NSW govt launches Secure Logic-developed digital trade licences

The New South Wales Government has launched its digitised trade licences for the Service NSW digital wallet, developed by Sydney MSP Secure Logic.

The licences, initially with the NSW digital white card, are the newest digitised identification cards available for NSW citizens, following the recent launches of the digital driver’s licence and the currently on-trial digital photo ID.

Like the other two licenses, the digital white card was developed through Secure Logic’s TrustGrid digital identity ecosystem. TrustGrid has since been spun off as a separate company, after Secure Logic was acquired by Tesserent

“We are pleased that we have been able to provide so much functionality out of what we have built, using the TrustGrid digital ecosystem,” Secure Logic executive chairman and TrustGrid CEO Santosh Devaraj said.

“Having worked continuously on improvements over the last almost five years we will continue to work with TrustGrid and the TrustGrid platform to provide solutions and continuously improve the level of protection we can offer Service NSW, the NSW government and other government agencies both domestically and globally.”

Speaking on the launch, NSW minister for better regulation and innovation Kevin Anderson said the licences would be digitised for more than 30 Home Building and SafeWork licence categories under the state’s next stage of its digital transformation.

“Currently tradies are required to carry anywhere up to 15 plastic licence cards with them on the job. It's an outdated system that is costing tradies time and money,” Anderson said.

“Under these changes tradies will finally be able to say goodbye to the plastic licences clogging up their wallets and have quick and easy access to all the work licences they need on their smartphones.”

While the white card, which permits the holder to undertake construction work in NSW, is the first to go digital, a range of other categories including Home Building industry contractors, supervisors and tradesmen, and high-risk work licences are also set to be digitised next.

NSW minister for customer service Victor Dominello said the new licences built on the success of the digital driver's licence.

“There are close to 1.5 million site managers, surveyors and tradies who hold a White Card in NSW and whose lives will be made easier by this reform,” Dominello said.

“We know people love the convenience of a digital licence and this is another example of NSW leading the nation on digital transformation.”