The Queensland Government has flagged sweeping changes to the State Government payroll systems, with Information Minister Ros Bates saying work will begin first on her own department.

 

Ms Bates said she will go to the market to replace the eight government-run systems with a single outsourced system, with work beginning in the Department of Science, IT, Arts and Innovation.

 

In announcing the overhaul, Ms Bates says she expects the changes to save Queensland millions of dollars a year.

 

“It’s ridiculous that one department has eight standalone payroll systems that don’t talk to each other. I’m planning on bringing the eight payroll systems together.”

 

Ms Bates took aim at the ‘outmoded and heavily customised payroll systems’, with tenders to be called for in the coming months for a new standalone system.

 

“The payroll systems to be replaced no longer have the protection of the current software versions and have all been heavily customised to keep them going, making them expensive to run and vulnerable to hackers,” Ms Bates said in a statement.

 

Ms Bates said the new system would be non-complex, straight-forward and would be designed for 9 to 5 workers.

 

“Our current systems are akin to driving a 1972 Ford clunker with the original tyres which has missed most of its services. We are paying IT specialists exorbitant amounts of money to gaffer tape our system so we can pay our staff,” Ms Bates concluded.