WA launches 2021–25 digital strategy

Western Australia has launched a new ‘whole-of-government’ digital strategy with an aim to improve service delivery and reduce regulatory burden for people and businesses.

The Digital Strategy for the Western Australian (WA) Government 2021–2025 will help state government agencies improve the way they deliver services — making it easier and safer for people and businesses to interact with government.

Innovation and ICT Minister Don Punch said the WA Government is committed to reorienting government services and regulatory processes around the needs of people and businesses — rather than expecting people and businesses to organise themselves around inflexible government structures.

Government decisions and services should be informed by data. The Digital Strategy will build whole-of-government data and analytics capabilities for new insights into WA’s most complex social, health, environmental and economic issues.

The new strategy will strengthen the WA Government’s capability to detect, prevent and respond to cyber incidents.

“The Digital Strategy will expand our existing cyber resilience and capability to manage critical cybersecurity risks, which are occurring worldwide in both unprecedented frequency and magnitude,” Minister Don Punch said.

As services and regulatory processes become more digital, the ability to access and use digital technology is even more critical. The Digital Strategy will help ensure that all Western Australians are digitally included by delivering initiatives that address the key barriers — connectivity, affordability, skills and design.

“The McGowan government is ensuring no-one is left behind as our services become more digital, and the Digital Strategy will remove barriers to inclusion so all Western Australians can access and use the internet and digital technology.”

This next phase of digital transformation is ambitious and exciting. The McGowan government will deliver its vision for digital government services through central leadership, strategic oversight and strong collaboration between state government agencies, said Minister Punch in a statement.

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