In other public sector ICT and digital news for 17 August

• The government has pushed back against a move proposed by Labour and the Greens to establish a Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, modelled after a UK institute of the same name. The proposed office would inform and advise policymakers.
• Microsoft has won a $600,000 contract with the Digital Health Agency (DHA) following a closed tender process. The DHA has yet to reveal the nature of the work that Microsoft will perform under this contract.
• The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has been praised for the digital accessibility offered in this year’s census, following years of design work and testing. The census was accessible via multiple devices, systems and browsers, offering several assistive tools for impaired users.
• The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) has announced Environment Online; a new online tool designed to improve the water and environmental approval process and reduce processing times. The system will be built by Insight.
• The Kangaroo Island Landscape Board has installed an AI system that has been designed to protect Australian wildlife. The 4G-connected system is made up of 70 cameras which can identify feral cats and provide real-time information on their movements.