A major upgrade of the Victorian public sector’s IT services has been announced in the Budget this week with $195.9 million allocated to establish ‘Digital Victoria’ to centralise and simplify the IT services – reduce costs and improve the delivery of services to the public.
Pointing out that the current pandemic led the Government and Public Service to rely on technology more than ever before, the Treasurer said the online systems they depended on had been required to adapt – and fast.
“The Victorian Budget 2020/21 will build on these efforts, making it easier, simpler and faster for Victorians to get the support and services they need online,” the Treasurer said in a statement.
He said the Budget included $75 million over the next four years to overhaul Government regulation – making things like starting a small business or doing a home renovation quicker, simpler and more straightforward.
“Digital technology has been pivotal in keeping us connected during the pandemic, but whether it’s going online to update your licence or sitting down for an important conference with colleagues, the safety and reliability of this technology is crucial,” the Treasurer said.
“The investment will also establish a dedicated team to slash red tape and help businesses to navigate the simplified system,” he said.
He said that to combat the global increase in cyber threats and keep the systems safe from those types of attacks, the Government was allocating a further $7.5 million to bolster the State’s cybersecurity and protect its systems from cyber criminals.
Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Government Services, Danny Pearson supported the move to improve security around the expanded IT systems.
“The global threat of cyber security attacks is a risk for Victoria,” Mr Pearson said.
“So we’re strengthening our safeguards to ward off these threats.”
