SERVICE SA

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (14:49): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Government Enterprises a question about Service SA.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Service SA is tasked with the job of providing convenient access to comprehensive government information and services to the whole community. We have heard on several occasions how Service SA is striving to deliver on excellence in service delivery.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The honourable member might want to repeat that. I did not hear a thing.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Indeed, sir. Service SA is tasked with the job of providing convenient access to comprehensive government information and services to the whole community. We have heard on many occasions how Service SA is striving to deliver on excellence in service delivery to the citizens of our state. Will the minister update the chamber on some recent recognition of performance in this area for Service SA?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling) (14:50): I thank the honourable member for his most important question and his interest in forward-thinking technology, which is a forte of his. He might not know a lot about running machines but he knows a lot about technology.

Previously, I have talked about the single entry point to government which has been designed to make services and information much more accessible for community and business. This website has gone from strength to strength and now brings together more than 400 sites across government. This means that consumers now have 24-hour, seven day a week access to government information, products and services. I am very pleased to advise the chamber that the success of this website has recently been internationally recognised.

At the FutureGov Summit Awards in Malaysia, Service SA received the FutureGov Public Sector Organisation of the Year—Oceania award for excellence and innovation. I am told that this represents an international benchmark. I am delighted that this website has been acknowledged in this particular esteemed way. It is, again, another success story for the very dedicated Service SA staff.

You would also be aware that I have spoken previously in this place about the innovative EzyReg iPhone and Android applications. These applications put the state government ahead of the rest of the country when it comes to making vehicle registration easier and faster with a smartphone. I know that members opposite, especially the Hon. Tammy Franks, will be really pleased to hear that the EzyReg iPhone app has now been recognised nationally. I am pleased to announce that in September the EzyReg iPhone app won an award, Best Government Services App at the 2011 Australian Mobile Awards, otherwise known as the Mobies.

The Australian Mobile Awards recognise the best of the Australian mobile industry and aim to reward the creativity and insight of both individuals and business at the cutting edge of the industry. So, this award represents another recognition of excellence for Service SA employees. The Australian Mobile Awards are given in a number of categories, including: government services, news, entertainment and information. The awards are decided by a combination of public vote and detailed judging panel of review, comprising a variety of leading figures from across the mobile industry.

The EzyReg iPhone application is the first of its type for an Australian government agency, providing vehicle registrations and the ability to be able to check registrations from an all-purpose mobile app. One of the most exciting elements of the iPhone app is the barcode scanning option, which allows customers to use the phone's camera feature to pre-load vehicle and client information by simply scanning the barcode on the renewal notice. Of course, options for manual entry are also included for those without their bill or a suitably equipped phone.

I am pleased to advise that after around four months since the launch the applications have received over 8,600 iPhone renewals, approximately 1,080 Android renewals, and over 208,000 registration check inquiries for both the iPhone and the Android. Even the Hon. Tammy Franks must admit that these are impressive figures which demonstrate that the whole community is finding this app an extremely useful tool. These figures also demonstrate that this mobile technology is becoming pervasive across all sectors of the community. I would particularly like to take this opportunity to congratulate Service SA on this wonderful achievement and acknowledge the hardworking and very dedicated and committed team at Service SA.