Australian Digital Council has first meeting

The Australian Digital Council — consisting of Ministers from the federal and all state and territory governments — convened for its inaugural meeting on Friday, agreeing to improve collaboration between jurisdictions on data sharing and digital service delivery transformation initiatives.

At the meeting, participating Ministers agreed to establish a taskforce of senior officials dedicated to fostering coordination between jurisdictions on such initiatives, and analysing the projects already underway.

As part of this work, the taskforce has also been instructed to explore how a national data system for sharing between jurisdictions can be established, and the barriers to data sharing that must be overcome.

The taskforce will also scope a project aimed at improving data sharing on people with disabilities, examine opportunities for the development of secure building management systems and seek to collaborate to transform services based around life events such as the registration of births and deaths.

At the meeting, Ministers also agreed to prioritise development of improved government services based around digital identity.

Each participant also shared an update on the key data and digital priorities underway in their jurisdictions, such as the federal government’s GovPass secure digital identity service, the Digital NSW Accelerator, and Victoria’s API gateway initiative.

Ministers also detailed their efforts to reform legislation governing data sharing and release, as well as the various state and territory digital transformation initiatives and agenda aimed at making more effective use of government data.

Ministers meanwhile discussed the need to address the digital divide and ensure equitable access to digital transformation for all Australians.

The next meeting of the Australian Digital Council will take place early next year, with the council agreeing to meet again within three months.

Image courtesy PM&C.

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