AIIA calls for $1.6bn NSW Digital Maturity Fund

The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) has called on the winner of the next NSW state election to establish a $1.6 billion Digital Maturity Fund to help continue to support and grow the state’s tech sector and capabilities.

As part of its pre-election platform statement, the AIIA has made six recommendations for the incoming government based around technology and digital government services.

These include establishing a fund to build on the work of the Digital Restart Fund, to ensure the state can continue to pursue being a leading digital government.

As part of this recommendation, the AIIA is also urging the incoming government to reintroduce the NSW Delivery and Performance Committee (DaPCo), which was disbanded last year and replaced by the Cabinet Infrastructure Committee.

“The Digital Restart Fund has provided many significant benefits and opportunities for NSW; it is now time for the next government to provide funding for the next stage, a Digital Maturity Fund, that will continue to support and grow NSW’s tech sector and capabilities,” AIIA CEO Simon Bush said.

Meanwhile the AIIA has recommended the establishment of a NSW Regional Tech Hub strategy to help diversify the state’s tech workforce in regional areas.

“Developing a NSW Regional Tech Hub Strategy, working with TAFEs and universities, is important to continue to upskill the workforce. There continues to be high demand for skilled IT workers in well-paying jobs,” Bush said.

The incoming government should also seek to improve customer service, digital identity and data sharing by driving digital identity leadership and uptake across the state, and pursuing opportunities for greater interoperability and data sharing both across the government and with the federal government, the AIIA said.

Other recommendations include promoting procurement transparency by implementing and reporting on the NSW Sovereign Procurement Taskforce Recommendations; building digital, data analytics and social science skills by continuing to invest in digital skills across the public sector; and embedding sustainability reporting and outcomes in agency activities and purchases.

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