The federal government has earmarked $3.4 billion over the next decade for an Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) to develop advanced military technologies. The proposal is part of the Defence Strategic Review released last week, which recommends spending $19 billion over the next four years amid more effective support for innovation, faster acquisition and better… Read more »
Australia’s first National Electric Vehicle Strategy, released today, details the government’s long-awaited plans to accelerate the adoption of these vehicles. Consultations on the strategy began last September. The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, then promised the strategy would make Australia a globally competitive market for electric vehicles. Households and businesses would have access… Read more »
The Australian government has banned TikTok from all public service devices, claiming the app poses “significant protective security risk” to the Commonwealth. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus announced on Tuesday he had authorised a mandatory direction to ban the TikTok social media app from any device issued by a Commonwealth department or agency. State and territory governments… Read more »
The federal government has issued a discussion paper on the development of a new National Robotics Strategy to better understand the opportunities and challenges for Australian industries adopting robotics and automation. Industry and science minister Ed Husic said the discussion paper will help guide a conversation on growing the production and responsible use of robotics… Read more »
Australia’s federal parliament has approved a A$15 billion National Reconstruction Fund, intended to reverse the nation’s dwindling manufacturing sector. It is the “first step” in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s election promise “to revive our ability to make world-class products.” The fund will focus on investing in high-tech manufacturing. There are seven priority areas: clean energy… Read more »
The Albanese government’s plan for a $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund to invest in technology, science and manufacturing became a reality today after the Senate passed the legislation last night, before the House of Representatives gave final approval at lunchtime today. Industry and science minister Ed Husic said passing the legislation delivers on a major Labor… Read more »
New South Wales voters go to the polls this Saturday to decide who’ll lead the nation’s most populous state for the next four years. The Coalition has been in charge since 2011 and the consensus is that this election is too close to call, with the potential for another minority government – something current premier… Read more »
Australian politicians have another way to brag about the nation being a global leader, although they probably won’t – it’s all about being a surveillance state. A new report on data surveillance from VPN provider Surfshark, reveals that government requests for user data from big tech companies by local law enforcement and other agencies are four… Read more »
Victor Dominello won’t be NSW government minister cutting the ribbon on the fruits of several years of hard work building the Digital ID app. The member for Ryde retires from politics after 15 years when NSW voters go to the polls on March 25. But for the past several years he’s been driving digital innovation… Read more »
The current housing crisis has renewed debates about how to regulate short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb. The international research on the impact of these rentals is clear: when landlords “host” tourists rather than residents, housing supply is depleted, rents rise and neighbourhoods change. Given Australia’s dire shortage of rental housing, restricting short-term rentals seems… Read more »
Australia needs to grow a backbone. In the information age, this spine must be digital. It must empower the individual with more control and protections over their privacy and security. This spine by nature must be customer centric. However because Australia is a federation – the spine doesn’t look like a single column. Its appearance… Read more »
NSW treasurer Matt Kean is hoping electric vehicle fans will vote Liberal at next month’s state election, pledging to install 30,000 chargers across NSW by 2026 if they win the election. More importantly, the Coalition government is pledging to reform a major pain point for urban EV users by reforming strata laws to make it… Read more »
Streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ will soon face regulations to invest in Australian content, as Australian regulations catch up to other world players. Nearly eight years since the launch of Netflix in Australia in 2015, redressing the “regulatory gap” between unregulated streaming platforms and regulated traditional television is front-of-mind for Arts… Read more »
CSIRO Chief Scientist Professor Bronwyn Fox has been appointed chair of a new National Robotics Strategy Advisory Committee to help guide Australia’s strategy for emerging automation technologies. Industry and Science Ed Husic announced Prof Fox’s new role, along with the rest of the committee, which includes Mike Zimmerman from VC Main Sequence, ahead of its… Read more »
The Australian and Consumer Competition Commission (ACCC) wants tougher regulations to tackle issues such as online scams, dodgy apps and fake reviews, putting the onus on major tech companies such as Meta and Google to address the harms caused to consumers, and small businesses. The ACCC’s fifth report in its five-year Digital Platform Services Inquiry proposes… Read more »
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