DATA AND DIGITAL MINISTERS MEETING
COMMUNIQUÉ
27 February 2026
The following Data and Digital Ministers met today at Parliament House in Canberra:
- Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher (Commonwealth)
- The Hon Jihad Dib MP (New South Wales)
- The Hon Danny Pearson MP (Victoria)
- The Hon Steve Minnikin MP (Queensland)
- The Hon Stephen Dawson MLC (Western Australia)
- The Hon Madeleine Ogilvie MP (Tasmania)
- Ms Rachel Stephen-Smith MLA (Australian Capital Territory)
- The Hon Joshua Burgoyne MLA (Northern Territory)
The Hon Judith Collins KC MP (New Zealand) was an apology for the meeting. Ministers noted the South Australian Government is in a caretaker period and was represented by officials.
Ministers acknowledged the upcoming retirements of the Hon Judith Collins KC MP and the Hon Natalie Hutchins MP, and thanked both Ministers for their contributions to DDMM over recent years. Ministers thanked Mr Andrew Spina PSM, Deputy Director-General, Queensland Department of Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business for his support of DDMM and his four decades of service and wished him all the best for his retirement.
Cyber Security
Ministers were briefed on the cyber threat environment by the Australian Signals Directorate. Ministers welcomed an update on implementation of the 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy and agree the importance of continued collaboration on cyber security.
Emerging Technologies
Ministers remain committed to collaborating on best use of emerging technologies to improve government efficiency and to provide better services for all Australians. Ministers discussed shared opportunities and challenges offered by the adoption of artificial intelligence. Ministers agreed emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, would be a standing item on the DDMM agenda.
Priorities for 2026
Ministers agreed their priorities for 2026, including:
- continuing to implement the National Digital ID and Verifiable Credentials Strategy, including initiatives to increase adoption of credentials, such as driver licences, and digital IDs within all jurisdictions
- undertaking the second review of National Cabinet’s Intergovernmental Agreement on Data Sharing following five years since its commencement, and
- driving a life events approach to government service provision to make it easy for people to find and do what they need to across all levels of government.
National Data Sharing Work Program
Under National Cabinet’s Intergovernmental Agreement on Data Sharing, Data and Digital Ministers are responsible for agreeing and overseeing a National Data Sharing Work Program to improve data sharing between governments.
Ministers agreed the fifth Work Program will include projects to:
- investigate whether the EU model of Dataspaces, with a decentralised approach to data sharing that preserves data sovereignty with the data owner, could work in Australia, and
- identify high-value Commonwealth datasets for linkage with state and territory data, and opportunities and barriers to cross jurisdictional data sharing.
Digital Inclusion
Ministers agreed digital inclusion priorities for 2026, including identification of interventions to support victims of family and domestic violence and initiatives to improve access to free-to-air television in remote First Nations communities.
Digital ID and verifiable credentials
Ministers remain committed to secure, convenient, portable, voluntary and inclusive Digital ID and verifiable credentials. Ministers agreed and published the updated Digital ID and Verifiable Credentials Strategy.
Ministers agreed the initial set of credentials that should be implemented as nationally interoperable verifiable credentials, including driver licences and proof of age cards. Ministers also agreed that the ISO/IEC suite of standards be used to achieve technical interoperability between these verifiable credentials. Each jurisdiction will determine when it will develop the ability to issue and/or receive nationally interoperable verifiable credentials, but will do so in accordance with the agreed standards.
New Zealand is not a party to this communiqué.
Information on the Data and Digital Ministers Meeting, including previous meeting communiqués, can be found at www.finance.gov.au/government/public-data/data-and-digital-ministers-meeting.
