**Apologies for cross-posting**
Today's Victorian state budget has seen a commitment of $8.2 million (AUS)
by the state government to the Public Record Office's VERS (Victorian
Electronic Records Strategy) project. A media release containing details of
the funding plus web links to relevant publications is attached.
Regards
Justine
Justine Heazlewood
Manager, Electronic Records and Online Access
Public Record Office Victoria (Australia)
T +61 3 9285 7938 | M +61 413 733 299 | F +61 3 9285 7953
[log in to unmask]
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Tuesday 7 May 2002
$8.2 MILLION TO ENSURE E-GOVERNMENT ENDURES IN VICTORIA (AUSTRALIA)
Public Record Office Victoria, the Archives of the Australian state of
Victoria, welcomed today's $8.2 million budget announcement by the
Victorian Government which will future-proof the State's electronic
information.
The money will be spent on the innovative and world-leading program, VERS (
Victorian Electronic Records Strategy) -- addressing the preservation of
vital data forever, in spite of quickly changing software, formats and
computing technology.
Public Record Office Victoria (PROV), has been developing the strategy as
an effective and practical solution to the recognised problem of sustaining
electronic records into the future.
Director of PROV Ross Gibbs said that this important project has the
potential to impact on every aspect of preserving our history, both in the
government and private sectors.
"It provides an innovative solution to the problem that the whole world is
currently trying to resolve," Mr Gibbs said.
"Over the next two years, we will use the funds to build a repository to
house and provide access to VERS-compliant electronic records.
"We will also establish a Centre of Excellence to support VERS projects and
compliance programs within Government, thus taking the long-term view on
preserving the electronic archival heritage of the state," he said.
VERS is much more than just a theory -- the first real-world implementation
of the strategy, in the Victorian Department of Infrastructure (DOI), has
just entered system production. It is hoped that the records created by
staff at DOI today will be able to be read on-screen by their
grandchildren!
VERS has been identified as a key supporting tool to the Victorian
Government's *Putting People at the Centre* eGovernment strategy. This
world-recognised initiative will be a major part of the Government's
delivery of an effective and equitable e-economy in this state.
The funds committed to VERS will be used over the following two years to:
* Create a Centre of Excellence to support VERS projects and compliance
programs within Government, and research ways to better protect the
electronic records of the state.
* Build a central repository located within Public Record Office Victoria
to house and provide access to electronic records of permanent value to the
State.
For further information contact Justine Heazlewood, VERS Business
Development Manager on e-mail [log in to unmask]
http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/vers/
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