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February 14, 2025

Lismore one of four test areas for COVID digital vaccination certificate

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In a joint announcement from the Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole and the Minister for Digital and Customer Service, Victor Dominello, Lismore ‘customers’ will be the first to display their COVID-19 digital vaccination certificate on the Service NSW app.

With the NSW Government pilot of the technology underway, there has been three other areas chosen for the test along with Lismore including Tamworth, Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the regional pilot starting Monday would focus on staff and visitors at a number of clubs and aged-care facilities, as well as selected taxi companies.

‘Up to 500 customers, to be selected by the businesses involved, will participate in the pilot across Tamworth, Port Macquarie, Wagga Wagga and Lismore,’ said Mr Toole

‘Customers will have the convenience of checking in to a venue and showing proof of vaccination status on the one app. This is NSW leading the way with a pilot in the regions and helping to make life easier for our communities in the roadmap out of COVID.’

Over 6 million people using the ServiceNSW app

Minister for Digital and Customer Service Victor Dominello said while it was currently possible to display your vaccination certificate, given there were over 6 million people using the ServiceNSW app this was a smart extra service for the citizens of NSW.

‘There are already three ways to download your vaccination passport so this is about making life easier for the people and business of NSW as we safely open back up,’ Mr Dominello said.

‘In a week of being granted access to the Australian Immunisation Register information we have already begun successfully testing internally ahead of this regional pilot but we also need to ensure we have the right checks and balances in place.’

The ServiceNSW app will include a number of security measures to help compliance officers and businesses with checking and validating a customer’s vaccination status, including a NSW Waratah logo hologram and rotating QR codes, similar to the Digital Driver Licence.

Integrating the certificate onto the ServiceNSW app optional

‘Integrating the vaccine certificate onto the ServiceNSW app will be optional,’ Mr Dominello said.

‘Customers can also use the Express Plus Medicare app, the digital wallet on their phone or a paper certificate from Services Australia to prove their vaccination status.

To integrate a COVID-19 digital vaccination certificate with the ServiceNSW app, customers will need to have a Federal MyGov account with Medicare linked and the Express Plus Medicare app. Customers without a smartphone should contact Services Australia for a non-digital option.

For more information, please visit nsw.gov.au.

 


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4 COMMENTS

  1. Is it not the case that to ask anyone to provide medical information is to be in breach of the Federal Privacy Act Section 94H, which comes with a penalty of 5 years imprisonment or 300 penalty points? Does the Constitution , sec 109 ,not make it clear that if a state law is in conflict with a federal law the federal law trumps the state law making it invalid and unlawful?

    • obviously federal law overrides state legislation, but this is a trial, and dependent on the outcome, would give state legislators the confidence to roll-out a similar system in each state. and with 90+% of the population vaccinated, the adoption of such a program would likely have popular support.

  2. I am not anti vax but this digital certificate stuff really feels creepy. There would need to be very clear limits to such a thing, including time limits. I just feel this is yet another situation where economics and the efficient machinery of the system gets prioritised over actual humanity and THAT is what we all are oppressed by, whether you’re pro or anti vax, I reckon.

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