The Victorian Government digital innovation review
Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
For the Department of Business and Innovation, Victoria
28 September 2012
Prepared by
Craig Thomler
Managing Director
Delib Australia Pty Ltd
Delib Australia Pty Ltd
EMAIL
PHONE
FAX
WEB
craig@delib.net.au
0411 780 194
02 6254 4781
www.delib.net
Contents
Contents
THE DIGITAL READINESS OF VICTORIAN CITIZENS
3
OVERVIEW
3
INTERNET USE
REGIONAL INTERNET USE
INTERNET USE – DISABLED AND OLDER PEOPLE
3
4
5
MOBILE USE
7
DIGITAL TELEVISION AND GAMING
DIGITAL TELEVISION
DIGITAL GAMING
1
12
12
SOCIAL MEDIA
FACEBOOK USE
LINKEDIN USE
TWITTER USE
14
17
23
24
OTHER ONLINE USE
24
VICTORIAN CITIZEN READINESS TO ENGAGE GOVERNMENT ONLINE
WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE ONLINE
CITIZEN VIEWS OF VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT WEBSITES
26
1
1
HOW CONNECTED ARE VICTORIANS RELATIVE TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS?
HOW VICTORIA RANKS COMPARED TO OTHER AUSTRALIAN STATE AND TERRITORY JURISDICTIONS
30
31
IN SUMMARY
33
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 2 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
As a foundation piece of background research to the VPS Digital Innovation review, this report investigates
the receptiveness of Victorian citizens to digital channels and online engagement with government.
The report was undertaken by assessing recent public research and literature on Australian and Victorian
use of online, mobile and other digital channels.
Overview
Australia is one of the most digitally connected nations in the world, with high rates of computer, internet
and mobile use across the community.
Victoria, as Australia’s second largest state, reflects this level of connectivity and online activity and
evidences a high level of interest in active engagement with government online.
Internet use
According to the ABS, at the end of June 2011 there were 10.9 million
Australian internet subscribers (excluding mobile handsets), with
households representing 80 per cent of all broadband subscriptions.
Within Victorian, figures are reflective of the national average, with the
ABS indicating that 79 per cent, approximately 1.684 million households,
having a fixed internet connection, consistent with other large states.
Households with access to home computers and internet access 2010-111
Access to a computer
Internet access at
at home (%)
home (%)
99 per cent of Victorians
have accessed the
internet, with 79 per cent
of households having an
internet connection.
No. with home internet
access (‘000s)
Victoria
82
79
1,684
New South Wales
83
79
2,164
Queensland
83
79
1,347
South Australia
80
76
497
Western Australia
85
81
714
Tasmania
76
70
146
Northern Territory
82
79
51
Australian Capital Territory
91
88
122
National
83
79
6,724
1
8146.0 - Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2010-11 – Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – December 2011 –
www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 3 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Recent research has suggested that internet access is still growing.
Nielsen Online Ratings found in January 2012 that 81 per cent of Australians aged 16 years and above (14.7
million people), and 75 per cent of Australians aged two years and over (16.4 million people), could be
classified as active internet users (having used the internet in the past month). 2
Sensis’s 2012 Yellow™ Social Media Report reported in June 2012 that 98 per cent of Australians and 99
per cent of Victorians aged 14 and over had accessed the internet, including (nationally) 100% of people
aged 14-39, 99 per cent of those aged 40-64 and 93 per cent of those aged 65+.3
Regional internet use
There is significant variation in internet access by geographic location, with
a visible metro/regional divide. According to the ABS, 82 per cent of
households in capital cities across Australia had internet access compared
to 74 per cent of those elsewhere – an average variation of 8 per cent.
The variation was significant in Victoria. The ABS reported that while 81
per cent of Melbourne households had home internet access, the rest of
the state averaged 72 per cent, falling to 60 per cent in the Mallee region.
Victoria has a regional
digital divide with 81 per
cent of Melbourne
households, but only 60
per cent of Mallee
households connected to
the internet.
Households with home internet access by Victorian statistical division 2010-114
% with internet access at home
No. (‘000s) with home internet access
Melbourne
81
1,247
Loddon
80
54
East Gippsland
80
20
Barwon
76
92
Western District
74
33
Ovens-Murray
72
26
Central Highlands
71
58
Goulburn
71
67
Gippsland
67
55
Wimmera
66
9
Mallee
60
23
Other states and territories also evidenced varying degrees of a regional internet access divide (refer to
table on the following page), however Victoria’s maximum divide from Melbourne to Mallee (21
2
The Australian Online Landscape – A.C. Nielsen – March 2012 – www.nielsen.com/au/en/news-insights/reports-downloads/2012/australian-online-consumerlandscape.html
3
Yellow™ Social Media Report – Sensis – June 2012 – http://about.sensis.com.au/News/Media-Releases/?ItemID=1159&count=1
4
8146.0 - Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2010-11 – Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – December 2011 –
www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 4 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
percentage points), was only exceeded by New South Wales (29 points) and South Australia (23 points).
Maximum capital/regional home internet access divide by state 2010-115
Maximum %
home internet access
Minimum %
home internet access
Divide (max. to
min.) %
Victoria
81
(Melbourne)
60
(Mallee)
21
New South Wales
84
(Sydney)
55
(Far West)
29
Queensland
81
(Brisbane)
64
(South West)
17
South Australia
79
(Adelaide)
56
(Eyre)
23
Western Australia
83
(Perth)
66
(Upper Great Southern)
17
Tasmania
73 (Greater Hobart)
62
(Southern)
11
Northern Territory
82
(Darwin)
69
(Balance of NT)
13
Australian Capital Territory
88
(Canberra)
NA
0
Internet use – disabled and older people
ABS data from 2009 indicated that disabled people have lower levels of
internet access than other Australians.
Disabled Victorians were particularly low users – less likely to use the
internet than disabled people elsewhere throughout mainland Australia.
Only 50 per cent of
Victorians with a
disability reported using
the internet – ABS 2009
With 16 per cent of Victorians reporting a disability (ABS 2009), this is a
sizeable group to consider.
Persons with a reported disability, internet use in the previous 12 months–20096
Used the internet at any
location (%)
Total persons with a reported
disability (‘000s)
Victoria
50
876
New South Wales
51
1,126
Queensland
56
670
South Australia
54
