1. Local Community Engagement 2.0
Insights from Annandale on the Web
Marghanita da Cruz
Public Sphere #2 Open Government Policy and Practice
Parliament House Canberra, 22nd June 2009
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2. Government and Annandale
• Annandale (NSW) 5km west of the Sydney CBD
• Land given to Johnston of Rum Rebellion in 1773
• Suburb was developed in the 1870s
• Annandale Borough 1894-1940s. Leichhardt Municipal
Council before and after. Harbour Foreshore Sydney City
Council.
• Electricity, Water formerly councils – now State Government. Private Gas
• Transport - Private Trams 1861-1961, Buses and RTA (State Government), Council
controlled roads. Cycleways on roads and through parks.
• Telecommunications free access through Council owned land
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3. Organisations in Annandale
Community
• 3 Primary Schools
• After School Care, Childcare, Playgroups
• Aged care facilities
• Presbyterian, Catholic, Christians in the
Media, Thai Buddhist, Yoga in Daily Life
• Community Centre (Yoga, Music, Folk
Dance, Art Classes)
Businesses
• Commercial Art Gallery (was Masonic Temple)
• Cafes, Restaurants, Hairdressers
• Newsagents, Real Estate Agents
• Small “supermarkets” corner stores and 4 pubs
,
• Post Office, Bank, Medical Practices and Chemists Furniture, Garden Shop, Book
Shop, Hardware Shops, Kids Toys and Bridal
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4. Annandale on the Web
• Established as a community portal, by me, in 1998
• History of Annandale sources:
• books, NLA online Newspapers/Photographs
• face to face conversations
• emails and telephone calls from visitors
• Local Environmental Information
• Information about Local Community
• Invitation to Subscribe to email alert
• Links to pages in Wikipedia and Flickr
• Inclusion of 3rd Party widgets (Advertising, US
Swine Flu Widget, Site Search)
• Annandale Walks on Google Maps
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5. How people get to Annandale on the Web
• Search Engine Referrals June
• Google(Images)-49.2%
• Google-42.5%
• Yahoo!-4.3%
• WindowsLive-2.6%)
• Hit Sources (referrals):
• Bing-9.3%,
• Bing(images)-1.2%
• Picsearch 1.5%
• WebWombat 27 % .
4
• Nicoga and
• Wikipedia (Annandale NSW and Beale Pianos)
• Online Discussion Forums
• In Google Timeline & Wonder Wheel
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6. Transport Challenge
• Webpage about Problems with Bus Stops - involve RTA, Sydney Buses, JC Decaux
- advertising/street furniture contract with Council
• Cycleway Marking (park
elsewhere please)
• Peak Hour Private Vehicle Traffic
through Annandale
• Search Phrases
• “bus stop booth street
annandale” ,
• “is booth street annandale a
busy street” ,
• “booth st bus stops”,
• “photos of pedestrian crossings with bus stops”
• “how to get from Central to Annandale”
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7. Engagement with Mayor and Councilors
• Construction of permanent home for Local Community Nursery (requires
remediation of State Government Land and before handing over to local council
for development)
• Maintenance and Management of
Government/Public Land and Water –
wetlands, bushcare – Adopt a Park and
Tend your verge proposals
• Draft Council Management Plan
• Development Applications for recent
commonwealth schools funding
• Escalation of reports of dripping taps
• Waste Management
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8. Questions and Comments
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