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Greater participation in the digital economy provides a game changing opportunity to diversify and strengthen regional economies. Effective, integrated planning for the delivery of high-speed digital connectivity and the development of digital capability – at a regional level – is critical to achieving this. This paper proposes a compelling vision for regional digital growth, where stronger interactions at the regional level between physical, digital and knowledge accessibility generate economic growth, through increased exposure to the digital economy. This vision guides and orients the development of a strategic planning framework to deliver regional digital growth, embodied by a series of regional ‘building blocks’. By assembling these building blocks in harmony with a region's economic, ecological and social contexts, the ‘digital region’ can be designed – a planning overlay which brings focus to delivering a region's digital destiny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Broadband Network (NBN) is one of the largest infrastructure projects in Australia's history. NBN Co is currently rolling out the NBN network across Australia which includes a network of interconnected infrastructure such as optical fibre cables, street cabinets, exchange buildings, depots, wireless towers and satellite base stations. Some of this infrastructure is installed in accordance with the utilising NBN Co's powers under schedule 3 of theTelecommunication Act 1997(Cth) (the Telco Act) in areas of environmental significance as defined in the Telco Act. In these areas NBN Co seeks exemptions or approvals under a range of federal, state and territory legislation. To assist in this process on a national scale NBN Co has developed a mapping tool that combines telecommunications infrastructure design, the location of construction activities and mapped areas of Heritage, Environmental and Cultural (HEC) considerations. This tool forms part of a systematic analysis of potential impacts enabling early identification of potential approval requirements. NBN Co also works with key approval authorities to identify opportunities to streamline approval requirements and identify possible exemptions. Further, the significant improvements and advances in telecommunications infrastructure and access arising from the NBN may be harnessed by the wider planning community in current and future development, plans and strategies as the NBN is expected to change how people live, learn and work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]