SA Premier tours high-tech US city and looks to cash in on NBN
- — 10 January, 2012 12:55
South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill has toured a high-tech city in the US as his government looks to cash in on the roll-out of high-speed broadband across Australia.
Weatherill wants to build links with Chattanooga in Tennessee to learn how the US city has successfully used broadband technology.
The premier is in the US on an 11-day tour, his first overseas trip since taking over as premier from Mike Rann in October.
He has toured Chattanooga in the lead-up to the Australian government's widespread roll-out of the National Broadband Network (NBN).
"Chattanooga is an example of what a city can achieve if government and businesses are willing to solve problems through broadband technology," Weatherill said in a statement on Monday.
"After a history of being known for its pollution, the manufacturing city of Chattanooga has reinvented itself as a hub for high-tech and advanced manufacturing."
During his tour Weatherill took briefings from a range of business and civic leaders on various applications for broadband technology, including intelligent traffic systems, police and fire communications, stormwater and wastewater management and medical diagnostics.
He was also given a demonstration of smart lighting and camera technology which allows police to control the level of lighting in public areas, which has curbed anti-social behaviour.
Later in his US trip Weatherill will meet with General Motors chief executive, Dan Akerson, in Detroit on the future of Holden's car manufacturing operations in Australia.
Federal manufacturing minister, Kim Carr, will also be involved in those talks.
