Reform plans designed to strengthen the online safety of Australians are under consideration by the Federal Government, with the Government commencing public consultation on a proposed new Online Safety Act.

The Federal Government has announced a wide-ranging restructure of the public service, with the reduction of the number of Government departments from 18 to 14 and the merger of other departments as part of its reform agenda - including the combining of communications and infrastructure into a new super-department with responsibility for the National Broadband Network (NBN).

The newly re-elected president of Australia’s Telecommunications Association (TelSoc), Reg Coutts, says Australia has fallen “somewhat behind” its APAC neighbours in recent years in developing the technologies that will be required to flourish in the 21st century.