NSW IT Minister, Andrew Constance, has announced a review into IT spending at Sydney Water, reports IT News. The announcement comes after it was revealed the Department spent $1.7 million, or 4.5 per cent of its IT budget, on a new website. This is the first major initiative for Constance since his take-over from Greg Pearce last month.

The NSW Government has unveiled a new purpose-built Metronode data centre in Silverwater, as part of the NSW Data Centre Reform Strategy. The centre, designed specifically to house NSW Government data is part of a $182 million contract signed with Metronode last year to provide data centre capacity. Metronode is set to open another data centre in Unanderra later this month. The Strategy aims to consolidate 130 ageing data centres across the NSW Government into just two.

NSW Healthshare has announced it will be consolidating its three existing data centres at Liverpool, Cumberland and John Hunter hospital into the new Metronode centres.

The agency’s new human resources and payroll system, StaffLink will go live today, according to its monthly newsletter. The new system will introduce online self-services for administrative functions across HealthShare’s 6,500 employees. HealthShare signed a $2 million contract with Dataweave in March of this year for services relating to the implementation of the system.

The NSW Government has called for feedback on its Procure IT Framework. The framework was mandated for use by Government agencies in September last year providing standard terms and conditions and templates when purchasing ICT. The Government plans to conduct a study on the usability and efficiency of the framework by asking where it could be clarified or simplified. Feedback closes 20 September 2013.

The Federal Department of Finance and Deregulation has released a draft better practice guide on data centre structure. The guide is intended to help agencies assess whether their facilities meet their needs and detail where they can make savings on the capital and operating costs in relation to the structure. The guide has been released for discussion, with submissions closing on Friday 23 August.

Finance has also released a draft Data Centre Facilities Services head agreement for comment, alongside the ongoing panel refresh process. Areas of consideration for the head agreement include the need for simplification, revision of the agreement's structure, and the potential addition of different ICT procurement modules such as telecommunications.

Web and software developers have taken part in the first part of the Queensland Premier’s workshop for open data to create a public transport app. More than 160 participants registered with TransLink to take the first step in creating a real-time transport app for the state. Developers were expected to use a host of data including ‘go card’ passenger loading data, Trip Tracker bus data and Queensland Rail real time data.

The first stage of free Wi-Fi in Adelaide has been rolled out. Hindmarsh Square is the first location to receive free high speed Wi-Fi as part of the plan to introduce the service across the city. The SA Government has contributed $1 million to the project with the Council allotting a further $500,000. Once completed, Adelaide will be the first capital city in Australia to have this complimentary service. More than 200 Cisco access points will be located throughout the city.

The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations has employed visual analytics software allowing staff to access data regardless of location, according to CIO Magazine. Designed by SAS, the software will aid the Department in uncovering trends amongst their vast array of data.

The Defence Material Organisation has signed a $221.2 million deal with Raytheon for Australian Defence Air Traffic System support. The five year deal runs up to June 2018. Earlier this year, Airservices Australia approached the market for services to merge separate air traffic management systems into a single system by 2018.

The Australian Tax Office has signed a contract with IBM worth $60.1 million for software maintenance and supporting services. The three year contract will expire in July 2016.

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