IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The Department of Human Services has a new “chief citizen experience officer” who hopes digital transformation can bring relief to both disgruntled clients and frazzled frontline staff, but the government continues to send mixed messages about its priorities in the portfolio.

Mukul Agrawal, who moved into the challenging role from AMP in November, spoke about his hope that simple forms of artificial intelligence can make dealing with Medicare or Centrelink a quicker, easier and more personalised experience, at the Australian Information Industry Association’s recent conference on the future of work.

There were quick arguments raised on the new scheme being unfeasible for the people. The critics are of the view that this system wouldn’t be able to provide safe record-keeping for the patients.

Mikael Hagstrom, vice-president of SAS, a global leader in data analysis software, says Australia isn't alone. Health care worldwide lags the banking, telco, retail and other sectors in the application of intelligence tools. He claims advances in digital imaging, diagnostic tools, real-time electronic medical records and the ability to mine patient information from data streamed live from remote monitoring systems will "transform healthcare delivery".

CSC, one of the world’s largest health system integrator in an issued statement had welcomed and cheered the election of O’ Farrell Coalition Government and anticipated a new era of e-health services in Australia.

NCSS provides opportunities for Australian high school students to learn computer-programming skills with the hope of attracting them to ICT-related subjects at university.

NCSS is petitioning the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), urging it to support a draft of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies Foundation to Year 10.

With an eye to the federal government's e-health program, the NHCCN is developing a "centralised, comprehensive and reliable" online directory of healthcare providers.

"The directory is designed to provide a searchable and up-to-date listing of medical centres, pharmacies, dental services, hospitals and community health services, giving people better information on local resources," its annual report said.

The Harbour City missed out on making it into the top twenty in the 2024 Smart City Index

Think your scorecard at trivia is rapidly declining? You might not be wrong – with the 2024 Smart Cities Index revealing that Sydney’s smart status is on a downhill trajectory. The annual study has released its list of the smartest cities for 2024, and this year, the Harbour City didn’t even make the top twenty – dropping from 18th smartest city in the world in 2023 to the 22nd smartest in 2024.

Our nation’s capital, Canberra, just clinched the third spot in the global ranking, holding its ground against 141 other contenders. Bravo, to the 'Berra! But what does it mean for Sydneysiders?

New South Wales (NSW) is to build a single, centralised payments system for all agencies in the state to use, tender documents have revealed.

Service NSW - the agency charged with bringing together all citizen-facing public services - has published documents seeking commercial interest in building the new system to handle online payments made by citizens.

The Australian State of New South Wales' (NSW’s) new Customer Services Commissioner, Michael Pratt, says one of the streamlined service delivery strategies he is considering could see all NSW licences replaced by a single smart card that records multiple licences the bearer holds. Pratt said he can also foresee licences finding their way into smartphones.

Making that happen, he added, could mean re-alignment of the State's IT operations into something akin to shared services operations.

The addition of Barbara Reed, Lee Barnett, and Steve Hodgkinson expands the panel to nine members.

The NSW Government has detailed its strategy to boost the state's digital economy, as part of the O'Farrell administration's plan to help the state adapt to disruptive innovation and increasing competition from emerging economies.

The Industry Action Plan for the Digital Economy, released by Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Stoner, includes a $6.7 million innovation initiative to identify opportunities and challenges for the state, as well as smart work hubs and the implementation of the NSW Government's open data initiative.

Data will be updated every few minutes.

New South Wales state in Australia is providing customers with real-time data on the waiting time at its service centres.

The data will be updated “every few minutes” and is available for 30 service centres, said Service NSW, the agency responsible for bringing the state’s citizen-facing services together. The information can be accessed through the Service NSW mobile app and web site.

Businesses in the startup and emerging tech sectors are being invited by the New South Wales government to join its $3 million Smart City Innovation Challenges.

The first of three Innovation Challenges will be launched in April, with each challenge to award $1 million to a winner who will then partner with the state government.

ICT minister Greg Pearce released the official government ICT strategy, which has been developed in tandem with the state's various new ICT working groups and advisory panels.

"NSW residents expect government to keep up with the times and to be available whenever and wherever they need," The Australian quotes Pearce as saying.

About 6600 homes and businesses in NSW have been added to the high-speed broadband rollout list.

They will join the 131,500 premises already able to access the NBN across Australia.

The latest rollout should take about 12 months to complete.

The Alliance, which consists of Wellington Blayney and Cabonne Councils and Central Tablelands Water, has been involved in the research and development of shared services as an alternate delivery model since 2011.

But many people may not be all that aware of it.

Integratedliving’s Staying Strong with Telehealth service operates within Parkes and surrounding areas and offers remote monitoring of a person’s vital health signs and symptoms in their own home through effective use of technology.

About 27,000 premises are connected to the National Broadband Network's (NBN) wireless internet across the State, with work on building towers to connect a further 30,000 premises by the end of 2015 under way.

The new service was set up by the Southern NSW Medicare Local (SNSWML) in response to an identified gap in psychiatric services.

It allows people with significant mental health issues to have a comprehensive psychiatric assessment or a medication review without the three-month wait to see a visiting psychiatrist or a trip to Canberra or Nowra to consult a private practitioner.

Global research seminar series tackles SDGs

Academics from some of the world's top institutions will come together in August to brainstorm ideas to create more sustainable cities and communities.

Over a series of three virtual workshops, from 2-15 August, academics from Cornell University, UCL and Tata Institute of Social Sciences will join colleagues from the University of Sydney as well as industry representatives and non-government organisations, to discuss ideas to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.