MEDIA RELEASE

ACS Welcomes Industry Policy But Questions Impact for IT&T

Monday, 8 December 1997 - The Australian Computer Society's (ACS) has commended the Howard Government on its $1.2 billion industry plan, welcoming the commitment to R&D and investment incentives.

However, ACS President, Tom Worthington, said the document fails to address many of the key recommendations outlined in the Goldsworthy Report.

"While the Government’s "Investing for Growth" statement makes a number of sweeping statements about the importance of establishing a framework for the development of the information economy, there is little in it that is specifically devoted to IT.

"Based on today’s announcement, the recent spate of Government IT Reports would appear to have had little impact on the Government," he said.

"While many of the measures announced have potential benefits for the information industries, this policy generally falls short of what we are seeking to maximise both Australia’s use of information technology and our role in the global information economy."

Mr Worthington said the ACS would continue to seek opportunities to raise with the Government those aspects of the Goldsworthy Report which did not appear to have been addressed in the policy statement.

This media release is available on the Web at: http://www.acs.org.au/news/industry.htm

ENDS

The Australian Computer Society is the recognised association for information technology (IT) professionals, attracting a large and active membership from all levels of the IT industry and providing a wide range of services to its members. It is the public voice of the IT professional, the guardian of professional ethics and standards in the IT industry, with a commitment to the wider community to ensure the beneficial use of IT.

Media Enquiries:

Tom Worthington, ACS President, Tel: (0419) 496 150, Email: tomw@acslink.net.au

Caroline New, Caroline New PR, Tel: (02) 9980 8060 or (0411) 889 456, Email: cnew@acslink.net.au