Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I can advise that the cost has been around $3 million for the development of all technologies which relate to this. That includes working with the product-level blocking and the pilot for that, the cloud based activities and the multiple-issuer feasibility study.

I'd just like to reinforce something about the work on the multiple issuer that I think I mentioned in answer to a question from someone else on the other side. At the moment, Indue is the only issuer of the cashless debit card. We're seeking to have a situation where the person has the choice of who they would like to have as their issuer, so if they happen to bank with Westpac then Westpac would be the issuer of the card. But, as I advised the chamber earlier, we're already into discussions and have signed an agreement with the Traditional Credit Union in the Northern Territory. They're very keen to provide this service to their people.

I'd also put on the record the extraordinary amount of investment that we have received in the technological advances from organisations like the banks, some of the technology providers and also some philanthropic institutions which have put their time and money into supporting the development of this really quite state-of-the-art and advanced technology which we have been working on in this working group.