Half of Aussies prefer engaging with government online

Almost half of Australian citizens prefer to engage with government over online channels rather than on the phone or in person, research from Unisys Corporation has found.

A survey conducted by the IT service provider found that 49% of Australians polled prefer to access services via their PC, tablet or phone, up from just 29% in 2016.

The preferred method of engagement varies depending on the type of transaction. Australians typically prefer to go online to complete their tax returns or find information about public services, but prefer face-to-face interactions while obtaining or renewing a driver’s licence, passport or building permit.

The survey also found that 63% of Australians want a single mobile app providing access to multiple government agencies, but only 41% would download individual apps for each department.

Almost half (47%) want access to government websites or the phone. But only 17% express support for using social media to engage with government, the second-lowest proportion among five countries surveyed.

Unisys Asia-Pacific VP for public sector Lysandra Schmutter said the findings have implications for the digital initiatives underway at various governments, such as the NSW Government’s target of having 70% of transactions completed digitally by 2019.

“The Connected Government research reveals that citizens indeed want to engage with government in different ways depending on the objective of the interaction — and these needs must be taken into account when designing digital strategies for government agencies,” she said.

Image credit: ©maxsim/Dollar Photo Club

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