Services Victoria Amendment Bill 2023
By John Berger
20 February 2024
I would like to take a moment just to talk about Service Victoria. It was the then Andrews Labor government that launched Service Victoria, an easy one-stop shop for some of the most important interactions we have with the government departments. This was in recognition of how difficult it can be sometimes to know exactly how to deal with multiple departments and agencies and the unfortunate case that it is often not a very user-friendly experience.
Service Victoria offers access to over 100 government services, saving everyday Victorians the hassle of cycling through a million websites and documents. These services include transport and driving, personal education and training, family, health care, employment, business, outdoor and recreation, housing and property, crime and the law and COVID-19. Service Victoria cover almost every aspect of Victorian lives through their assistance and programs. Through Service Victoria you can renew your licence or your vehicle rego, apply to work with children and access support and information on issues ranging from housing to health to law. You can even buy a Myki card through Service Victoria.
Service Victoria has also brought how we use everyday identification and concession cards into the 21st century. Thanks to the Allan Labor government, Victorians can make use of the digital wallet to store their essential documents right on their phone, ensuring that you never lose your cards. Through the Service Victoria app you can always have on hand your working with children check, your seniors card, your veterans card and more. There is even exciting news coming from Ballarat, where a pilot is being held to test the effectiveness of adopting digital drivers licences, and I look forward to seeing how that goes. This would allow for drivers to hold their licence in a more secure and easily accessible manner, and their licence would more quickly reflect important changes such as to their home address or licence conditions.
I would like to note my strong support for the proposed amendments to the Service Victoria Act 2018 to improve the user experience of digital government services for all Victorians by extending the capabilities of the chief executive officer and allowing for the delivery of services by and/or with non-government entities. As a highly complex application providing key services to Victorians across the state, it is integral that we maintain the due efficiency and clarity of services that are accessible to all.
Before I continue I would also like to thank the Minister for Government Services Gabrielle Williams, the Minister for Local Government Melissa Horne and the countless experts and professionals involved in the independent review of the act in 2022 for the hard work they have put into continuously improving the user experience of Service Victoria. As a government we are all too aware that those who make the most use of our support services are the most vulnerable Victorians – those in crisis, struggling with their physical or mental health and the more difficult circumstances that could up-end our lives. A centralised and accessible point of contact for these services can be a lifesaver for many Victorians doing it tough, and this is what Service Victoria provides.
Let me outline for you the myriad of benefits and assistance this crucial service provides for Victorians. I am proud to say that last year the then Andrews Labor government extended its sick pay guarantee program to 400 more eligible jobs. Since its introduction in 2022 over 76,000 casuals and contract workers have signed up to the scheme, with over 1.8 million sick and carers leave hours covered with fair pay. Service Victoria handles applications from this key program, ensuring that casuals and contract workers never have to choose between recovery and paying their bills. This program highlights how crucial it is for Service Victoria to be efficient and accessible for Victorians doing it tough, and it is a big part of the reason I strongly support this amendment.
For eligible households running on solar energy, Service Victoria allows you to apply for a rebate of 50 per cent off your hot water bill for up to $1000. That is up to $500 you can get off your household bill – certainly not a number to turn your nose up at. Of course Service Victoria also provide rebates and loans for homes to access a solar panel system or battery, making these further savings more accessible to Victorians. Service Victoria can direct Victorians to a range of discounts and rebates available that are relevant to them through its savings finder. In what we know to be a time with cost-of-living pressures, this service is absolutely essential for Victorians who may be doing it tough.
Service Victoria also allows for automatic approvals of permits such as footpath trading and outdoor fitness with participating councils, streamlining the process to the benefit of small businesses and the community at large. They will process the application and pass it on to the local council and neighbouring businesses if you are intending to use a footpath trading zone, making the process much easier for businesses and recreational organisations.
Not only can Service Victoria assist you with the accessing key government services but there are also countless benefits to be found and utilised. Get Active Kids is an incredible program that allows for families to apply for vouchers which can help Victorians afford club memberships, fees, uniforms and equipment. Just last year we also introduced the veterans card, which can be accessed through Service Victoria, with exclusive benefits including a $100 car rego discount, free public transport on Anzac Day and Remembrance Day, free trailer and caravan rego, free boating licences, a fishing licence exemption and access to veterans employment programs. Service Victoria is a cornerstone of our support services, servicing over 15 million activities in the past financial year. The countless benefits that this service provides are clear through all those spoken about above.
For Service Victoria to achieve its full potential for Victorians in need, the digital interface must be efficient, straightforward and navigable. This amendment intends to more strongly clarify the purpose of Service Victoria and strengthen the service provision capabilities by extending the powers of the CEO and allowing collaboration with non-government entities. Dr Claire Noone has cited Australia Post as a possible collaborator, as mentioned by the member for Preston in the other place. I thank her for her invaluable insights on digital service provision, provided to the Parliament in 2022 through the independent review of the act. This review engaged over 40 stakeholders, analysed over 100 documents and provided detailed research through domestic and international case studies. This work is integral to the improvement that the Allan Labor government intends to make to Service Victoria through its amendment to the act. The basis of this amendment brought to the Council is on the recommendations of the independent review. Through this amendment Service Victoria will be able to deliver more digital services, provide more flexible and accessible identification verification, create pathways for more varied partnerships and service provisions and define information management practice in accordance with the revised act, key for a service provider that provides electronic identity documentation.