296
Western Australia
59
314
Tasmania
49
99
Northern Territory
62
23
5
8146.0 - Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2010-11 – Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – December 2011 –
www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0
6
8146.0 - Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2010-11 – Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – December 2011 –
www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 5 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Used the internet at any
location (%)
Total persons with a reported
disability (‘000s)
Australian Capital Territory
71
49
National
53
3,451
Older persons
Older persons (aged 65 or over) in Australia have also historically reported
lower internet access rates.
ABS data indicated that older Victorian are less likely to use the internet
than older residents of any other state or territory excluding Tasmania.
Only 38 per cent of
Victorians aged over 65
reported using the
internet – ABS 2009
With 17 per cent of Victorians aged 65 or older (ABS 2009), this is also a
sizeable group.
Older persons (aged 65 or older), internet use in the previous 12 months–20097
Used the internet at any
location (%)
Total older persons
(‘000s)
Victoria
38
958
New South Wales
40
1,276
Queensland
45
719
South Australia
42
314
Western Australia
46
345
Tasmania
37
103
Northern Territory
57
17
Australian Capital Territory
61
51
National
41
3,873
There are indications that the use of the internet by older Victorians is growing.
COTA’s Older Victorians Online report indicated that the proportion of people aged 65 and over using the
internet had almost doubled between 2007 to 2011 from 29.8 per cent to 56.7 per cent 8.
No comparative research is available for other states to indicate if this is a fast or slow rate of growth.
7
8146.0 - Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2010-11 – Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – December 2011 –
www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0
8
Older Victorians Online – COTA Victoria & Ellis James – March 2012 – www.ellisjones.com.au/health-and-ageing/health-aged-care/older-victorians-onlinesurvey
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 6 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Mobile use
Australians have been rapid adopters of mobile phones, with ACMA
reporting as early as mid-2007 that there was already more than one
mobile service for every Australian, with 21.26 million mobile phone
services in operation at 30 June 2007.9
There have been more
active mobile phone
accounts in Australia than
people since 2007.
More recently, Nielsen reported that at the end of 2011, 51 per cent of
online Australians aged 16+ owned a smartphone, 18 per cent of
households owned a tablet computer and 13 per cent of households used an eReader device.10
This reflects a Google IPSOS Research study in late 2011, Mobile Planet, which reported that 52 per cent of
Australians had smartphones, with a significantly larger number of younger people using these devices. 11
Google has predicted that, in Australia, internet searches using mobile devices will overtake searches on
9
ACMA Communications Report 2006-2007 – ACMA – April 2008 – www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_310950
10
The Australian Online Landscape – A.C. Nielsen – March 2012 – www.nielsen.com/au/en/news-insights/reports-downloads/2012/australian-online-consumerlandscape.html
11
The Mobile Planet – Google and IPSOS Research – September 2011 – www.thinkwithgoogle.com/mobileplanet/en/
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 7 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
desktop devices by 2013.12
The Google IPSOS Research study also indicated that Australians had, on
average, 28 apps on their smartphones.
42 per cent of respondents said they expected to use more apps in the
future while only 3 per cent expected to use fewer apps.
85 per cent of Australian respondents said they accessed social media on
their smartphones, with 55 per cent accessing social media every day.
This decreased to 72 per cent for those aged 50+, with only 33 per cent
accessing social media daily.
By the end of 2011
51 per cent of online
Australians aged 16+ had
smartphones,
18 per cent of households
had tablets and 13 per
cent had eReaders.
Figures for mobile use were unavailable at state levels, however it is reasonable to expect Victoria to
reflect the national average. Therefore it is likely that over two million Victorians now own an internetcapable smartphone.
The Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation’s report, Interacting with Government—
Australians' use and satisfaction with e-government services—201113 provided an insight into how
12
Smartphones 'to overtake desktops for internet' – June 2011 – www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/smartphones-to-overtake-desktops-for-internet20110602-1fi1y.html
13
Interacting with Government — Australians' use and satisfaction with e-government services – Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation – 2011 –
www.finance.gov.au/publications/interacting-with-government-2011/index.html
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 8 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Victorians use their mobile phones, 79 per cent using SMS, 38 per cent accessing the internet and 33 per
cent using apps.
Based on the Google ISPSOS Research figure of a 52 per cent penetration
rate for smartphones, the type of phones required for internet access and
app use, the Department of Finance’s figures suggest that approximately
76 per cent of Victorian smartphone owners access the web and 66 per
cent are using apps.
By extrapolation, more
than 2 million Victorians
use smartphones, with
76 per cent using them to
access the internet.
Mobile phone use —Interacting with Government Report 14
SMS/text
messaging via
Mobile
Use the web via
your Mobile phone
or similar portable
device
Use an App on your
Mobile phone or
similar portable
device
Use a tablet
computer (such as
an iPad, Galaxy Tab,
or Slate 500)
Victoria
79%
38%
33%
11%
New South Wales
81%
40%
39%
15%
Queensland
81%
36%
36%
9%
South Australia
81%
32%
28%
9%
Western Australia
83%
34%
33%
10%
Tasmania
81%
31%
32%
11%
Northern Territory
83%
42%
42%
14%
44%
40%
16%
37%
35%
12%
Australian Capital Territory
89%
National
81%
The Google IPSOS report indicated that 82 per cent of smartphone owners use the internet (refer to the
chart on the following page) – slightly higher than figures extrapolated from AGIMO’s report (76 per cent).
This was highly age dependent. While 93 per cent of Australian smartphone users aged 18-29 used the
internet on their mobile, only 74 per cent of those aged 50+ did.
Younger users were the most active internet users, with 55 per cent of 1829 year olds indicating they had multiple internet sessions on their
