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Since February 2024, the resources and environment sector experienced a net increase by 7 projects and growth of investment by $3.4 billion.

This is largely attributed to one 35 year-long project that intends to secure the resources needed for Australia’s transition to net-zero. [SC16] The Government sector experienced a net growth of $1.2 billion, largely related to investment in Australia’s 19th national Census and the replacement of legacy systems to modernise Australia’s electoral systems.

Digital services are improving the health of Australians, including the care of older people. The 15 active projects in this sector, with a combined value of $1.9 billion, [CL19] reflect the recent increase in government investment in this area. 

Most of the funding ($1.3 billion) is for 9 projects to improve the aged care sector by implementing recommendations following the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety in 2021. This includes:

• [TG20] improving ICT capabilities of federal agencies to enable more effective regulation of the aged care industry
• delivering a modernised system that supports aged care service providers to provide the high quality, safe care that older people deserve
• ensuring nurses are available at all residential care facilities and all aged care workers are registered on a national register
• supporting the different levels of independence and care required by older Australians.

The remaining 6 projects ($6 million) are delivering new and improved health services, completing digital transformation of internal systems, and producing better online portals for Australians to access services.

The government is protecting vulnerable Australians by investing in law enforcement and online safety through 15 projects with a combined value of $2.0 billion [CL21] being delivered across 11 Commonwealth agencies. 

These projects are safeguarding Australia by: 

• improving access to cross-border information and real-time risk data on dangerous individuals and organisations
• enhancing data matching capability to reduce investigation time and improve the ability to combat organised crime
• contributing to a national view of policing information and criminal intelligence
• using machine learning and artificial intelligence to significantly improve Australia’s efforts to combat illicit activities such as money laundering and unauthorised imports 
• developing comprehensive registries and data lakes [CL22] [AC23] [TS24] to store historical information to allow authorities to identify suspicious activity faster
• automating border clearance and cargo processes to simplify government services while also improving security alerts and risk information.

Other investments are improving the use of data to combat the growing threat of scams targeting Australians (see case study on page xx), protecting myGov users by strengthened measures to prevent phishing attacks (see case study on page xx) and targeting disability insurance fraud (see case study on page xx).

Australia’s natural environment is vast and varied – home to different climates and unique native plants and animals, and subject to extreme weather events like droughts and floods. The government is investing $4.2 billion into 21 initiatives [CL25] [CY26] to help protect and restore Australia’s environment. 

This includes a long-term project ($3.4 billion) to comprehensively map Australia’s natural resources, including critical minerals and groundwater, to support the transition to net zero and enable responsible management of all resources.

Eight projects (over $535 million[CL27] ) are leveraging data and technology to enable rapid action to address environmental changes. 

Data, information and analytics are being used to better manage and protect Australia’s natural heritage and streamline work on environmental and climate risk assessment projects. 

Significant investment is also supporting emissions reduction and renewable energy mechanisms. A further 5 projects (over $104 million) are building the skills and data infrastructure needed to manage and monitor energy, water and diesel exhaust fluid markets and plan for future supply and demand.

Another project (over $104 million) is helping to improve the management of water resources and responses to climate change impacts in the Murray-Daring Basin.

A previous investment in this sector, which concluded in June 2024, modernised and secured critical climate and weather data services (see case study on page xx).

Education and employment underpin achievement and prosperity in Australia. The government is investing $512.5 million across 11 projects to reform this sector by removing barriers, enhancing outcomes and creating more efficient processes. 

Digital projects in this sector are using digital tools to enhance childcare subsidy administration, automate workflows, back up records, and connect service providers – improving quality and capacity.

Student loans enable further education in Australia. Initiatives are enhancing data quality and insights through organised information storage and automated processes and supporting more effective distribution of resources and a more efficient student loans system through integration of data.

Projects related to employment services are simplifying the user experience and reducing system strain. Centralised data management is enabling effective tracking of employment trends, driving data-driven improvements. Consolidating services onto a single platform will enhance outcomes and reduce operational costs.

