Vic Govt clamps down on ICT projects

The Victorian Government has promised to scrutinise ICT projects more carefully in a bid to prevent cost blowouts.

Assistant Treasurer Gordon Rich-Phillips said the government was developing a whole-of-government ICT strategy with the newly created Victorian Information and Communications Technology Advisory Committee (VICTAC).

He characterised ICT investments under the previous state Labor government as "piecemeal".

Rich-Phillips also said that cost blowouts on key projects, such as the abandoned HealthSMART scheme and transport ticketing system myki, deprived "schools, hospitals and roads" of vital funds.

"The whole of government ICT strategy we are developing will help to align processes across departments and set the clear lines of governance, accountability and direction," Rich-Phillips said.

"We have also established high risk, high value guidelines to apply extra scrutiny and rigour to all ICT projects and we are overhauling the way government procures ICT services."

VICTAC is chaired by former South Australian chief information officer Grantly Mailes. Industry and government are represented in its make-up.