smartphone daily, while only 30 per cent of users aged 50+ did the same.
Overall 63 per cent of 18-29 year old Australians indicated they used the
internet on their smartphone every day, compared to 59 per cent of 30-49
year olds and only 39 per cent of people aged 50+.
55 per cent of 18-29 year
old smartphone users use
internet on their phone
multiple times a day.
Increasing rates of mobile internet use have also been noted by the Victorian Department of Business and
Innovation. During the first quarter of 2012, 12 per cent of visitors to the vic.gov.au portal used mobile
14
Interacting with Government — Australians' use and satisfaction with e-government services – Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation – 2011 –
www.finance.gov.au/publications/interacting-with-government-2011/index.html
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 9 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
devices to access it. This had increased from 4 per cent during the first quarter of 2011 and 1 per cent in
the first quarter of 2010.
The Victorian Government has also been active in releasing mobile apps for citizens, with VictoriaOnline
listing 40 apps from Victorian state agencies and three from Victorian local governments, alongside 33
apps from the Australian Government15.
15
Mobile Apps – VictoriaOnline – 19 August 2012 – www.vic.gov.au/social-media/mobileapps.html
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 10 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 11 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Digital television and gaming
Digital television
Digital television penetration is rising, driven partially by the
Commonwealth Government’s Digital Switchover program.
This program will see all free-to-air television in Australia move to digitalonly transmission by the end of 2013.
By mid-2011 80 per cent
of main televisions in
homes across Australia
were digitally ready.
Victoria’s switchover to
digital televisions will
finish in December 2013.
The digital switchover has occurred in regional Victoria, with the Mildura region the first in Australia to
switch in June 2010. Gippsland, North Central and South West Victoria followed in May 2011. Melbourne is
due to switch by 10 December 2013.16
ACMA reported that by mid-2011, of the 18.7 million working television sets in Australian households, 80
per cent of main televisions, and 62 per cent of all working televisions had been converted to digital. 17
ACMA also reported that 97 per cent of new televisions bought in the year prior to the survey were digital.
Digital gaming
The Digital Australia 2012 report from Bond University18 found that
approximately 92 per cent of Australian households and 95 per cent of
households with children had at least one device for playing digital games,
being a computer, game console, hand held console, mobile phone or
tablet computer (refer to the chart on the next page).
While specific information is unavailable for Victoria, it is likely that the
state would reflect a similar position.
92 per cent of Australian
households have at least
one device for playing
digital games.
63 per cent have game
consoles.
In many cases these gaming platforms are internet-enabled, with most
modern game consoles and handheld devices capable of accessing websites and social media platforms, as
well as supporting individual and team-based online game play with and against other humans.
Game delivery systems such as Steam and the Xbox Marketplace are also encouraging greater internet use
by facilitating cheap online game purchase with fast playability.
With broadband widely accessible in Australia, it has now become faster and more cost-effective for the
majority of the game-playing public to legally download commercial PC and console games than to
16 When
do I switch rollout map – Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy – June 2012 – www.digitalready.gov.au/when-do-iswitch/Rollout-map.aspx
17 Television
18 Digital
Sets in Australian Households 2011 – ACMA – June 2012 – http://engage.acma.gov.au/the-small-screen-hits-the-big-time/
Australia 2012 – Bond University – October 2011 – www.igea.net/2011/10/digital-australia-2012-da12/
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 12 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
physically visit local games stores.
Similarly, the digital delivery of television and movies has become increasingly competitive with free-to-air
and PayTV channels, with broadband increasingly capable of delivering streaming high-definition content.
As a combination of the growth of digital televisions and digital gaming, televisions are increasingly being
redefined as another screen, with an active role, combined with a game console, Digital Video Recorder or
native wi-fi or Ethernet connection, as the primary internet connection device in the lounge room.
However just as mobile internet users use the internet differently to traditional desktop PC users, rather
than viewing traditional websites, the configuration of lounge rooms as a communal space and the slow
adoption of wi-fi, mobile or tablet keyboards, means that the primary use of televisions as internet viewing
devices has been for viewing short-form videos, movies and interactive social gaming.
There has been a secondary focus on social interactions, supported by social networks accessible through
console platforms or through the use of smartphones, tablets or laptop PCs as ancillary devices.
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 13 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Social media
The Sensis 2012 Yellow™ Social Media Report found that 62 per cent of
Australian internet users had a presence on social networking services,
with Victorians being some of the largest adopters, with 70 per cent of
Victorian internet users using social networks, compared to 59 per cent of
Queenslanders and 58 per cent of New South Welshmen.19
The report also indicated that Victorians who used social networking
services use them more frequently than most other states and territories,
making Victorians the most digitally socially connected Australians.
Social networking site usage – Yellow Social Media report— 201220
Of Internet users
70 per cent of Victorian
who use the internet use
social media, compared
to a national average of
62 per cent.
Victorians also use social
media more frequently
than other Australians.
Use social
media
Do not use
social media
>5 times
a day
Every
day
More than
once a week
Once a week
or less
Victoria
70%
30%
12%
31%
17%
14%
New South Wales
58%
42%
11%
22%
15%
10%
Queensland
59%
41%
9%
25%
11%
20%
South Australia
58%
42%
7%
25%
9%
21%
Western Australia
63%
37%
9%
29%
11%
14%
Tasmania
61%
39%
11%
34%
11%
6%
Northern Territory
71%
29%
11%
29%
15%
16%
Australian Capital Territory
57%
