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Since February 2024, the resources and environment sector experienced a net increase by 7 projects and growth of investment by $3.4 billion.

This is largely attributed to one 35 year-long project that intends to secure the resources needed for Australia’s transition to net-zero. [SC16] The Government sector experienced a net growth of $1.2 billion, largely related to investment in Australia’s 19th national Census and the replacement of legacy systems to modernise Australia’s electoral systems.

Digital services are improving the health of Australians, including the care of older people. The 15 active projects in this sector, with a combined value of $1.9 billion, [CL19] reflect the recent increase in government investment in this area. 

Most of the funding ($1.3 billion) is for 9 projects to improve the aged care sector by implementing recommendations following the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety in 2021. This includes:

• [TG20] improving ICT capabilities of federal agencies to enable more effective regulation of the aged care industry
• delivering a modernised system that supports aged care service providers to provide the high quality, safe care that older people deserve
• ensuring nurses are available at all residential care facilities and all aged care workers are registered on a national register
• supporting the different levels of independence and care required by older Australians.

The remaining 6 projects ($6 million) are delivering new and improved health services, completing digital transformation of internal systems, and producing better online portals for Australians to access services.

The government is protecting vulnerable Australians by investing in law enforcement and online safety through 15 projects with a combined value of $2.0 billion [CL21] being delivered across 11 Commonwealth agencies. 

These projects are safeguarding Australia by: 

• improving access to cross-border information and real-time risk data on dangerous individuals and organisations
• enhancing data matching capability to reduce investigation time and improve the ability to combat organised crime
• contributing to a national view of policing information and criminal intelligence
• using machine learning and artificial intelligence to significantly improve Australia’s efforts to combat illicit activities such as money laundering and unauthorised imports 
• developing comprehensive registries and data lakes [CL22] [AC23] [TS24] to store historical information to allow authorities to identify suspicious activity faster
• automating border clearance and cargo processes to simplify government services while also improving security alerts and risk information.

Other investments are improving the use of data to combat the growing threat of scams targeting Australians (see case study on page xx), protecting myGov users by strengthened measures to prevent phishing attacks (see case study on page xx) and targeting disability insurance fraud (see case study on page xx).

Australia’s natural environment is vast and varied – home to different climates and unique native plants and animals, and subject to extreme weather events like droughts and floods. The government is investing $4.2 billion into 21 initiatives [CL25] [CY26] to help protect and restore Australia’s environment. 

This includes a long-term project ($3.4 billion) to comprehensively map Australia’s natural resources, including critical minerals and groundwater, to support the transition to net zero and enable responsible management of all resources.

Eight projects (over $535 million[CL27] ) are leveraging data and technology to enable rapid action to address environmental changes. 

Data, information and analytics are being used to better manage and protect Australia’s natural heritage and streamline work on environmental and climate risk assessment projects. 

Significant investment is also supporting emissions reduction and renewable energy mechanisms. A further 5 projects (over $104 million) are building the skills and data infrastructure needed to manage and monitor energy, water and diesel exhaust fluid markets and plan for future supply and demand.

Another project (over $104 million) is helping to improve the management of water resources and responses to climate change impacts in the Murray-Daring Basin.

A previous investment in this sector, which concluded in June 2024, modernised and secured critical climate and weather data services (see case study on page xx).

Education and employment underpin achievement and prosperity in Australia. The government is investing $512.5 million across 11 projects to reform this sector by removing barriers, enhancing outcomes and creating more efficient processes. 

Digital projects in this sector are using digital tools to enhance childcare subsidy administration, automate workflows, back up records, and connect service providers – improving quality and capacity.

Student loans enable further education in Australia. Initiatives are enhancing data quality and insights through organised information storage and automated processes and supporting more effective distribution of resources and a more efficient student loans system through integration of data.

Projects related to employment services are simplifying the user experience and reducing system strain. Centralised data management is enabling effective tracking of employment trends, driving data-driven improvements. Consolidating services onto a single platform will enhance outcomes and reduce operational costs.

The modernisation of Australia’s vocational education management system aims to expand the workforce. Initiatives are overhauling the administration of VET Student Loans and replacing outdated systems, which is essential to upscale apprenticeship programs and services.