Controlling Cost Blowouts
A Consult Australia report warns that Australian infrastructure projects are plagued by cost overruns before construction even begins. In 2023 the government flagged AU$32.8 billion (≈US$21.6 billion) in overruns, while the Inland Rail project swelled to AU$45 billion (≈US$29.7 billion), more than three times its original estimate. The federal budget still allocates AU$12.1 billion (≈US$8 billion) for new works, but the report says cost certainty erodes when risk, scope and cost management are ignored. It proposes five concrete actions to embed risk, verify scope, clarify roles, manage variations early, and enforce disciplined cost controls.
Councils Oppose Rail Decision
A delegation of regional mayors traveled to Canberra to protest the federal government’s decision to truncate the Melbourne‑to‑Brisbane Inland Rail project. The line will now end in Parkes, NSW, 960 km short of Brisbane, after the budget swelled to about $45 billion...
New Board Member at CASA
Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has appointed Greg Hughes as a new board member for a three‑year term. Hughes brings decades of aviation and transport experience, previously serving as senior advisor at Cathay Pacific and director at HK Express....
AI Uptake Outpaces Expertise
Australian public servants are rapidly adopting generative AI for tasks ranging from email drafting to policy brief creation, yet a UNSW Canberra survey reveals a stark expertise gap, especially among senior officials. This knowledge deficit fuels concerns over privacy, bias,...
Budget Falls Short for Regions
The 2024‑25 Australian federal budget adds an extra AUD 2 billion (≈US$1.3 billion) over four years for housing‑related infrastructure, with only AUD 500 million (≈US$330 million) earmarked for regional and rural areas. The Country Mayors Association of NSW says that amount is insufficient to support the...
Councils Back Budget Pledge
The Australian federal budget will allocate an additional $2 billion over four years for housing‑enabling infrastructure, including $500 million earmarked for regional projects. The funding will cover roads, water, gas, sewerage, telecommunications and electricity connections, aiming to support the construction of up...
New CEO at LGASA
The Local Government Association of South Australia (LGASA) has named Victoria MacKirdy as its new chief executive, effective 20 July. MacKirdy brings three decades of experience in both regional and metropolitan councils, most recently serving as CEO of the City of...
Complaints Process Failing
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OIAC) launched a privacy‑awareness campaign during Privacy Awareness Week to improve how agencies handle complaints. A new survey shows 93% of Australians consider data protection vital, yet 52% refrain from filing complaints because...
Infrastructure Funding Needed
Australian councils are urging the federal government to sustain investment in the infrastructure needed for new housing, following a National Housing Supply and Affordability Council report. The report highlights the Housing Support Program’s role in funding roads, water, gas, sewerage,...
Councils Unprepared for Future
Jeffrey Griffith, deputy CEO of Devonport City Council, warned at the Govt Cybersecurity & AI 2026 conference that autonomous local government is arriving at "bullet‑train" speed. He noted most Australian councils have not completed digital transformation and lack the AI‑ready...
Building Trust in AI
At the Government Cybersecurity & AI 2026 conference in Canberra, former Victorian Government CTO Luke Halliday warned that trust in artificial intelligence hinges on how it is embedded in workplaces, not on the technology itself. He highlighted that 71% of...
Rise of Agentic AI Brings New Risks
Agentic AI adoption is surging, with a quarter of organizations already using autonomous systems and projections that three‑quarters will follow within two years. This shift moves AI from answering queries to independently executing tasks, creating an exponential growth curve unlike...
AI Governance Lagging
At the Govt Cybersecurity & AI 2026 conference in Canberra, experts warned that AI governance in the public sector is still nascent and struggling to keep pace with rapid model evolution. Delegates highlighted the difficulty of aligning slow government procurement...
Fears over Airservices Sell-Off
The Australian government is considering a partial privatization of Airservices Australia, which would transfer ownership of its aviation rescue and firefighting assets to private hands. Airservices operates 27 fire stations and over 100 specialized trucks that respond to aircraft incidents,...
Second Strike Planned
Council workers in Melbourne will stage a second strike on May 5, the day the Victorian state budget is delivered. More than 1,000 staff from eight councils, including library, planning, nursing and administrative roles, will walk out. They are demanding a...