Queensland budgets $1 billion for whole‍-‍of‍-‍government tech overhaul

The Queensland Government has announced the $1 billion Queensland Government Digital Fund will be established to drive a coordinated whole-of-government approach to investment in digital and IT systems across the public sector over four years.

Announced as part of the state’s 2025–26 Budget, the central fund, managed by the Department of Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business, will allow for strategic and targeted investment in critical government digital and ICT systems.

“Our $1 billion Queensland Government Digital Fund will allow us greater oversight and efficiency in the implementation of key digital systems and services,” said the Minister for Customer Services and Open Data and Minister for Small and Family Business, Steve Minnikin. “We want to see fewer ICT cost blowouts and project over-runs because we mean it when we say we have a greater respect for Queenslanders’ money.”

During a media briefing, Minnikin said the funding will target the government’s “disparate approach to ICT” that has spanned decades.

He said that the government wants to achieve IT system commonality across departments that currently run independent disparate systems for everyday functions like payroll, accounts and CRM, as well as ways to better integrate data between departments.

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