The modernisation of Australia’s vocational education management system aims to expand the workforce. Initiatives are overhauling the administration of VET Student Loans and replacing outdated systems, which is essential to upscale apprenticeship programs and services.

An efficient tax and superannuation system aims to reduce unnecessary costs on the economy, while raising revenue to fund critical government services. The government is investing in 5 major projects in this sector, with a combined value of $803.4 million.

One project in this sector is helping to safeguard workers’ entitlements and address the systemic issue of employers not paying or underpaying Superannuation Guarantee (SG) entitlements. Another project is improving data availability and access to tools to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Australian Taxation Office (ATO) staff. This will enable enhanced data matching to minimise the need for staff to manually identify unpaid SG, while also reducing the reporting burden for employers.

Investment in new ATO systems has streamlined the process of managing tax requirements, supporting the introduction of lower tax concessions for people with large total superannuation balances. Reforms aim to enhance the robustness, equity and sustainability of the retirement savings system, benefiting a broader range of Australians and supporting retirees. Further initiatives are enhancing the ATO’s capability to defend against cyber attacks, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of internal systems and data.

Another project is making sure the ATO can meet the ICT and data requirements to support a global initiative to tackle multinational tax avoidance.[CL28] [CY29] 

Some of the technological foundations for such projects within the tax and super sector were laid through a previous ATO data centre project (see case study on page xx).

A primary role of government is improving quality of life for Australians through investing in domestic productivity. To this end, the government is investing $657.9 million across 11 projects in the industry, infrastructure and business sector. 

The projects are: 

• enhancing business interactions with government by automating and simplifying processes to reduce time and complexity
• improving reporting processes to meet community standards of transparency and fairness, which benefits business tenders
• enhancing cyber security, functionality and operational sustainability to enable the Australian Government to regulate, support and oversee domestic businesses – promoting economic growth and transparency
• addressing gaps in existing processes, ensuring timely payments to small businesses and grants to states and territories, and simplifying engagements between government and small to medium enterprises.

Geospatial digital projects are improving diverse areas like climate reporting, water, geography and demographics. Collaboration with foreign entities is boosting Australian research in climate change, clean energy and agricultural productivity. A partnership with the United States is leveraging expertise in crucial areas for Australia. Enhancing ICT capabilities to support Australian science and foreign affairs management is paving the way for future business and employment opportunities.

Agriculture and trade are essential to the Australian economy, providing producers and businesses with access to the international markets and contributing to the nation’s high standard of living. To create the right support for the sector, the government is investing in 12 projects ($1.1 billion) to transform import and export processes. 

Various agencies are making digital improvements, integrating machine learning into existing processes and developing platforms to support digital verification of trade documents. 

A digitisation initiative is modernising Australia’s agricultural export systems. Streamlining existing processes will alleviate administrative and operational burdens for businesses and will reduce the costs associated with exporting goods.

Other projects ensure compliance with a complex network of international obligations through enhanced information sharing and simplified system interactions. By enhancing security and functionality they enable secure, flexible and scalable business operations and initiatives supporting Australia’s:

• international trade
• cooperation
• regulatory missions.

This will improve interconnectivity across agencies and create flexibility to implement new programs, while maintaining the security advantages of an enclosed system.

The social services sector plays a crucial role in supporting the wellbeing of Australians by providing essential services that address a broad spectrum of community needs. The government is investing $621.3 million across 8 projects in this sector to modernise the delivery of social services, ensuring they are more efficient, accessible and better aligned to the needs of Australians.

Important initiatives to improve outcomes for people with disability include: 

• bringing together de-identified data from the Australian, state and territory governments to enable a better understanding of the life experiences and outcomes of people with a disability across Australia
• increased support for people with disabilities in securing employment
• improving capability to protect people with disabilities from abuse, violence, neglect and fraud[TG30] [AC31] [TG32] [CY33] [AC34] .

Another project is transforming how Australians access government services by providing a secure and efficient way for individuals to verify their identity online. [CL35] [CY36] 

Further significant investments are modernising digital services to support veterans, streamlining the claims administration process and ensuring timely delivery of payments to assist veterans and their families. 

