The heads of state and government from the federal, state and territorial levels have agreed to create an intergovernmental agreement to enable better data exchange between all levels of government.
The plan for the high-level agreement, which has yet to be worked out, was approved last week at a national cabinet meeting on Friday.
“The national cabinet agreed that jurisdictions will work together to unlock the value of public data and deliver better results for Australians,” said Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
“To achieve this, the first ministers must [and state and territory premiers] obliged to develop an intergovernmental agreement which will be examined at a future national cabinet meeting. “
While details are still scarce, the pact will likely make it easier for federal, state, and area governments to share data, building on efforts to provide health and travel data during Covid-19.
The proposed agreement would likely work with the draft law on data availability and transparency that is currently before the Bundestag.
The legislation aims to streamline the exchange of data between governments and the private sector and to repeal around 500 provisions in 175 existing laws.
However, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, the Australian Medical Association and the NSW Council for Civil Liberties are calling for amendments.
The Australian Financial Review also reports that the agreement is expected to lay the foundation for connected government services related to major life events or travel.
This means that citizens can interact with government services at all levels through one-stop shops like the federal government’s myGov or the NSW government’s MyServiceNSW.
myGov is already undergoing a major overhaul – priced at $ 35 million – to align services more closely with life events while offering a more personalized view of interactions.
For a long time, data exchange was a point of discussion for digital ministers from the federal, state and territorial levels at the meeting of data and digital ministers.
The last meeting in February focused on the question of how the data needs of decision-makers in different countries can be met, also through better data exchange.
“Improved data exchange can stimulate the economy and lead to better service design and delivery,” the press release said.
One dataset that drives the conversation is the national disability data element, which paves the way for a federation-wide view of the disability sector.
The asset, approved by digital ministers in September 2019, contains records from the federal, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia governments.
Other areas in which the exchange of data is in the foreground are emergency services, which recently committed to developing a national warning service for multiple hazards in the event of natural disasters.
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