Brisbane’s digital literacy push: what’s next for the city’s learning roadmap

The Queensland government is expected to release a detailed roadmap for digital literacy initiatives later this year, building on pilot programs that have reached more than 3,000 residents across Brisbane since early 2025. Officials from the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy confirmed to The Daily Brisbane that the next phase will focus on modular, on-demand courses tailored for small-business owners, seniors, and jobseekers.

The push comes as Australia’s Digital Inclusion Index, published by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, shows that about one in four Queenslanders still lack the basic digital skills needed for online banking, telehealth consultations, and government services. Brisbane’s tech sector has grown by roughly 18 percent over the past three years, widening the gap between those who can keep up and those left behind.

Roadmap priorities and pilot lessons

The forthcoming roadmap, expected to be tabled for cabinet consideration by November 2026, will propose sliding-scale fees for advanced modules and free entry-level tiers. Sources familiar with the planning say the model draws heavily on feedback from the Digital大使 (Ambassador) program piloted at the State Library of Queensland on Stanley Place and at the Brisbane Square Library in the CBD. That program paired volunteer tech tutors with learners for one-on-one sessions; participant surveys showed a 74 percent improvement in confidence using government portals.

The next step includes a mobile ‘digital kiosk’-a retrofitted van that would visit suburban hubs like Inala, Chermside, and Wynnum. The kiosk would offer 20-minute troubleshooting sessions and loan out low-cost tablets. While a formal launch date has not been set, tender documents seen by this publication indicate the vehicle is being custom-fitted and could begin operations by mid-2027.

New tools and partnerships on the horizon

Separately, Brisbane City Council is in early talks with Even Realities-the startup behind smart glasses without a camera that focus on productivity overlays-to trial the devices in council-run digital literacy workshops. The glasses would overlay step-by-step instructions for tasks such as filling out a digital form or navigating a website, without recording anyone. Council representatives have stressed that any trial would be voluntary and opt-in only.

The roadmap also flags a pilot partnership with the Queensland University of Technology’s Digital Media Research Centre to develop a chatbot, powered by the same large-language model used in the federal government’s myGov update, that can answer basic digital skill questions in plain English. Researchers aim to have a prototype ready for user testing by February 2027.

For now, residents can access free drop-in sessions at 10 library branches across the city, including the newly renovated Carindale Library on Old Cleveland Road. The sessions cover everything from setting up a MyGov account to spotting phishing emails. No booking is required, but demand has been high-librarians report that weekday morning slots often fill within an hour of opening.