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Australians will embrace e-government services provided they know they exist, a comprehensive study has found.

The Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) made the finding in an independent survey it commissioned of nearly 6,000 Australians.

"This is the first study to cover federal state, territory and local government together, and it shows that people will use online services if they know they're available," Special Minister of State, Senator Eric Abetz, said.

Australia's use of online government services has nearly doubled over the last two years, with taxpayers swapping standing in queues for Web transactions, according to the most comprehensive study of the subject to date.

Compiled by a consortium of Dandolopartners, Roy Morgan Research and BDO Consulting on behalf of the Australian Government Information Management Office, the survey of nearly 6000 Australians found usage of e-government services has jumped from 21 percent in 2002 to 39 percent in 2004.

The federal minister responsible for e-government strategy and procurement has thrown his weight behind a proposed review of the nation's privacy laws to determine whether changes are needed to accommodate new technologies.

Senator Eric Abetz, the Special Minister of State, issued a statement this morning saying he "could see merit" in a recommendation by the Privacy Commissioner -- who completed a review of the private sector provisions of the Privacy Act 1988 several weeks ago -- for a wider review of privacy legislation.

Almost a quarter of contacts people have with federal government agencies are on the internet, according to a survey that will be released today.

The federal government survey is the first of its kind to cover e-government at federal, state and local levels.

Governments must lead the way in tailoring services to meet customers' needs if they want citizens to embrace the new generation of multi-channel government services.

E-government and related policy initiatives are designed to reduce the cost of customer service and compliance while at the same time improving service quality and delivering a more personalized experience to citizens. Today, the basic drive to put services online is approaching its limits. A recent Accenture report into e-Government, "Leadership in Customer Service: New Expectations, New Experiences", found in Australia 96 percent of the services covered by the Accenture survey are available online.