Australia cuts funding for digital ID agency despite prioritizing digitization

The budget and staff of Australia’s Digital Transformation Agency (DTA), which runs the country’s digital ID efforts, will be reduced, despite an emphasis on digital transformation in the budget with an overall AU$1.2 billion (approximately US$941 million) price tag, InnovationAus reports.

The budget cuts the DTA’s funding by $90 million ($70.5 million) from $425.5 million ($333.2 million) to $336 million ($263 million), with staff reduced from 255 to 227 over the course of the fiscal year.

More than $200 million is earmarked for the myGov digital ID platform, which is set to be replaced by GovDXP. Three systems integrators were selected by the DTA to advance the project, including Deloitte, which signed a reported six-month, $4.6 million contract in March.

The DTA was recently relocated from Services Australia to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The government has also allocated over $421 million in funding to develop the My Health Record sectoral digital ID. Funding is also allocated to align government back-end systems, and to fund the development of the country’s AI ecosystem.

NSW establishes digital ID advisory board

The New South Wales Government is standing up a digital identity advisory council to help facilitate public-private sector collaboration and support a holistic approach to implementing new identity processes and technologies, reports iTnews.

The digital identity ministerial advisory council (DIMAC) will consist of ten members, which is intended to bring together government, industry, and academia in collaboration. The State Government lists its digital ID priorities as privacy, security, customer service, protection, and equal access.

The government has published a call for expressions of interest in joining the body from individual and industry candidates.

“The primary purpose of the DIMAC is to consolidate the views of key stakeholders and provide advice to the Minister for Customer Service on strategic and tactical approaches and relevant issues related to Digital Identity,” the NSW government writes. “It will facilitate collaboration, cooperation and positive partnerships across Government, industry and academia to support improved Digital Identity based services and outcomes in accelerated timeframes.”

Article Topics

Australia  |  biometrics  |  data protection  |  digital identity  |  government services  |  identity verification  |  online authentication  |  privacy  |  regulation