43%
11%
30%
11%
14%
National
62%
38%
10%
26%
13%
12%
By social media service, Facebook dominates, with 97 per cent of social
network users across Australia (98 per cent in Victoria) reporting they used
the service, with an average user spending more than six hours per week
on the site.
The 2012 report also found that Twitter and LinkedIn had almost doubled
their user share compared to the previous year. LinkedIn usage grew from
9 per cent to 16 per cent, Twitter from 8 per cent to 14 per cent.
Of Victorian
social media users:
98 per cent use Facebook,
19 per cent use Linkedin,
15 per cent use Twitter,
9 per cent use Google+.
19
Yellow™ Social Media Report – Sensis – June 2012 – http://about.sensis.com.au/News/Media-Releases/?ItemID=1159&count=1
20
Yellow™ Social Media Report – Sensis – June 2012 – http://about.sensis.com.au/News/Media-Releases/?ItemID=1159&count=1
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 14 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Victorians were above average in the use of all social networking services,
although not the highest users of any individual service, as illustrated on
the following page.
70 per cent of Victorian
social media users read
online reviews and blogs.
27 per cent post them.
Victorians were more likely than the national average to both post and
read online reviews and blogs and led the other large states in their use.
Use of social media by social media users – Yellow Social Media report—201221
Of social media users
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Google+
Victoria
98%
19%
15%
9%
27%
70%
New South Wales
95%
26%
19%
6%
23%
70%
Queensland
97%
7%
10%
8%
20%
64%
South Australia
94%
3%
13%
10%
21%
65%
Western Australia
97%
6%
5%
4%
20%
67%
100%
5%
2%
15%
42%
69%
98%
6%
9%
10%
26%
72%
100%
8%
25%
16%
16%
78%
97%
16%
14%
8%
24%
68%
Tasmania
Northern Territory
Australian Capital Territory
National
Online review / blog
Post
Read
To place social media use in perspective, the table on the next page provides a breakdown of social
network service use based on internet usage levels amongst the broader population.
Victoria remain one of the leading states, with 68 per cent of Victorian internet users on Facebook, 13 per
cent on LinkedIn and 10 per cent on Twitter, leading the national average.
This reflects the findings of the Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation’s report, Interacting
with Government—Australians' use and satisfaction with e-government services—201122, which is based on
data approximately 12 months older.
The Interacting with Government report found Victorians reflected the national average for use of most
digital and mobile channels, per the second table on the next page.
For example this report indicated that 47 per cent of Victorians used Facebook and 8% used Twitter.
21
Yellow™ Social Media Report – Sensis – June 2012 – http://about.sensis.com.au/News/Media-Releases/?ItemID=1159&count=1
22
Interacting with Government — Australians' use and satisfaction with e-government services – Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation – 2011 –
www.finance.gov.au/publications/interacting-with-government-2011/index.html
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 15 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Use of social media by citizens – Yellow Social Media report—201223
Of all citizens
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Google+
Online review / blog
Post
Read
Victoria
68%
13%
10%
6%
19%
49%
New South Wales
54%
15%
11%
3%
13%
40%
Queensland
57%
4%
6%
5%
12%
37%
South Australia
53%
2%
7%
6%
12%
37%
Western Australia
59%
4%
3%
2%
12%
41%
Tasmania
57%
3%
1%
9%
24%
40%
Northern Territory
69%
4%
6%
7%
18%
51%
Australian Capital Territory
57%
5%
14%
9%
9%
44%
National
59%
10%
9%
5%
15%
41%
Social media use – Interacting with Government report—201124
Of all citizens
Facebook and other social
networks
Twitter
Victoria
47%
8%
5%
28%
New South Wales
48%
6%
5%
28%
Queensland
49%
4%
6%
26%
South Australia
46%
5%
5%
23%
Western Australia
46%
6%
5%
25%
Tasmania
46%
4%
4%
25%
Northern Territory
53%
10%
8%
27%
Australian Capital Territory
54%
9%
6%
37%
National
59%
9%
5%
27%
23
Blog
Maintain own Read others
Yellow™ Social Media Report – Sensis – June 2012 – http://about.sensis.com.au/News/Media-Releases/?ItemID=1159&count=1
24
Interacting with Government — Australians' use and satisfaction with e-government services – Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation – 2011 –
www.finance.gov.au/publications/interacting-with-government-2011/index.html
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 16 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Facebook use
The Yellow™ Social Media Report found that Victorians used Facebook an average of 21.3 times per week,
ahead of the national average of 20.6 uses and more frequently than any
other state or territory other than Queensland. 25
An average Victorian
The report also found that Victorians had the largest average number of
Facebook friends at 253. This was significantly larger than the average
friends for residents of other large states or the national average (227).
Facebook user accesses
Facebook 21.3 times/wk,
and 1,107.6 times/year.
Facebook use frequency and friending – Yellow Social Media report—201226
Facebook uses/week
Facebook uses/year
Average friends
Victoria
21.3
1,107.6
253
New South Wales
20.7
1,076.4
218
Queensland
24.0
1,248.0
216
South Australia
16.5
858.0
251
Western Australia
16.7
868.4
190
Tasmania
18.4
956.8
251
Northern Territory
16.5
858.0
190
Australian Capital Territory
14.4
748.8
191
National
20.6
1,071.2
227
Facebook’s Ad Creator tool was used to build a view of Victoria’s active Facebook users. These figures
contain discrepancies due to optional fields and Facebook’s aggregation approach.
Based on Facebook’s tool, on 22 June 2012 there were 2,674,740 active
Victorian users. This is approximately 24 per cent of the active Facebook
users for Australia (11,066,420).
Based on ABS data, the extrapolated June 2012 Victorian population aged
13 or over (Facebook’s official minimum age) was 4,562,000. The active
Facebook users represent 58.6 per cent of these Victorians.
The average Victorian
Facebook user has more
Facebook friends than
anyone else in Australia.
Active female Victorian users (52 per cent) outnumbered males (46 per cent), with another 2 per cent of
users choosing to not reveal their gender. This reflected the national statistics of 53 per cent female and 45
per cent male, with 2 per cent undefined.
25
Yellow™ Social Media Report – Sensis – June 2012 – http://about.sensis.com.au/News/Media-Releases/?ItemID=1159&count=1
26
Yellow™ Social Media Report – Sensis – June 2012 – http://about.sensis.com.au/News/Media-Releases/?ItemID=1159&count=1
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 17 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
