Newman Government axes 400 IT contractors and saves taxpayers $40,000-an-hour

THE Newman Government has justified the axing of almost 400 IT contractor jobs amid claims of saving Queensland taxpayers $40,000 an hour.

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ALMOST 1000 computer and IT applications used across Queensland's public service are so outdated they are no longer supported and pose a major meltdown risk, an audit has found.

Fixing the 997 systems could cost as much as $6 billion, a staggering figure for a State Government doggedly focused on its widespread cost-cutting regime.

The interim audit report, to be handed down today, will also detail a $40,000-an-hour saving made after 384 IT contractors were axed, some of whom were earning up to $1600 a day despite working within the public service for several years.

IT Minister Ros Bates has urged her department to "think right outside the square" to find solutions as she attempts to head off another health payroll-style disaster.

"The former government short-changed Queensland ... took short cuts around critical systems that should have been upgraded," she said.

"There is a risk that we could have a meltdown of a system, but at least now we know what they are and we can respond pretty quickly."

Today's report will detail the interim findings of the Newman Government-ordered audit of the state's computer systems.

Among the applications at risk of failure is the Department of Community Safety's core human resources management program, a "business critical" system handling leave and pay arrangements for frontline workers, including firefighters and paramedics.

"It's out of vendor support and we will have difficulty in supporting any future business changes to this," Ms Bates said

"So it's an area of immediate concern that we're basically either going to have to bite the bullet and repair it, upgrade it, or look for alternatives."

While solutions to the myriad IT problems will be canvassed in the audit's final report, due on October 30, Ms Bates said some ageing applications might need "basic patching" until a long-term fix was found.

She was scathing of the former government's decision to funnel millions into expensive IT contractors, brought in because of a lack of public sector expertise but with few regular checks and balances.

"Worse than that, often there is no outcome," she said.

Ms Bates said the Government would attempt to source more solutions from the market, rather than building its own systems.