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Sydney Water's IT projects come under state scrutiny

The NSW government is taking a hard look at how the state's national water utility is spending its money on IT in a bid to drive down costs.
Written by Michael Lee, Contributor

Sydney Water's marketing and IT expenditure will come under scrutiny with NSW Minister for Finance and Services Andrew Constance announcing that the state will conduct an independent audit of the utility's programs.

Constance said that the audit is to ensure that customers' dollars are being spent wisely, and to determine whether there are any opportunities to gain savings.

"The NSW government is determined to place downward pressure on the cost of living, and water bills are an important part of that commitment," Constance said in a statement.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Sydney Water had spent AU$7 million on a new website, accounting for 4.5 percent of its IT budget for the past three years.

ZDNet contacted the departments of Finance and Services to determine what impact the review would have on projects like Sydney Water's website, and what the review would entail, but did not receive a response by the time of writing.

Also up for scrutiny is the utility's AU$56.57 million capital budget for IT projects this financial year.

"Sydney Water approved a new IT strategy in May this year, with a clear focus on driving efficiencies in this area, and this audit will ensure the organisation is on track to meet that commitment," Constance said.

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