Service NSW bolsters digital capabilities

The NSW Government’s shared services portal Service NSW now provides residents and businesses with access to over 1000 transactions from 40 government agencies, according to the Service NSW annual report.

New partner agencies added during the financial year included NSW Treasury and the NSW Department of Finance, Services and Innovation’s Better Regulation Division, as well as state insurance agency icare.

More than 1.5 million MyServiceNSW accounts have meanwhile been created — an increase of 1 million from the prior financial year — and the Service NSW app has been downloaded by over 1 million users.

The smartphone app allows customers to check or renew licences, permits, registrations, driver licences and vehicle registrations, and view or pay penalty notices or fines.

Since adding the ability to download digital responsible service of alcohol (RSA), responsible conduct of gambling (RCG) and boating and fishing licences in November 2016, more than 30,000 customers have accessed their licences digitally.

According to the report, over 56% of Service NSW transactions are now conducted digitally. The NSW Government has set a target of having 70% of government transactions conducted via digital channels by 2019.

The agency has also renewed its focus on social media as a customer engagement platform, and its social media team was bolstered to be able to respond to 90% of Twitter and Facebook messages within 15 minutes.

Service NSW also rolled out its new payment services platform — an open payment services platform that includes support for a range of new and emerging payment types — and in August became the first government agency in Australia to support Android Pay.

During the year Service NSW also kicked off its Easy to do Business (EtdB) program, which aims to streamline and digitalise the process of starting a business in highly regulated sectors such as food and beverage (restaurants, cafes and bars), housing, construction, road, freight, clothing, retail and print.

EtdB has reduced 48 forms into a single streamlined online application, reducing the average time to start a cafe, restaurant or small bar from 18 months to around 90 days.

The EtdB program forms one of the NSW Government’s multiple digital priorities, which consist of initiatives spanning a range of agencies including Treasury, Health, Education, Justice, Industry and Transport.

Follow us and share on Twitter and Facebook