The content on this page and other DCITA document archive pages is provided to assist research and may contain references to activities or policies that have no current application. See the full archive disclaimer.
Digital Content Industry Action Agenda
What is an action agenda?
Action agendas are a central element of the Australian Government’s industry strategy. Action agendas focus on what actions industries themselves can take to achieve their objectives.
With the Australian Government providing secretariat support, ministerially elected industry leaders devise and coordinate the industry to implement strategies for growth.
Why is the digital content industry so important?
The digital content industry is a way to describe high-value digital products and services being developed across diverse sectors of film and post-production, broadband, games, mobile content, broadcasting and ICT.
The industry has been estimated to contribute over $21 billion annually to the Australian economy or nearly 3.5 per cent of GDP and employs around 300 000 people.
The industry is transforming traditional business processes in finance, architecture, health and education, and is generating new opportunities throughout the economy.
Background to the Digital Content Industry Action Agenda
The Digital Content Industry Action Agenda (the Action Agenda) builds on two and a half years of research by the 
Creative Industries Cluster Study—a study undertaken by DCITA and the former National Office of the Information Economy.
The Action Agenda was launched in February 2004 by the former Minister for Communications Information Technology and the Arts, the Hon Daryl Williams MP, and the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, the Hon Ian MacFarlane MP.
The Digital Content Industry Action Agenda Strategic Industry Leaders Group was created to:
- identify priorities for advancing industry growth in the digital content industry across a range of technology platforms and industry sectors;
- identify critical issues facing the industry; and
- develop a strategic direction for the agenda.
For further information see the Digital Content Industry Action Agenda Terms of Reference.
Digital Content Industry Action Agenda report
The Digital Content Industry Action Agenda report was finalised by the Strategic Industry Leaders Group and released by Senator the Hon Helen Coonan and the Hon Ian MacFarlane MP on 13 March 2006.
Titled Unlocking the Potential, it identifies strategies for industry development in the areas of investment, exports, skills and training, and research and development.
The report was profiled in national Digital Content Industry Action Agenda Forums held in June and July 2006.
The Digital Content Industry Action Agenda Implementation Phase
The main strategies that the digital content industry will be progressing are to:
- establish an industry-based Investment Scoping Forum;
- develop a cohesive trade strategy and investigate an industry-based market intelligence network;
- extend industry-based training models;
- work on priority-setting and commercialisation issues with publicly funded research institutions; and
- progress longer-term issues relating to intellectual property, statistics and standards.