News

$6m blockchain grants to reduce compliance costs

Applications are now open for grants for blockchain projects that demonstrate how the technology can reduce compliance costs for business. The Industry department will administer funding of up to...

Tech portfolios are where the bodies get buried

What does it say about this government’s attitude to science and technology that the Prime Minister ‘buries’ his two most controversial Cabinet members by giving them tech-heavy portfolios, regardless...

Porter the fifth Industry minister in five years

Embattled Attorney-General Christian Porter is set to become the new Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, the fifth person to hold the position in the five years as part...

Manufacturing Fund open for food and beverage

The $1.3 billion Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI) is now open to food and beverage projects as the government attempts to double the value of the Australian sector by 2031....

Transparency in Govt; The challenge of data

In an era where technology and the proliferation of data is creating valuable insights for businesses and consumers to understand the world around them, our visibility of government remains...

‘Dangerous future’ in NDIS tech experimentation

There is a lack of ethics and oversight in the government’s experimentation with new technologies through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) that could lead to significant human rights...

Squiz deep dives into the global fast lane

Home-grown digital experience platform leader Squiz has invested tens of millions of dollars in recent years building out its enterprise transformation products, and restructured in 2020 to put the...

On govt tech outsourcing and tax obligations

Greater scrutiny of historical tax behaviour of tech giants should be considered by governments when awarding IT contracts, according to corporate tax experts who argue giving the work to...

ACCC warning on ‘screen scraping’ and CDR data

The consumer regulator has warned participants in the new Consumer Data Right (CDR) regime to be both careful and clear with consumers when combining a customers’ data with information...

Over reliance on outsourcing a skills risk: ACS

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has warned an increased reliance on outsourcing technology projects to large multinational firms may be hindering the government’s long-term goals for digital capability within...

COVIDSafe costs up to $300k per month to run

COVIDSafe is costing up to $300,000 per month to continue running, with the federal government’s controversial contact tracing app not picking up any new close contacts anywhere in the...

AIIA defends Govt tech spending spike for 2020

Australian government spending on global consultant companies jumped 23 per cent or $225 million during the 2020 pandemic year compared to 2019. But the increase was not unexpected given...

Southern Launch gets first Aussie launch licence

The first Australian launch facility licence has been granted to Southern Launch, allowing the Adelaide based space tech to launch suborbital satellites from its Koonibba Test Range in regional...

Sovereign tech capability now critical: TechOne

Australia must use government purchasing power to build the sovereign capability of its local technology industry to ensure the nation’s critical systems are resilient against the next Black Swan...