![Data is at the heart of today’s government services. This is reflected in the federal government’s Data and Digital Government Strategy (the Strategy), which highlights its goal to use data, analytics, and technology to deliver simple, accessible services for people and businesses by 2030. As noted in the strategy, Australians expect personalised, integrated, and easy-to-use services from government entities they engage with. Such personalisation, especially across digital channels, is heavily dependent on data. Delivering such services becomes more effective when the data is more accurate and up-to-date. This is where real-time data comes into play. Why? Real-time data is more accurate because it is always up-to-date. This, in turn, improves the customer experience by enabling services to be more dynamic and interactive. However, because batch processing still accounts for the majority of data processing in government ranks, even the most recent data may become outdated when used to deliver government services. Engage with data in motion Batch processing is when the processing and analysis happen on a set of data that has already been stored for a period of time. This may be days, weeks, or even months, which just doesn't cut it for delivering dynamic and interactive citizen services. In recent years, data streaming has emerged as the technology that allows organizations to tap into their data in real-time in order to improve citizen engagement and experience. Event streaming, another name for data streaming, describes the continuous flow of data as it occurs. This enables true real-time processing and analysis for immediate insights. Streaming data distinguishes itself from batch processing by delivering the most up-to-date information when required. Apache Kafka, one of the most successful open source projects, is used by over 70% of Fortune 500 companies today and is well recognised as the de facto standard for data streaming. The open-source nature of Kafka lowered the entry barrier for working with streaming data, allowing companies to easily build use cases and solutions. However, as with all open-source software, there are limitations. Companies often end up spending more to efficiently manage, scale, secure, and evolve the streaming infrastructure. Why are we still using batch processing if data streaming is the future? Batch processing is still simpler to implement than stream processing, and successfully moving from batch to streaming requires a significant change to a team’s habits and processes, as well as a meaningful upfront investment. That is why Confluent has rearchitected Kafka to create a complete platform that provides a fully managed, cloud-native data streaming solution with the ability to turn data events into outcomes, enable real-time apps, and empower teams and systems to act on data instantly. Personalised for the people Confluent’s ability to utilise data as a continually updating stream of events rather than discrete snapshots means that public sector organisations can leverage data streaming to improve citizen engagement by offering personalised, data-driven services and insights. Confluent’s data streaming platform also enables real-time monitoring and analysis of government services and infrastructure, allowing public sector entities to quickly respond to critical events such as natural disasters or public health emergencies. At a more mundane level, Confluent supports data sharing and collaboration among government agencies, facilitating the seamless exchange of information to serve the public better and optimise resource allocation. And, importantly for government organisations, Confluent’s data streaming capabilities can enhance cyber security by detecting and mitigating threats in real time and safeguarding sensitive government data—a critical element in maintaining our national security. Indeed, 53% of Australian businesses surveyed in a recent Confluent study cited security and compliance awareness as the most applicable use cases for data streaming. It should come as little surprise, then, that industry analyst firm Forrester views Confluent as “an excellent fit for organisations that need to support a high-performance, scalable, multi-cloud data pipeline with extreme resilience.” Streamlining service improvement Data streaming is driving greater efficiency in more than three of four companies across Asia Pacific, according to Confluent research. Meanwhile, 65% of IT leaders polled see significant or emerging product and service benefits from data streaming. With this in mind, the potential for the government to do more with its data is clear, and personalisation is top of mind. Personalising citizen service experiences requires knowing who a customer is at any given moment. This is made possible by accessing data in motion, especially across multiple touchpoints. At the very least, this can help citizens avoid having to provide the same information over and over again as they interact with government agencies. And now, with Confluent assessed under the Australian Information Security Registered Assessors Programme (IRAP), government agencies with an Information Security Manual PROTECTED level requirement can use Confluent Cloud across Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Australian government agencies will then be able to gather and share data across departments, offices, and agencies securely and at scale. This means even more government agencies will be able to tap data in motion to integrate information across their applications and systems in real time and reinvent employee and citizen experiences for the better.](https://publicspectrum.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Confluent-Advertorial.png)
Less than a day after Treasurer Jim Chalmers unveiled his budget, Labor’s multibillion-dollar Future Made in Australia package is already in question since the Coalition has indicated that it would reject a crucial component. Over the next ten years, the government plans to invest $23 billion to support local industry and hasten the transition to net zero.
However, it’s the $13.7 billion in production tax breaks for processed key minerals and renewable hydrogen that will be crucial. Labor will face the greatest challenges in achieving this. The Coalition needs to pass legislation to implement its strategy, but so far, it is not happy with this.
According to Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor, the Coalition will instead attempt to boost the manufacturing and resource sectors via alternate channels, claiming that the production tax credits would only result in “billions for billionaires.”
“Frankly, this is not a good use of taxpayer money. This is not how you get manufacturing and resource sectors really firing,” he told ABC Radio.
“Their pathway is government subsidies. Our pathway is fundamental. This is the most competitive sector, one of the strongest sectors in Australia.
“To say the only way it’s going to survive is through government subsidies? You know this is an extraordinary claim to make.”
The Business Council of Australia has cautioned that the success of the Future Made in Australia initiative depends on bipartisanship.
“It will increase our competitiveness,” chief executive Bran Black told ABC Radio.
“We need to see this as the start of some momentum towards genuine change that drives improved fundamentals for investment.”
Taylor said that the real issue should be whether there would be bipartisanship or not, since he didn’t think Labor had provided solid ideas.
During his media tour after the budget on Wednesday morning, Chalmers sought to reassure taxpayers that the $13.7 billion in tax rebates would not be squandered.
“Those credits will reward businesses that produce the energy of the future to help the world get to global net zero and to create good, secure, well-paid jobs in our local communities,” he told ABC News.
“So by using the tax system by paying on scale and success, we’re making sure that money is not wasted.”
Chalmers saw Australia’s entry into the global net zero transition as a “golden opportunity.” In addition to the tax incentives, the government would invest an additional $1.3 billion for a second phase of the hydrogen headstart programme to support “early-mover renewable hydrogen projects.” Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said that funding for these projects didn’t have to come from taxpayers.
“People like Clive Palmer and Twiggy Forrest are great business people, and they know how to milk a weak government, and that’s what they’re doing at the moment,” Dutton said.
“I think we’d be better off providing for arrangements and an environment that is conducive to business investment.
“Those projects should be able to stand alone, and we support them—but not with taxpayers’ money.”
Independent Wentworth MP Allegra Spender expressed her openness to the Future Made in Australia concept if “it is done right.”
“I’m open to the Future Made in Australia; I’m looking really carefully at the details,” she told Sky News.
“But the challenge for me will be that the implementation is done right, making sure that there’s a real arm’s length between the decisions the minister is making.
“And making sure there are real guardrails around it. This is the work I’ll be doing and interrogating as it comes forward.”
The budget also allocated a new $1.7 billion innovation fund for Australia’s future, focusing on high-priority industries like batteries, low-carbon liquid fuels, and green metals. In addition, the government had previously said that it would lend Silicon Valley startup PsiQuantum $466 million to further the development of a quantum computer.
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