophanous said PoliticsOnline and the World eDemocracy Forum annually judged the best eGovernment initiatives, democracy think-tanks, bloggers and political thinkers around the world.
"To have a Victorian website nominated along with Barack Obama’s campaign website, MTV’s Choose or Lose campaign and beating out sites like the British Government’s number10.gov.uk is an outstanding effort,” he said.
“The eGovernment Resource Centre complements the growing community activity online and connects citizens with the information they need to get involved in issues important to them. The site and it is continuing to evolve and change in response to the needs of Victorians.”
Mr Theophanous said that he hoped the nomination would encourage more Victorians to use the eGovernment Resource Centre and make a difference in their communities.
Victoria’s ICT industry generates $24.4 billion in annual revenue, exports over $1.8 billion and employs more than 84,000 people. Since 1999, the Victorian Government has facilitated more than $1.7 billion in ICT investment leading to the creation of more than 12,000 jobs.