The largest age groups for Victorian Facebook users were the 26-35 (25.4
per cent) and 19-25 (23.9 per cent) year olds. Those aged 13-18 (14.2 per
cent) were the fourth largest, just behind 36-45 year olds and the smallest
age group were Victorians aged 56+ at 9 per cent.
The largest age group for
Victorian Facebook users
are the 26-35 year olds.
Facebook use in Victoria by age, numbers – Facebook – 22 June 201227
Age
Males
Females
N/A
All
13-18
185,760
193,620
540
379,920
19-25
317,540
316,760
6,040
640,340
26-35
320,120
343,300
14,880
678,300
36-45
188,580
243,160
12,000
443,740
46-55
116,380
162,550
8,510
287,440
56+
105,660
128,740
9,860
244,260
N/A
280
-90
550
740
1,234,320
1,388,040
52,380
2,674,740
All
Facebook use in Victoria by age, percentage – Facebook – 22 June 201228
Age
Males
Females
N/A
All
13-18
6.94%
7.24%
0.02%
14.20%
19-25
11.87%
11.84%
0.23%
23.94%
26-35
11.97%
12.83%
0.56%
25.36%
36-45
7.05%
9.09%
0.45%
16.59%
46-55
4.35%
6.08%
0.32%
10.75%
56+
3.95%
4.81%
0.37%
9.13%
N/A
0.01%
0.00%
0.02%
0.03%
All
46.15%
51.89%
1.96%
100.00%
Per the table on the next page, Facebook Ad Creator indicated there were significantly more active
Victorian Facebook users aged 19-25 than the entire Victorian population for this cohort extrapolated from
ABS data.
This could represent a combination of people lying about their age in Facebook and incorrect estimates in
Facebook’s real-time user statistics.
27
Facebook Ad Manager – Facebook – 22 June 2012 – www.facebook.com/ads/manage/adscreator/
28
Facebook Ad Manager – Facebook – 22 June 2012 – www.facebook.com/ads/manage/adscreator/
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 18 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 19 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
This discrepancy not withstanding, the data reflects extremely high usage of Facebook by younger
demographics, with declining usage in older groups.
Facebook use as a percentage of Victorian population – Facebook/ABS – 22 June 201229
Age
Males
Females
All
13-18
87%
96%
92%
19-25
118%
121%
121%
26-35
84%
88%
88%
36-45
49%
60%
56%
46-55
32%
43%
39%
56+
17%
18%
18%
All
55%
59%
59%
Geographically, 71 per cent of Victoria’s active Facebook users lived in
Melbourne and regional centres contained much lower percentage of
active users. This reflects the regional divide in internet access levels.
71 per cent of Victoria’s
active Facebook users live
in greater Melbourne.
Facebook use by reported location – Facebook – 22 June 201230
Males
Females
N/A
All
1,234,320
1,388,040
52,380
2,674,740
883,160
976,840
37,840
1,897,840
Geelong
21,380
25,220
440
47,040
Ballarat
13,100
16,020
380
29,500
Bendigo
12,660
16,080
280
29,020
304,020
353,880
13,440
671,340
5,014,740
5,833,020
218,660
11,066,420
Entire Victoria
Melbourne
Rest of Victoria
Australia
The demographics also suggested a difference between Melbourne and non-Melbourne Facebook users
across Victoria in their gender and age characteristics.
Melbourne had a smaller gender divide (refer to the chart on the next page), with five percentage points
separating females at 51.5 per cent and males at 46.5 per cent.
Across the rest of the state this gender gap expanded to almost eight percentage points, with females
dominating at 53 per cent compared to 45 per cent being male.
29
Facebook Ad Manager – Facebook – 22 June 2012 – www.facebook.com/ads/manage/adscreator/
30
Facebook Ad Manager – Facebook – 22 June 2012 – www.facebook.com/ads/manage/adscreator/
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 20 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Age demographics also varied.
While Melbourne users were more likely to be aged 19-45, elsewhere in
Victoria users were significantly more likely to be aged 13-18 or 46+.
This may reflect the comparative age demographics of Melbourne, the
level of internet access or the length of time that broadband has been
available in different regions of the state.
Regional Victorian users
were more likely than
Melbourne users to be
female and either 18 or
younger or 46 and older.
It may also suggest that, due to remoteness, older people in regional areas of Victoria are more likely to
use Facebook as a tool to connect to their relatives, whereas physical proximity reduces this need in
Melbourne.
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 21 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
This becomes more interesting when looking at a comparison between
Facebook usage by age in Melbourne, the three largest regional centres in
Victoria, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo, and the rest of the state.
Both Ballarat and Bendigo demonstrate a pattern of consistently younger
usage, with greater percentages for both the 13-18 and 19-25 age groups
and a lower share of 26-35 year olds.
Facebook users in
regional centres tended
to be younger than
Melbourne or users
elsewhere in Victoria.
This reflects global patterns in how Facebook growth in regional areas has
lagged metropolitan areas. In the future these regions may see significant growth in the 26-35 and 46-55
age cohorts relative to Melbourne.
‘Elsewhere in Victoria’ – which represents more remote and smaller towns in the state – has a significantly
higher share of older users. This may represent the age demographics of these regions.
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 22 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
LinkedIn use
It is more difficult to pinpoint the level of LinkedIn use due to limitations in
the site’s statistical tools, however LinkedIn claimed over three million
Australian profiles in March 2012, from one million users in March 2010.31
LinkedIn claims over three
million Australian users.
657,953 Victorian
accounts were identified,
being 22 per cent of
Australian accounts.
Within Victoria it was possible to identify 657,953 LinkedIn users by
conducting an analysis of users indicating Melbourne, Bendigo, Ballarat,
Geelong or Victoria as their location on 22 June 2012. This represents 16%
of Victorians aged 20 or older. At 22 per cent of the three million reported
Australian LinkedIn users, this is a significant level of use by Victorians.
Randstad’s 2012 World of Work report analysed views of LinkedIn by employers in Australia’s largest
states,32 finding that Victorian employers were less likely to consider LinkedIn important in talent
attraction.
Victorian employers (at 54 per cent) lagged those from New South Wales (at 67 per cent) and Queensland
(at 66 per cent) in believing social media should be part of any organisation’s talent attraction strategy.
Use of social media as part of a talent attraction strategy – Randstadt World of Work report –March 201233
Use currently
Expect to use in future
All organisations should use
Victoria
25%
36%
54%
New South Wales
29%
30%
67%
Queensland
31%
27%
66%
South Australia
