Digital declarations deal

THE Federal Government has awarded the contract for its “permissions capability” platform to consulting firm Accenture, almost a year after initially releasing details of the huge IT project (TD 26 Oct 2020).

The deal will see Accenture create a platform for digital incoming passenger declarations, replacing the current paperbased forms and also at the same time allowing for the electronic collection of information on the vaccine status of inbound arrivals.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said the move was one of several proactive steps being taken by the Government “to ensure the safe reopening of the border at scale when supported by health advice”.

“This will help us to welcome home increasing numbers of Australians, and welcome the tourists, travellers, international students, skilled workers and overseas friends and family we’ve all been missing during the pandemic,” she said.

While the initial application will be for Digital Passenger Declarations (DPD), the Accenture deal lays the framework for a range of other applications including the issuing of visas, import permits, identity cards, licenses, registrations and other documents.

Accenture will deliver the initial operating phase of the DPD later in the year, Andrews said, with the system also “providing the capability to collect, verify and share any Australian Governmentapproved and digitally-verified travel, health and vaccine status information of international travellers with State and Territory public health authorities”.

The DPD will now move into a testing phase before being deployed at scale throughout major Australian airports.