An innovative family violence app has won the inaugural Victorian Premier’s iAward for Public Sector Innovation at the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) Victorian iAwards Gala.
Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings and Minister for Innovation Philip Dalidakis this evening announced that SmartSafe+ by the Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria (DVRCV) had won the top public sector award.
SmartSafe+ is a free app that helps women safely and securely collect detailed evidence, in order to obtain a protection order or prove a breach of one. It collects photographs, video and recordings and saves them off-device to ensure the evidence can be protected and used in court.
DVRCV worked closely with the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria, Victoria Police, and community and legal services to develop the app and ensure it is a trusted and respected tool for protecting women.
SmartSafe+ was selected by Premier Daniel Andrews from those nominated in the Victorian ‘Community Services’ and ‘Public Sector and Government’ iAwards categories.
This year’s other iAward winners include Zendesk who took the Big Data Award, Surefire Systems for the Big Consumer award and Monash student Dilpreet Singh who received the undergraduate tertiary student award.
The AIIA iAwards recognise the achievements of Australian organisations at the forefront of technology-led innovation. The award categories include Consumer, Community Services, Industrial & Primary Industries, Public Sector and Government, and Student Nominations.
The Victorian Premier’s iAward for Public Sector Innovation was developed in partnership with the AIIA, and recognises new ways of working and delivering government services to Victorians.
The state’s digital tech industry currently employs more than 83,000 people across 8,000 companies, generating about $34 billion for the economy each year. The Andrews Labor Government is investing heavily in this sector to maximise future growth and jobs for the state – a sector expected to grow to $50.8 billion by 2020.
Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews
“SmartSafe+ is a fantastic app helping to tackle family violence. It will save lives – and it’s a fitting first winner of the Victorian Premier’s iAward for Public Sector Innovation.”
Quotes attributable to the Special Minister of State Gavin Jennings
“The Labor Government is working hard to reform and revitalise the way we do business. This new award recognises the innovative work being done across the public sector in Victoria."
Quotes attributable to Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade Philip Dalidakis
“Congratulations to all the winners at this year’s iAwards. This important program and the variety of winners shows the vital role the tech industry plays in driving productivity across our industries.”
Quotes attributable to Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria CEO Emily Maguire
“We’re thrilled to win this award and thank the Victorian Premier for this recognition. SmartSafe+ is a totally new and interactive smartphone app that supports women experiencing family violence to access the justice system.”
Full list of 2016 Victorian iAward winners:
Victorian Premier’s iAward for Public Sector Innovation
Winner - Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria - SmartSafe+
Big Data
Winner - Zendesk - Zendesk Satisfaction Prediction
Business Services
Winner - Urbanise – The software transforming building operations
Merit - CSIRO & Kingston City Council – Aspire
Merit - iCareHealth – MedMobile
Community Services
Winner - HealthKit - HealthKit
Merit - Infoxchange - Ask Izzy: The A to Z of homeless help
Consumer
Winner - Surefire Systems - The Surefire Transaction Platform
Merit - Nuguy Nominees Pty Ltd t/as SKY NANNY - SKY NANNY
Export
Winner - StarRez - StarRez Housing, Conduct and Conference Software
Industrial & Primary Industries
Winner - AgriWebb - The AgriWebb NoteBook and SaleYard
Infrastructure & Platforms
Winner - Urbanise - The software transforming building operations
Mobility
Winner - iCareHealth - MedMobile
Public Sector & Government
Winner - DEDJTR - MAX dynamic case management
Merit - Dialog Information Technology - FireReady
Research & Development
Winner - Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre & Salesforce - ASDetect
Startup
Winner - AgriWebb - The AgriWebb NoteBook and SaleYard
Undergraduate Tertiary Student
Winner - Dilpreet Singh, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University - Activity Recognition in Sports Performance
Reviewed 19 August 2020