Coolah Telecentre/CTC
History of the Coolah Telecentre & CTC
Under the auspices of the CDDG, the Coolah Telecentre was opened in 1998 with funding grants sourced from Networking the Nation (NTN), Department of Communications and the Arts and the Department of Primary Industries and Resources "Rural Communities" Program.
The Coolah CTC and CDDG have taken advantage, whenever possible, to provide commercial services; e.g. printing and binding books (local sources) but these opportunities are limited with the small equipment on hand and the volunteers are all hard at work at other occupations.
Regrettably, there are very limited opportunities to charge for services. Training can be costed but the paid employee is offered the work first to supplement his part time hours so again, there is little or nothing to the Group except in the small fee for Training Room.
With free Internet access offered next door by Library, almost all people seeking access go to the Library.
Technical support was seen as a "mate's rates" service and in the low socio economic rural sector; it is not possible to charge actual time.
Funding has previously been received for unemployed persons to do International Computer Driver Licence (ICDL) course in Coolah with a high take-up rate (2000 and 2003).
Also in 2003, the Coolah CTC gave access for online students studying externally when their socio economic circumstances precluded home access. They found difficulties with using the Library with distractions of many people coming and going and restricted room for privacy.
In all these cases, the people taking advantage of the Coolah CTC were at no personal cost or rates were subsidised (in the case of students) in order to benefit the user
With re-development of the Shire Hall, the Telecentre/CTC became obsolete and therefore all IT equipment was removed and placed in storage. Some items have been re-located to different sub-groups of the CDDG.