17%
34%
67%
National
26%
32%
65%
Think is important as part of a talent attraction strategy – Randstadt World of Work report – March 201234
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
MySpace
Victoria
59%
34%
19%
18%
New South Wales
64%
35%
23%
17%
Queensland
61%
37%
28%
22%
South Australia
56%
35%
24%
22%
National
60%
35%
24%
20%
31
LinkedIn Surpasses 3 Million Members in Australia, http://au.press.linkedin.com/node/1159, LinkedIn, 14 March 2012
32
Randstad World of Work report – Randstad – March 2012 – www.randstad.com.au/about-randstad/world-of-work
33
Randstad World of Work report – Randstad – March 2012 – www.randstad.com.au/about-randstad/world-of-work
34
Randstad World of Work report – Randstad – March 2012 – www.randstad.com.au/about-randstad/world-of-work
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 23 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Twitter use
Sourcing current Twitter users for Australia is difficult as
Twitter does not officially release data by country.
However Social Media News, through an external research
process, reported that in July 2012 there were 2.1 million
Australian Twitter users, based on monthly unique
Australian visitors to the Twitter site.35
Using an estimation process (at right) using two separate
approaches, it appears there are approximately 504,000
and 528,000 active Twitter users in Victoria.
Datafication, a joint project by The Works and the
University of Technology Sydney, reported in November
2011 that there were an average of 5,000 tweets per
minute from Australia, 30 per cent originating from Sydney
and 28 per cent from Melbourne. 36
Datafication also reported that, per capita, Hobart, Sydney
and Melbourne were the most prolific Tweeters.
Based on the 28 per cent figure, Melbourne accounts for
1,400 tweets per minute – or 2 million tweets per day.
With approximately 500,000 active Twitter users in
Victoria, this equates to about four tweets per day per user
– or the equivalent of 1,460 tweets per user per year.
Estimation of Victorian Twitter users
(using two separate methods)
Population share estimate:
Based on Victoria’s population as a
proportion of the Australian population,
Victoria should account for approximately
24 per cent of Australia’s 2.1 million
Twitter users, or 504,000 users.
Statistical share estimate:
The 2012 Yellow™ Social Media Report
reported that 70 per cent of Victorian
internet users used social media and that
14 per cent of Australian social media
users use Twitter.
Extrapolating a June 2012 Victorian
population of 5.44 million (ABS Census),
there are an estimated 5.39 million
Victorian internet users (98 per cent of the
population), 3.77 million social media
users (70 per cent of internet users) and
528,000 Twitter users (14 per cent of
social media users).
Other online use
Victorians are active users of many other digital services, outlined in the table on the next page.
The Interacting with Government report – 201137 stated that 42 per cent of Victorian internet users
accessed news feeds (RSS), 22 per cent interacted in online forums, 19 per cent listened to podcasts and 6
per cent used social bookmarking sites.
Blogs were read by 28 per cent of Victorians and 5 per cent wrote their own, while 29 per cent read wikis
and 4 per cent contributed to them – indicating a significant, but relatively consistent divide between
consumption and creation of content.
35
Social Media Statistics Australia – July 2012 - Social Media News – 1 August 2012 – www.socialmedianews.com.au/social-media-statistics-australia-july-2012/,
36
Datafication, – The Works and University of Technology Sydney – November 2011 – http://datafication.com.au/,
37
Interacting with Government — Australians' use and satisfaction with e-government services – Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation – 2011 –
www.finance.gov.au/publications/interacting-with-government-2011/index.html
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 24 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Use of online, social media and mobile services – Interacting with Government report—201138
VIC NSW
Online services
Email
Read news feeds (RSS)
Instant messaging
Use Skype, VOIP (Voice Over IP) or
Internet Phone
Listen to Podcasts
Social media
Use social networking sites such as
Facebook
Read wikis
Read blogs
Post to an online community or forum
Use Twitter
Use social bookmarks (such as Reddit,
Digg, or Delicious)
Maintain your own blog
Contribute to wikis
Mobile services
SMS or text messaging using your mobile
Use the web via your mobile phone or
similar portable device
Use an App (Application) on your mobile
phone or similar portable device
Use a tablet computer (such as an iPad,
Galaxy Tab, or Slate 500)
Other
None of the above
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT ACT TOTAL
90%
42%
35%
34%
86%
42%
36%
37%
84%
38%
35%
39%
82%
37%
32%
34%
84%
39%
32%
32%
83%
39%
32%
31%
91%
53%
41%
48%
84%
41%
35%
36%
19%
23%
20%
15%
19%
18% 26% 31%
21%
47%
48%
49%
46%
46%
46% 53% 54%
48%
29%
28%
22%
8%
6%
29%
28%
18%
6%
8%
25%
26%
19%
4%
9%
23%
23%
16%
5%
7%
21%
25%
23%
6%
7%
27%
25%
18%
4%
7%
27%
27%
25%
10%
8%
42%
37%
21%
9%
10%
27%
27%
20%
6%
8%
5%
4%
5%
4%
6%
4%
5%
4%
5%
1%
4%
3%
8%
2%
6%
5%
5%
3%
79%
38%
81%
40%
81%
36%
81%
32%
83%
34%
81% 83% 89%
31% 42% 44%
81%
37%
33%
39%
36%
28%
33%
32% 42% 40%
35%
11%
15%
9%
9%
10%
11% 14% 16%
12%
9%
8%
9%
8%
7%
8%
91%
45%
39%
41%
4%
5%
8%
38
Interacting with Government — Australians' use and satisfaction with e-government services – Australian Department of Finance and Deregulation – 2011 –
www.finance.gov.au/publications/interacting-with-government-2011/index.html
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 25 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Victorian citizen readiness to engage government online
While Victorian citizens are evidently very active and engaged digitally, the question remains as to whether
they are willing and interested in engaging government online.
The Victorian Government Social Media Analysis report39 from nmincite provides some guidance.
Conducted over the period 15/12/2010 – 15/12/2011, this analysis reported on unprompted citizen
discussion regarding the Victorian Government and its agencies in social media. The report was designed
to measure the level of citizen social media discussion and build an understanding of citizen mindsets.
The report found that of 5,810 messages discussing the Victorian Government and its agencies, 51 per cent
were neutral in sentiment, 20 per cent positive and
Overall citizen sentiment towards the Mixed
25 per cent negative, with 4 per cent of mixed
Victorian Government and its agencies in 4%
sentiment.
social media
It also found that government news announcements
were a trigger for online citizen conversations, with
the dominant discussion platforms including Twitter
