Data linkage reforms set to deliver more for Western Australians

• $8 million allocated from McGowan Government's Digital Capability Fund to advance Western Australia's data linkage capabilities
• Data linkage reforms to streamline public services for Western Australians and support vital medical research
• Investment in data sharing underlines the State Government's commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of all Western Australians

The allocation of $8 million over four years from the McGowan Government's Digital Capability Fund will deliver important data linkage reforms and renewed capabilities across the public sector.

The funding allocation will provide ten additional roles to the Office of Digital Government to support building, operating, governing and usage of a central data asset. It will also provide essential new technical equipment and services to ensure data security.

The new reforms and renewed capabilities provide the necessary infrastructure to tackle the State's most complex social, health, environmental and economic issues in a safe and secure way.

The funding will enable the State Government to streamline government services, and ensure policy and operational decisions are informed by relevant data.

Improved data linkage capabilities will also support health and medical researchers in conducting ethically-approved research and evaluation that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of all Western Australians.

To support these reforms, the Office of Digital Government, together with the Department of Health, will facilitate the secure linkage of data in a safe, privacy-preserving environment.

The reforms respond to recommendations made by WA's Chief Scientist, Professor Peter Klinken AC, who led a data linkage review with the research, not-for-profit and public sectors.

The initiative also supports the delivery of the Digital Strategy for the WA Government 2021-2025 and recommendations from the Sustainable Health Review 2019, by building the State Government's data and analytics capabilities to support work on critical cross-portfolio issues.

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