Arabic version: كوينزلاند تضيف بطاقات كبار السن إلى تطبيق الخدمات
According to ABC News, Queensland seniors, carers and companion card holders can add their cards to the new Service Queensland app while retaining their physical cards. Advocates for older Australians welcomed the optional digital access, saying flexibility remains essential.
The changes, announced on Wednesday, allow the cards to sit alongside digital driver licences and other credentials in the app, which replaced the digital licence app. The addition brings the number of licences and accreditations that can be stored in Service Queensland to 22.
Customer Services Minister Steve Minnikin said the change offered older Queenslanders more choice in how they use government services, including in person, by phone and online. Families, Seniors and Disability Services Minister Amanda Stoker said the digital cards were optional and that physical cards would remain valid.
National Seniors Australia chief executive Chris Grice said many older Queenslanders had improved their digital literacy and would welcome a digital card. However, he said continued access to physical cards and in-person services was important, particularly for people seeking reassurance about personal and cyber-safety issues.
The government also announced a service centre on wheels for regional communities across north and Far North Queensland. The service will travel on a regular circuit. Mr Grice said taking services into communities, including those affected by cyclones or other weather events, could make access easier and more consistent. He said he expected relatively high take-up of the digital option.
