Switch on the Data: Changes Needed for Access to Public-Sector Information

Abstract

Australians live in a digital world. In a typical Australian home in the twenty-first century the Internet is a daily tool for communication, information and recreation. In 2007-2008, 67% of Australian households had home Internet access -- a quadrupling of connections from the home from 1998 to 2007-2008. Australian government agencies have recognized the importance of using the new digital environment to communicate with the community and to offer services. The development of this communication channel has occurred with an international trend to provide access to what is now called public-sector information (PSI). The value and importance of PSI should not be underestimated. Management of intellectual property in the Australian Government sector (Australian National Audit Office 2007) concluded that the Commonwealth's intangible assets, including intellectual property in information, had increased steadily to $7.7 billion in 2005-2006. Nearly half ($3.8 billion) is software assets, but information is a component of the remaining $3.9 billion.