The New South Wales government’s 2014-15 Budget IT spending will help the state prepare for a digital future, according to the Australian Computer Society (ACS).
ACS CEO Alan Patterson said the announced ICT measures will go “a long way” towards making NSW one of the more “digitally connected” states in Australia.
"The ACS is committed to working with the NSW government to help develop ICT skills throughout the whole of government. Investments in technology are a great start, but they only show their true value when supported by highly skilled people, in the right place, at the right time,” he said in a statement.
The 2014-15 budget has allocated funding in the following areas:
The NSW Department of Police and Justice will get $81.9 million over the next four years for videoconferencing and ICT upgrades.
The $40 million Justice Audio Visual Link Consolidation Project will expand the use of videoconferencing in 99 courts, 34 correctional centres, nine juvenile justice facilities, 89 NSW state police stations, 10 Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions metropolitan and regional offices and 21 Legal Aid offices.
An additional $41.9 million has been allocated over the next four years to upgrade legacy ICT equipment in the Department of Police and Justice.
NSW Minister for Finance and Services, Dominic Perrottet, announced $148 million for spending on shared services for the government including ICT, as well as procurement, fleet, HR, finance and business services.
“Key areas of funding for the Office of Finance and Services for 2014-15 include strengthening collection of state revenue and debt recovery efforts, greater development of spatial data and mapping capabilities, and reforms to procurement and management of fleet vehicles, information and communications technology and other services,” the minister said in a statement.
The state budget also allocates $324 million for the Service NSW agency including a $190.5 million transfer from Roads and Maritime, with motor registries to be transformed into Service NSW centres.
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