The NSW government is planning to implement a four-year state-wide information and communications technology (ICT) plan and reform e-procurement as a strategic part to save the state AU$2.5 billion in public sector costs.
It would establish a single capital fund for ICT in the forthcoming state budget, and develop a state-wide ICT plan to determine whole-of-government priorities. First priority would be to reduce the government's AU$260 million expenditure on voice telecommunications. The state-wide ICT plan would be carried out within four years. The approach would yield AU$125 million a year in capital savings and a further AU$80 million in recurrent savings. NSW Police has also been another beneficiary of technology funding. It is receiving up to AU$50 million per annum between 2003/04 and 2007/08 for projects including a mainframe replacement project, alcohol related crime information exchange, portable fingerprint devices, computer aided dispatch system, automatic number plate recognition, and a digital radio upgrade.