The bill clarifies the purpose of Service Victoria by amending the definition of ‘customer service function’, explicitly acknowledging Service Victoria’s ability to issue official information documents and to receive or make payments. Service Victoria can already perform these actions in accordance with the Service Victoria Act if defined as customer service functions, but this amendment is integral to recognising Service Victoria’s increasing relevance and role as a provider of end-to-end services to countless Victorians. It also crucially removes the requirement within the act to make regulations to perform particular functions, streamlining Service Victoria’s ability to adapt their operations in accordance with consumer needs.
As noted by Minister Blandthorn last sitting week in the introduction of this bill, these amendments do not interfere with the consumer’s right to privacy, despite an increasing scope for access to information, and thus negate any potential concerns regarding these amendments. The Victorian government has come to an agreement with the other states and territories to align to a common standard of digital identification with verifiable credentials. This amendment bill would as such allow Service Victoria the flexibility to align identity verification with national and international standards as they evolve in the future. The amendment would also support potential future participation in the Australian government’s digital identity system by removing inconsistent provisions within the act and reforming the content to be more principle-based. More specifically, we would amend the current provisions within the act for application processing and reviewing and the issuing of temporary and ongoing electronic identity credentials, instead setting them out through the identification verification standards made under the act.
As we trend further toward a more interconnected country within a global sphere, allowing for adaptable and futureproof government services is integral to their success and relevance to consumers. Through allowing partnerships with non-government entities in relation to delivery of customer service functions, identity verification functions and other functions related to the delivery of government services set out in clause 15, Victorians will be able to use identity documents verified through Service Victoria with outside organisations requiring this information. This reduces the complexity and difficulty of navigating our highly digital world and reduces the amount of third-party storage containing our sensitive data. These legislative amendments highlight the implementation of cybersecurity measures, data encryption standards and compliance frameworks and will strengthen Service Victoria against potential cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities. These reforms will ensure that any partnerships with non-government entities maintain assurance of data privacy, setting out that non-government entities may comply with the terms of an agreement where their existing processes or systems do not comply with the best practice principles. Specifically, these entities may be required under sections 4, 6 and 38 of the charter to apply their services in a matter compatible with human rights when delivering their services in partnership with Service Victoria. This is necessary where the functions are or include functions of a public nature or are being implemented by a non-government entity on behalf of the Victorian government or a public authority, such as a Victorian government agency.
The Allan Labor government is committed to the highest standards of cybersecurity, and these amendments will ensure the protection of Victorian users and confidential information that they provide to our services. This amendment would allow for Service Victoria to collect changes from businesses benefiting from these services in line with government cost recovery guidelines. Of course all engagements with non-government organisations will be assured and designed to protect user information, including the use of enforceable provisions under the amended act. The amendments also create provisions for engagement with community representatives, industry stakeholders and end users to gain their insights and ensure the highest possible standard of operation and user-friendly services provided by Service Victoria.
Victorians accessing Service Victoria to make applications for permits or licences will be able to bundle relevant services, such as a suite of outdoor recreation permits, including a fishing licence, boat and trailer registration and marine licence renewal, all in one application. Service Victoria, through these capabilities, will be able to tailor and streamline their services in accordance with customer trends, increasing relevance to Victorian customer needs. For those Victorians unable to verify their identity online these proposed changes to the act will support more alternative processes and enable existing services to be moved to Service Victoria more quickly.
The bill will repeal requirements to send formal letters with titles such as ‘Interim refusal notice’ if more information is required for processing – an unnecessary and stressful letter to receive for struggling Victorians trying to access government services. We will reduce the need for ministerial approval for operational matters and reduce the need to create further regulation, delivering new services, speeding up Service Victoria’s ability to adapt their services to better fit the needs of the consumer and making processes easier for Service Victoria to service Victorians. In turn this makes the services more easily accessible for all Victorians.
Through this amendment to the act we as a government will better enable the implementation of the Victorian Government Digital Strategy 2021–2026, supporting the goals of our digital strategy of better, fairer and more accessible services, because this is what Victoria deserves. All Victorians, young and old and our most vulnerable, should be able to access all the services and benefits that Service Victoria offers. In 2022 we introduced amendments to the act to address technical issues arising in the COVID pandemic response, in 2023 we introduced a dedicated Department of Government Services with a singular focus to maintain and improve government services such as Service Victoria and in 2024 we are committed to building further on these reforms to keep progressing technical advances and increasing consumer expectations of government service delivery.
The Allan Labor government is committed to continuously improving the services. But there is always more work to do in improving these systems for everyone and making the services more user-friendly and accessible, and this is what the amendment proposes to achieve. I hope my fellow members in the Legislative Council will join me in supporting these crucial amendments for the benefit of all Victorians. We are changing the game for government service provision, and we must continue to set the standard as our technical world evolves. This amendment will do just that, ensuring that Service Victoria remains a constant and relevant government service now and into the future.