News

QLD company’s COVID tests get European approval

Queensland biotech firm AnteoTech has gained European accreditation for its rapid COVID-19 testing platform and will now move to commercialising products as it waits to receive accreditation from Australian...

First round Defence capability grants awarded

Grants totalling $3.6 million have been awarded to 12 SMEs under the first round of the Industry Competitive Evaluation Research Agreement (ICERA) initiative. ICERA was announced last August and...

Facebook won’t rule out blocking news again

Facebook has claimed it did not try to intimidate lawmakers when it pulled news content from Australian users earlier this year in response to the media bargaining code legislation,...

Gig economy giants open to some reform

The largest gig economy companies in Australia have told a senate inquiry they are open to working with the federal government on minimum standards for the sector, but won’t...

Govt signs Five Eyes ransomware pledge

In anticipation of international borders reopening , Australia has recommitted to collaborating with its Five Eyes counterparts on migration, foreign interference, child exploitation and cybercrime – including the growing...

HealthEngine paid $3.8M for vaccine platform

The federal government will pay HealthEngine nearly $4 million for a COVID-19 vaccination bookings platform following a secretive limited tender process. The Western Australia-based medical appointment booking company announced...

Procurement policy holds cyber startups back

Australia’s cybersecurity startups have matured to a point where many have global potential. But a lack of support from the federal government in both policy and procurement is holding...

NSW gig economy guide ‘penned by Uber’

New guidelines from the NSW government aimed at improving safety in the gig economy may as well have been penned by Uber and ignore the compounding pressures leading to...

FOI exemption on data sharing queried

The privacy watchdog has urged the government to reverse its plan to exempt any information sent under its new data-sharing scheme from Freedom of Information requests. Legislation introducing a...

Boycotting the Industry minister is a terrible idea

That the tech sector should somehow disengage from industry policy because it is unhappy with Christian Porter’s appointment as the new Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science is a...

‘Unethical’: NDIS participants ‘lured’ into trials

NDIS participants, including some with intellectual disabilities, were “lured” into participating in trials of the controversial new independent assessments with “scam-like” text messages, former NDIS Technology Authority chief Marie...

Mine giant moves manufacturing to Victoria

Global mining firm Conymet Duratray International will set up a new manufacturing facility and global headquarters in Victoria, onshoring overseas manufacturing functions and establishing a new ‘innovation division’. Founded...

Funding issues put Archives’ records at risk

Digital information held by the National Archives of Australia will “likely” be lost without upgrades to its ICT and digital capabilities, the agency has warned. In a submission to...

MMI fund opens for recycling and clean energy

Recycling and clean energy projects are now eligible for grants from the government’s $1.3 billion manufacturing fund, with a 10-year roadmap for the sector also released. The addition of...