Labor admits $15m cost blowout in SPER ICT project

After previously denying any issues with a $50 million IT project, Treasurer Jackie Trad has now revealed a massive cost blowout.

QUEENSLAND’S Auditor-General has been asked to probe the troubled rollout of a new IT system for the state’s debt collector, the State Penalties Enforcement Registry.

The SPER information and communications technology project has blown out to $62.2 million from its initial budget of $47.2 million, and will now not be delivered until June.

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Until now Treasury and Treasurer Jackie Trad have insisted no major issues existed with the rollout.

Ms Trad last year told The Courier-Mail the rollout was delayed to ensure it was not plagued with the same issued the Commonwealth experienced with the Census and My Health Record.

But the Treasurer yesterday revealed in Parliament she had raised concerns with Treasury “on multiple occasions” and had commissioned an initial review last year.

She said she had also sought ongoing independent assurance of the program last year over rollout issues.

Treasurer Jackie Trad in Question Time yesterday. Picture: Darren England/AAP

“Through this assurance work, I have been advised that further delivery issues have arisen during user acceptance testing, including the program not meeting its scheduled testing completion date,” Ms Trad said.

“The SPER ICT program has been referred to the Auditor-General for investigation due to these ongoing delivery delays.”

Ms Trad described the delays as unacceptable.

Shadow treasurer Tim Mander seized on the latest revelation.

“Labor’s latest IT bungle has slugged taxpayers millions of dollars more for a system that doesn’t work,” he said.

“Labor and IT don’t mix.”