by Rebecca Merrett

Budget 2015: $254.7M digital boost to government services

News
May 13, 20152 mins
Government

The Abbott government has set aside $254.7 million over the four next years to revamp the way citizens access its services.

The government will spend $11.5 million on a new ‘tell us once’ central portal where citizens can update their details online and have it propagate across all agencies to remove the need to update details with each agency individually.

Government grants will be streamlined through a common ICT platform and single portal for agencies for search and apply for grants at a cost of $106.8 million.

The government will also spend $33.3 million on an improved voice biometric authentication system when citizens phone into agencies’ call centres for services. It will work with the Department of Human Services and the Australian Taxation Office on this initiative.

The myGov digital mailbox will receive $7.1 million. Also, a mandatory digital service standard – funded by the Digital Transformation Office (DTO) – will be developed so that it’s consistent and efficient. The DTO will receive $95.4 million to get the digital service standard up and running.

“Collaboration is very important to the DTO so over the coming weeks you will see us ramp up our engagement with individuals and businesses, and state and territory and local governments as work on the agenda moves into full gear,” DTO wrote in a blog post on last night’s Budget.