In other public sector ICT and digital news for 31 August 2021:

• The chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Rod Sims, has laid out new regulations for online app stores to address competition and consumer concerns. Sims says the move is in line with actions taken by government leaders and regulators across the US, Europe, the UK and Asia. The reforms surround promoting competition, transparency and fairness.  
• Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price has announced four new Sovereign Industrial Capability Priorities to “build a robust, resilient, and internationally competitive defence industry in Australia.” The new priorities are Robotics, Autonomous Systems and Artificial Intelligence; Precision Guided Munitions, Hypersonic weapons and Integrated Air and Missile Defence Systems; Space; and Information Warfare and Cyber Capabilities.  
• The Victorian government is investing $73 million into improving NBN speeds in remote areas. The project will aim to improve business and regional connectivity for communities served by fixed-wireless and satellite services.  
• Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas has praised the opening of a new cloud computing hub, established by Singapore-based service provider NCS, as a “milestone” in the state’s digital transformation. The NEXT Cloud Centre of Excellence in Australia is expected to create 500 new jobs in Melbourne.  
• The federal government has officially decommissioned the Digital Transformation Agency’s (DTA) Performance Dashboard, established in 2016 to improve digital services and government transparency. The closure of the website is due to significant restructuring currently taking place within the DTA.  
• The NSW government has officially launched the Supplier Hub Invoicing Portal for SMEs to review their invoicing information and enable e-invoicing capabilities.