Australia’s tech sector grew by 8% over the past year and despite a wave of high profile redundancies, added more than 10,000 jobs in the first quarter of 2023. The nation’s tech workforce increased by 70,000 jobs to 935,000 by February 2023, according to new research from the Tech Council of Australia (TCA). That growth… Read more »
Australia’s roll out of open banking under the consumer data right (CDR) is stalling ahead of the third anniversary of its introduction, with industry lobby groups and the fintech sector calling on the federal government to put in place a long sought-after roadmap for CDR implementation. FinTech Australia and the Financial Data and Technology Association… Read more »
The NSW startup sector has responded with dismay after the NSW government suddenly shut down a range of funding programs for early-stage companies in the wake of an expenditure review by the new Labor government. Popular programs such as the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) grant have been put on hold “as part of the sector-wide… Read more »
Australian innovation has the capacity to protect us – our environment, our digital world, our borders and our health. All of these are focuses of this year’s federal budget. But the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) sector has been sounding the alarm for years that our research system is in crisis. Reviews in progress… Read more »
The Tech Council of Australia (TCA) has welcomed federal budget announcements backing skilled migration, cybersecurity and a new commercialisation fund. TCA CEO Kate Pounder said the measures by Treasurer Jim Chalmers aligned with the priorities in the Council’s pre-budget submission. “The Budget takes important steps to address the big challenges facing our country, including skills… Read more »
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has delivered his second budget with a heavy focus on cost-of-living relief for Australians who are struggling due to persistently high inflation and rising interest rates. While Chalmers says the economy should continue to create jobs and unemployment is expected to remain historically low, inflation remains the top economic concern. Chalmers says… Read more »
The 2023 federal budget has earmarked $392 million Industry Growth Program in advice and grants for startups and small businesses, to help them commercialise their ideas. The announcement by federal treasurer Jim Chalmers in the 2023 budget on Tuesday night is part of more than $500 million in funding that science and industry minister Ed Husic… Read more »
Victoria will join NSW, Queensland and South Australia in offering a digital licence for drivers from next year. The state government announced this week that motorists will be able to carry their licence on their phone with a digital driver licence trial in Ballarat from July before a statewide roll-out by 2024. NSW pioneered the… Read more »
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 »
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