and forums. Facebook rated quite low in
comparison.
Common topics of discussion included the Victorian
Government and economy (53 per cent), followed
by health and community (31 per cent), with
environment and water and law and justice
following (both on 19 per cent) (refer to the full
chart next page).
Positive
20%
Negative
25%
Neutral
51%
Besides topics related specifically to the Victorian Government, a number of programs and processes were
regularly discussed by the public, with citizens displaying a broad mix of opinions and perspectives.
The report noted that Victorian Government news announcements could generate considerable
discussions on both mainstream social media sites (such as Twitter and Facebook), as well as in niche sites.
It recommended that agencies monitor both broad and niche discussions, with particular attention to
niche citizen groups to understand their concerns and points of view and whether there were legitimate
issues that needed consideration and to be addressed.
The Victorian Government Social Media Analysis also highlighted that the Victorian Government and its
agencies appeared to be innovative in their use of social media, with a particular note that content
appeared to be up-to-date, relevant and presented in an appropriate manner for the audiences.
39
Victorian Government Social Media Analysis – nmincite – 29 March 2012
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 26 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Willingness to engage online
AGIMO’s Interacting with Government report for 2011 indicated that 100
per cent of Victorians engaging with state government online felt the
engagement was useful, compared to 95 per cent of Victorians engaging
with Commonwealth government in the same manner.
Of Victorians engaging
their state government
online, 100 per cent felt
the engagement useful.
Online (including e-government services) was the largest channel used by Victorians to contact state
government agencies, accounting for slightly over one-third of contacts. Online was also the leading
channel for Victorians to contact Commonwealth and State agencies, though to a slightly lesser degree.
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 27 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Citizen views of Victorian government websites
Victorians regarded websites produced by the state government highly.
Up-to-date information
Victorian state government websites were regarded as equivalent to
Commonwealth sites in terms of content currency. When compared
against NSW and Queensland state government sites, the Victorian
government performed marginally poorer, with an ‘Excellent’ rating of 88
per cent versus 89 per cent for the other states.
Victorian government
websites are highly
regarded by most citizens
and considered easy to
use compared to other
government sites.
Ease of use
Victorian state government sites were regarded as by far the easiest government sites to use by Victorians,
with 75 per cent indicating they were excellent, while residents only considered 57 per cent of
Commonwealth and 50 per cent of local government sites as excellent.
In comparison to other large states, only 44 per cent of Queensland residents felt their state government
sites were excellent in ease of use, compared to 68 per cent for New South Wales and the aforementioned
75 per cent for Victoria.
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 28 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Designed to help get things done quickly
Again Victorian government sites were rated highly by Victorians as ‘helping to get thing done quickly’
online, a key performance metric for websites where user patience is measured in seconds rather than
days. 63 per cent of Victorian residents gave an excellent rating to state sites, compared to 54 per cent for
Commonwealth and 50 per cent for local government sites.
Victorian state government sites performed well against Queensland state government sites (at 44 per
cent), however NSW state government sites (at 68 per cent) were regarded more highly, but with a greater
spread of views. 100 per cent of respondents considered Victorian state government sites excellent or
good at helping residents get things done, compared to a total of 86 per cent of NSW residents for NSW
state government sites.
Designed to help find information
This was the weakest area for Victorian state government sites, with Victorians rating Commonwealth sites
more highly at 62 per cent indicating they were excellent, compared to state sites at 50 per cent.
Residents of NSW and Queensland both viewed their state government’s websites as better designed to
help find information than Victorians rated their own state government sites.
In Queensland, 67 per cent of residents indicated their state sites were excellent, compared to 57 per cent
of NSW residents and only 50 per cent of Victorians.
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 29 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Designed for all kinds of people
The Victorian government rated highly in this area (63 per cent), compared to how Victorians rated local
(36 per cent) and Commonwealth (39 per cent) sites and compared to ratings given by residents of other
large states to their state government’s sites, QLD (44 per cent) and NSW (39 per cent).
How connected are Victorians relative to other jurisdictions?
Compared to national averages, Victoria does well in both internet and social media use.
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 30 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Commonwealth and Victorian internet and social media use compared
Australians accessing
the internet (98%)
Victorians accessing
the internet (99%)
Australian h/holds with
home net access (79%)
Victorian h/holds with
home net access (79%)
Commonwealth agencies
using social media (73%)
Victorian agencies
using social media (76%)
Australians using
social media (62%)
Victorians using
social media (70%)
Compared to other Australian state and territory jurisdictions, Victoria was ranked third overall for
household internet access, second for overall social media use and either 2 nd or 3rd for most social network
channels – making Victorians the most connected social media users in Australia across the board.
However Victoria was rated lower than the other large states in mobile use, as well as for internet use by
older people and people with disabilities.
Victoria also had the third largest metro/rural divide in internet use, with the Mallee region, at 60 per cent,
as the regional area with the lowest level of household internet access, behind Melbourne at 81 per cent.
How Victoria ranks compared to other Australian state and territory jurisdictions
Rating*
Ranking
Usage
National
Average
Internet use
Access the internet (Sensis 2012)
2nd
99%
98%

