NSW govt slows its roll on digital transactions

The percentage of NSW government transactions available digitally through Service NSW is not expected to grow this financial year, as the one-stop shop turns its attention to ‘tell us once’ functionality across its existing services.

After a rapid increase in digital transactions between 2015 and 2018, budget documents reveal the percent of digital transactions available to citizens will hover at the 2019-20 rate of 75.4 percent during 2020-21 before falling slightly in 2021-22.

But by 2022-23, the government expects this will have rebounded, climbing to just under 78 percent, close to its new target of having 80 percent of government transactions available digitally by 2023-24.

Source: 2020-21 NSW Budget

The government surpassed a previous goal of having 70 percent of government transactions available to citizens online – which was set back in September 2018 by the then Premier Mike Baird – in December 2018.

“Service NSW is committed to excellence in customer service and continues to improve access to government services by making more services available online,” budget documents released on Tuesday state.

“Performance against this indicator is increasing and is expected to achieve the ambitious target of making 80 percent of services available digitally by 2023-24.”

"The data underpinning this Outcome Indicator currently relates to Roads and Maritime Services transactions only.”

Despite the percentage of digital government transactions appearing to stall, Service NSW is forging ahead with Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s goal of increasing the number of government services where customers only have to ‘tell government once’.

Budget documents forecast the government will meet this goal ahead of time, with Service NSW expected to double the number of services with ‘tell us once’ functionality by the end of this financial year.

“Performance against this indicator is well on track to significantly exceed the target of 60 services by June 2023, with 25 services delivered as at 30 June 2020,” budget documents state.

Source: 2020-21 NSW Budget

Service NSW received $200 million over four years in the budget to “increase the number of services offered through its one-stop shop model”, though how much will be spent on digital services is not detailed.

Revenue NSW is also planning to integrate its key online services with Service NSW over the next two years under a $17.5 million assured revenue program, which will add to the number of services offered through the one-stop shop.