The state government is shutting down media access to its annual tech event, barring journalists from reporting on senior officials’ presentations about how technology is being deployed at some of the biggest department and agencies.
The government’s own communications team had invited technology media, including InnovationAus.com, to attend its Digital.NSW Showcase being held at the Royal Randwick Racecourse on Wednesday.
But late on Tuesday, private event partner the Public Sector Network told journalists that a dozen of the bureaucrats in charge of the state’s technology would be off limits because they had “not consented” to media being present.
The event is badged and marketed as a state government event but is run by private organisation the Public Sector Network. The company specialises in “government only networks”, putting on events that are free for government officials, but sponsored by tech vendors and consultancies, which pay to access the audience of public servants.
There are around 60 “partners” for the Digital.NSW Showcase, which is the state government’s main annual digital tech event. It is headlined by senior officials in control of state technology and service budgets.
InnovationAus.com was told by the Public Sector Network late on Tuesday evening that a secretaries panel with the heads of the Department of Customer Service, Premier’s Department and Transport for NSW would be off limits.
It followed an alert on Tuesday afternoon that the following speakers had “not consented to have any media during their sessions”:
- David Ranasinghe, Chief Digital Officer, Revenue NSW
- James Blakely, Director, IDSupport NSW, Digital NSW, NSW Department of Customer Service
- Katie Irvine, Director Data Insights & Reform + CtG PR4, The Cabinet Office
- Lenka Bradovkova, Executive Director, Identity.NSW, NSW Department of Customer Service
- Melissa Clemens, Chief Security Officer, Service NSW
- Narelle Grayson, A/Chief Data Officer & Executive Director, Data and Insights, NSW Department of Customer Service
- Sarah Cruickshank, Deputy Secretary, Customer Delivery and Transformation, NSW Department of Customer Service
- Simone Roberts, Executive Director, Advanced Analytics & Insights, Transport for NSW
- Charlotte Davidson, Director of Policy, Awareness & Research, Cyber Security NSW
The off-limits sessions include how the state’s revenue office is using emerging technologies, the state’s introduction of digital ID and how privacy is being managed, the Cabinet Office view of artificial intelligence, and Service NSW privacy and security (it suffered a massive data breach in 2020).
Journalists would be allowed to cover the Minister’s 10-minute keynote, and cover the ‘diamond partner’ keynotes of multinational giants Salesforce and Adobe in the morning, before picking through remaining panels and fireside chats to find the few remaining officials.
Even tepidly titled panels like the “future of digital”, “unlocking the value of data” and a “data driven culture” were pulled from media at the eleventh hour.
The Department of Customer Service was contacted for comment.