Household internet access (ABS 2011)
3rd
79%
79%

By older people (aged 65+) (ABS 2009)
7th
38%
41%

By persons with a disability (ABS 2009)
7th
50%
57%

Metro/rural connection divide (small is better) (ABS 2011)
6th
21%
18%**

Social media
Social media use (by internet users) (Sensis 2012)
2nd
70%
62%

Facebook use (by social media users) (Sensis 2012)
3rd
98%
87%

LinkedIn use (by social media users) (Sensis 2012)
2nd
19%
16%

Twitter use (by social media users) (Sensis 2012)
3rd
15%
14%

Google+ use (by social media users) (Sensis 2012)
5th
9%
8%

The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 31 of 34
Digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Post reviews/blog posts (by social media users) (Sensis 2012)
2nd
27%
24%

Read reviews/blogs (by social media users) (Sensis 2012)
3rd
70%
68%

Mobile
Use SMS/text messaging (AGIMO 2011)
8th
79%
81%

Use web via mobile device (AGIMO 2011)
4th
38%
37%

Use mobile apps (AGIMO 2011)
6th
33%
39%

Use a tablet computer (Google 2012)
4th
11%
12%

*
Rating based on ranking. 1st = , 2nd – 3rd = , 4th– 6th = , 7th– 8th = 
**
Excludes ACT in average as the Territory is considered metro only.
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 32 of 34
In summary
In summary
Victorians have adopted digital channels enmasse, though some disadvantage remains.
Approximately 99 per cent of Victorians use the internet according to the 2012 Yellow Social Media report,
while 79 per cent of households have internet access according to the (one year older) Interacting with
Government 2011 report.
There are several ‘digital divides’ in Victoria, with people living outside of Melbourne and both disabled
and older (65+) Victorians significantly less likely to use the internet.



Based on ABS (2010-11) data, there was a metro/regional divide of 21 per cent – from Melbourne,
where 81 per cent of households had internet access, and the least connected region of Mallee at
60 per cent.
Based on ABS (2009) data, only 50 per cent of disabled persons in Victoria accessed the internet –
less than in any other mainland state or territory.
Based on ABS (2009) data, only 38 per cent of Victorians aged 65+ accessed the internet – also less
than in any other mainland state or territory. The latest report from COTA has indicated that has
improved and in 2011 reached 57.6 per cent.
Mobile is an increasingly important channel
Of the approximately 52 per cent of Victorians with smartphones, 76% are using them to access the
internet and 66 per cent are using mobile apps.
Google has predicting that by 2013 more than half of internet searches in Australia will be via mobile
devices.
The DBI reports that 12 per cent of visits to the vic.gov.au portal came from mobile devices in January–
March 2012, up from 4 per cent in the same period in 2011 and 1 per cent in the same period for 2010,
reflecting a rapid increase in mobile internet use.
The next significant digital channel is likely to be in the lounge room
Victoria will complete its digital television switchover in December 2013, with much of the state already
fully digital. This offers potential as a new internet channel, particularly as over 63 per cent of Australian
households have a game console, many internet-enabled and used to download games and videos.
Digital televisions are also increasingly directly internet-enabled, and with the potential to use tablets and
mobile phones as control devices, or to view internet-enhanced television content, there is potential for
delivery of multimedia specific online content to citizens and to interact with them using internet social
media channels via television.
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 33 of 34
In summary
Victorians are heavy social media users
Victorians are some of the most active daily users of Facebook and on average have more friends than
users from other states and territories. Victorians are also active users of LinkedIn, Twitter and Google Plus
and blogs.
On average Victorian Facebook users accessed the service 1,107 times per year and had 253 friends
Victorians are interested in talking about and engaging government online
Victorians indicated a more positive view of Victorian Government websites than NSW and Queensland
residents had of their state governments’ websites, on measures such as easy of use, design and getting
things done.
Victorians have also demonstrated a willingness to discuss government and public policy topics on social
media services, with nmincite also finding that government news announcements were a trigger for citizen
conversations online.
Online has become the top channel for Victorians engaging the Victorian Government and 100 per cent
of Victorians who reported engaging with state government online felt the engagement was useful.
The Victorian Government digital innovation review Part B: The digital readiness of Victorian citizens
Page 34 of 34