{"id":9111,"date":"2020-11-12T09:11:41","date_gmt":"2020-11-12T09:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/?p=9111"},"modified":"2020-11-12T09:11:41","modified_gmt":"2020-11-12T09:11:41","slug":"700-million-to-drive-digital-revolution-in-nsw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/2020\/11\/12\/700-million-to-drive-digital-revolution-in-nsw\/","title":{"rendered":"$700 MILLION TO DRIVE DIGITAL REVOLUTION IN NSW"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NSW Government is investing more than $700 million in this year\u2019s Budget to expand the digital capabilities of the State and build new and flexible ways of delivering services everywhere from classrooms and living-rooms to courtrooms.
\nPremier Gladys Berejiklian said the funding formed part of the Government\u2019s $1.6 billion Digital Restart Fund and will be used to boost regional and remote education improve cyber security, enhance NSW Courts and enhance ePlanning.
\n\u201cCOVID-19 has shown us just how important it is to have the digital infrastructure and the skills to match for a modern flexible society,\u201d Ms Berejiklian said.
\n\u201cStreamlining and enhancing our digital capabilities improves efficiencies, makes our lives simpler and ultimately saves everyone time and money.\u201d
\nTreasurer Dominic Perrottet said the funding was a down-payment on the future economic growth of NSW.
\n\u201cThe future belongs to the innovative and bold, and this investment will create jobs make doing business with Government easier and enhance reform,\u201d Mr Perrottet said.
\nMinister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said today\u2019s announcement kept NSW at the front of the line when it came to digital government.
\n\u201cNSW is the most digitally advanced jurisdiction in Australia and this funding will empower us to enter a new frontier,\u201d Mr Dominello said.
\n\u201cWhether it\u2019s transforming the way we teach children in regional and remote schools, or bolstering our cyber security systems, this investment sends the community a strong message that we are putting the customer at the centre of everything we do.\u201d
\nA key component of the $700 million funding contained in the upcoming Budget is $366 million to close the digital gap in schools in rural and remote areas.
\nMinister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell said the funding is supporting the Government\u2019s commitment to regional education.
\n\u201cI want every student to have the best access to education, and this investment in the digital capacity of regional schools makes that possible,\u201d Ms Mitchell said.
\n\u201cThe uplift will provide regional teachers with the tools, training and support they need to integrate digital resources into the classroom.
\n\u201cThrough upskilling the workforce and upgrading school technology, we will lift the educational opportunities for the 210,000 students who call regional NSW home.\u201d
\nAttorney General Mark Speakman said thousands of people who come into contact with the NSW Justice system each year will benefit from an investment of more than $54 million to bring the best of 21st<\/sup>\u00a0century innovation into our courts.
\n\u201cThis investment will revolutionise court processes in NSW, providing a single digital point of contact for court users, bringing more proceedings online and digitising court files to help the move towards a paperless environment,\u201d Mr Speakman said.
\nMinister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said funding for ePlanning would reduce assessment timeframes, reduce red tape and enhance productivity.
\n\u201cTechnology can help take a lot of frustration and time out of tiresome processes, and our challenge is to ensure we continue to improve all our systems,\u201d Mr Stokes said.
\nThe NSW Government\u2019s digital investment initiatives include:<\/strong><\/p>\n