For the Australian Government to fulfill its commitment to delivering value through its digital and ICT‑enabled projects, it needs to have robust internal processes and systems to support its operations. To support this, a total of $1.2 billion has been invested in the government sector across 12 projects.

Modernised systems are crucial for the APS to effectively and efficiently manage its responsibilities. They are needed to ensure Commonwealth agencies comply with cyber security policies. They also minimise vulnerabilities and protect sensitive information from potential attacks. 

Current digital architecture and ageing technology cannot support increased demand or maintain compliance. 

ICT capability projects range from work to support election services to national data collection, they: 

• enhance cyber security and reliability across several Commonwealth agencies, reducing shared cyber risks and aligning with government policies
• upgrade systems to meet digital standards, enhanced service delivery and efficiency and reduce errors 
• ensure the integrity of collected data to lead to more comprehensive insights supporting the development of policy and distribution of funds and services. [MW37] 

Across all sectors, consistent quality and timeliness of reporting to project decision-making bodies is essential for effective decision-making. To support this, the DTA is trialling a new standard for project data reporting (see Improving data collection across government). The trial aims to enhance the quality, consistency, and visibility of critical project information, ensuring that decision-making bodies have the necessary information.

Chart header: 'Projects are delivering benefits for Australians across 9 sectors'.

The chart provides a breakdown of active projects by sector, with 9 sectors worth a total project budget of $12.9 billion.

The chart demonstrates that more than fifty percent of spending ($8.0 billion) is associated with health and aged care, the safety of Australians, and resources and the environment. 

The chart further represents the breakdown of active projects by sector, according to their investment value, expressed as a percentage. Demonstrating that:

• $4.2 billion (33%) is invested in Resources and Environment
• $1.9 billion (15%) in Safety of Australians
• $1.9 billion (15%) in Health and Aged Care
• $1.2 billion (9%) in Government
• $1.1 billion (8%) in Agriculture and Trade
• $0.8 billion (6%) in Tax and Super
• $0.7 billion (5%) in Industry, Infrastructure and Business
• $0.6 billion (5%) in Social Services and
• $0.5 billion (4%) in Education and Employment.

Services Australia: Passkey technology strengthens myGov security

At a glance

Tier 3
$5.6 million investment (Digital $3.3 million)
Over 500,000 users
my.gov.au/passkeys

Summary

The Phishing Resistant Credentials in myGov Project has delivered passkey technology to prevent phishing-related attacks on myGov accounts.

Phishing attacks deceive individuals by posing as trusted organisations to obtain their login details. Recently, myGov has seen a significant rise in such impersonation scams.

In June 2024, Services Australia delivered a phishing- resistant sign in credential known as a ‘passkey’ to myGov. Individuals can now disable their myGov password and use a digital ID (Digital Identification) or passkey instead. This helps prevent scammers from accessing myGov accounts with stolen credentials or phishing scams.

Passkeys use the latest in cryptographic keypair technology and are simple to set up and use with a myGov account.

Using a passkey and disabling a password makes myGov accounts resistant to phishing attacks because the passkey only works with the website or app it is created on, which means it will not work on a phishing website.

Keys to success

To successfully deliver this project, Services Australia:

• conducted social market research to understand user, community and stakeholder attitudes towards security and sign in options, awareness of passkeys and potential drivers and barriers to adoption
• based the technical build on use and adoption of open, industry leading authentication standards
• implemented user centred design based on myGov user experience
• employed iterative testing, integrating testing with all myGov member services, using a 3-month private beta with hundreds of users, releasing via a soft launch in June 2024.

In the first week, more than 20,000 myGov users set up a passkey. By the end of December 2024, over 500,000 users had a passkey connected to their myGov account and over 200,000 had turned off their myGov password.

This is one of the first digital government services in the world to implement passkeys.

"It’s so simple and easy to use and I feel all of my myGov information is safe from hackers."

myGov user