Sydney’s new reverse vending machines swallow cans, spit out food vouchers

It’s the ultimate junk food fix: put in empty drink containers and get back a food truck voucher.

23 June, 2014

$22mil Budget boost for NSW Records digital push

The NSW government is pushing ahead with the full scale digitisation of the state’s archives and records after the latest state Budget tipped in another $22 million to further regional online access to historical repositories.

23 June, 2014

High Court school chaplains decision set to choke council money from Canberra

It may not have come as a surprise, but the Williams case MkII decision is exactly the legal nightmare local governments have unsuccessfully been fighting to avoid for years.

19 June, 2014

States bail-out pensioner rates concessions… except WA

NSW, Qld and SA have promised to fund pensioner rebates stripped out of the federal Budget, but WA is holding out.

19 June, 2014

Open Government gets official Community of Practice in NSW

State Budget away, NSW Finance Minister, Dominic Perrottet, says he wants public servants to come up with innovative ideas to traverse traditional boundaries and put data to work for the public good.

18 June, 2014

Fletcher spells out ‘digital by default’ expectations for federal agencies

Ministerial pressure is mounting for agencies to get their act together online ahead of a 2017 deadline.

18 June, 2014

Rail industry stoked over NSW Budget $9bn transport spend

NSW Premier Mike Baird’s ambitious plan to overhaul and expand Sydney’s neglected transport infrastructure has won strong backing from peak groups, including the Australasian Railway Association and stands in sharp contrast with the federal Budget’s heavy emphasis on major roads.

18 June, 2014

Deloitte bulks-up Canberra consulting practice in preparation for Federal shake up

Experts buying up talent ahead of contestability agenda.

18 June, 2014

Sydney roads set for solar passive makeover

A selection of roads in Sydney will be recast in pale grey under an innovative new trial that aims to determine whether reflective surfaces can help take the sting out of summer by reducing the ambient temperature of asphalt.

18 June, 2014

Conflict of interest disclosures draw fire in West

Western Australian local governments are demanding answers as to why the state government has stealthily suspended the requirement to declare conflicts of interest for the group reviewing the structure of metropolitan councils.

17 June, 2014

Councils unite in attack on Fed’s $925mil grants grab

Local governments across Australia have issued an overwhelming public rejection of federal Budget funding freezes likely to prompt rates hikes hit pensioners.

16 June, 2014

ATO backs away from redundancy entitlements clawback ahead of tech update

The CPSU claims a win over conditions rollback; senior Tax officials to give industry update to practitioners and software developers.

16 June, 2014

Defence opens new cyber security school at UNSW Canberra

The federal government has launched a new learning centre in the field of cyber security to act as a think-tank for experts to cook up ways to help organisations fight off potential threats.

16 June, 2014

Cuts mean a smaller public service must be smarter

The Federal Budget announcement that more than 7000 public service jobs will go means a leaner public service will have to find ways to do more with less. But speakers at the launch of a report on public sector innovation said those same job losses could become another barrier to change.

16 June, 2014