June 13, 2013
Yarraman and Cooyar residents who have access to broadband internet will now be able to communicate directly with Toowoomba Regional Council via a new video conferencing project launched today.
Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio said the project aimed to provide a faster and more convenient communication channel for members of the community to contact and interact with Council.
“This is a great initiative and will allow the public to directly contact Council officers through a video call and booking facility,” Cr Antonio said.
“With more and more homes and businesses having access to the National Broadband Network (NBN), and its unprecedented rise in speed and reliability, this is a very exciting time where we can utilise the very latest in modern technology to assist our community.”
Cr Antonio said the project was funded by the Federal Government’s Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and was trialled late last year.
“The service being provided is an online video-call / booking system which provides the ability for members of the community to access an online Council calendar, select a desired date and time, and make a reservation for a video-call to be conducted at that time,” he said.
Cr Antonio said a video-call was the facilitation of a face-to-face interaction over the web where a conversation and the presentation and viewing of documents could occur simultaneously and in real time.
“There are busy people out there who would prefer to tee up a pre-arranged time with an officer and have a one-on-one conversation, but without the need to leave their home or business,” he said.
“It will prove especially helpful for rural residents who may not have the capacity to get into Toowoomba to discuss any issues they have.”
