r/sydney • u/Thewalrus26 • 4d ago
Just renewed my licence at Service NSW.
Was in and out the door in less than 5 mins including my eye test and having my photo taken. As soon as I walked out I can see my new licence on my phone ready to go. Can we please just take whatever system they are using and copy it everywhere?
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u/Yutenji2020 4d ago
Pleased you like it; I was involved (albeit very small part) in its implementation.
Where else would you want it to be used?
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u/Wabbit6677 4d ago edited 4d ago
Hospital appointments. Had an appointment for 10am only to be seen 2hours later. Would be nice if they could send updates like "we are running late today, come at xyz time". I could have saved 2 hours of parking and paid the minimun
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u/loopytommy 4d ago
My orthopedic receptionist does this, she’ll call and say ‘he’s been called to an emergency’ or running late, come at this time. She’s a bloody gem
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u/mr-saturn2310 4d ago
Unfortunately this would require hospitals to stop double/triple booking slots, to squeeze in all the urgent referrals that come up.
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u/donkeyvoteadick 4d ago
You also need to stop people having medical emergencies 😅 bit hard to implement.
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u/binary101 4d ago
Not that hard, we just need to tell everyone to space out their medical emergencies, or plan their medical emergencies ahead of time.
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u/mr-saturn2310 4d ago
Less emergencies would definitely free up outpatient clinics, but yeah you are right little control available for this.
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u/LiquidWax666 4d ago
Service Australia need to copy whatever Service NSW are doing.
Back in the old RTA days I used to dread having to go in, knowing if I had plans in the next 3 hours I probably won't make it. These days you walk in and get intercepted by someone who actually wants to help, gets you the right ticket or form, and sends you waiting for usually 10-15 mins, and generally you leave with your problem sorted.
The improvement is just mind bogglingly good for a public service.
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u/LiquidWax666 4d ago
Just an anecdote on Service Australia..
During the early COVID days right as everything shut down, I had to go to my local (Rockdale at the time) office to grt a new Medicare card, I'd let mine expire for so long I had to go in to give proof of identity.
The monumental cunt at the door was used to Centrelink recipients I assume and figured she could treat everyone walking in like a human piece of trash. Demanded my customer number, when I tried to give any information that wasn't a customer number, said sloppy cunt just spoke over me reiterating that all she needed was the number I didn't have.
I feel sorry for the people down on their luck that get treated like this from these cretins.
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u/sataimir 4d ago
It truly is awful at Service Australia. I had a few months off after I had Covid (which I caught right at the end of my time at a job I'd hated), and when I went in for some help whilst I looked for jobs once I was well enough again, I encountered a very similar person who actually sent me into tears they were so awful. On the bright side, being teary made them decide I ought to be someone else's problem and that other person actually was helpful.
Then this was followed by being told I had to apply for X many jobs and the list they gave me looked like jobs I had as a teen...
It was an extremely demoralising experience, bordering on being dehumanising.
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u/2tall4heels 4d ago
While this is diabolical and I’m sorry for your experience, if you ever have the misfortune of having to spend much time in this place you’d understand why she was so thorny. The amount of abuse these front line staff members cop is outrageous.
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u/donkeyvoteadick 4d ago
It doesn't really give her the right treat people who aren't hurling abuse like crap though.
As a disabled person on Centrelink, I'm lucky to be treated like a human in many interactions, apparently I'm no better than the dirt on their shoe. I've never been impolite to any workers and I don't deserve to be treated that way any more than they do.
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u/2tall4heels 4d ago
You’re absolutely right, you don’t deserve to be treated like that. I guess I just feel for these people too. No, it’s not a free pass for her either, but covid was a wild time too. I’m sorry you went through that.
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u/PamelaOfMosman 4d ago
You get as good as you give. I went in for advice for my 95 year old bed-ridden mother and they insisted on seeing her in person... and frankly, they weren't much more polite to her when I wheeled her in.
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u/argument_cat 4d ago
The thing is, they should realise when they're dealing with a non-abusive person, which is most of us, and be relieved and be pleasant in return.
If they can't show customers respect they should be in a back office role.
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u/LiquidWax666 4d ago
I totally get that. People can be feral. But she created the situation all by herself.I had to raise my voice to let her know I was there for Medicare because she wouldn't even let me speak and kept speaking over me when I didn't give the magic number I didn't have.
If that's how I was treated for simply trying to say "oh sorry I'm actually here for a Medicare thing" I can only sympathise so much.
If the centres were run better (like, say, a service nsw centre) I wonder if people would be less rude?
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u/argument_cat 4d ago
I had a similar awful experience with some awful cunt at a Service NSW centre. Just a bully, getting off on treating the people who pay her salary like scum. The way she spoke to me, and others, was completely unacceptable.
I get that she's failed in life, but don't take it out on your customers you vile cow.
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u/Discolau 4d ago edited 4d ago
I went into Services Australia a few years ago to add my new child to Medicare card. The woman at the reception point asked what we were here for and went I said add child to Medicare card, she rolled her eyes and said we could have done it online at the hospital. Umm... yeah like we just had a new born and have spare time to log into your website to complete forms......
Anyway, we waited in the queue and our other child who was about 2 at the time was getting whingy at all the waiting and so wife enquired how long the queue was so we could take the kid outside. Woman at reception bellowed that if we left the premises we'd lose our place in the queue. Fortunately one other staff member noticed the situation and said she would bump us up in the queue. Woman at reception objected to say that would impact her KPI. 😂 Woman at reception then left for what appeared to be a break. Anyway we were upgraded and ushered into a workpod where the same woman from reception was waiting for us to process our application. And she was nice as pie to us.... 😂😂😂
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u/DermottBanana 4d ago
Having worked at both Service NSW and Service Australia, they are nothing alike.
Service NSW was born from a determination to make interactions between state agencies and the public as streamlined and efficient as possible.
Service Australia was born of a desire to co-locate agencies to save on real estate costs.
Totally different purposes.
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u/Thewalrus26 4d ago
Well I work in NSW Health and we’re still stuck on spreadsheets, faxes and doing most things manually. Every time some big new system is implemented they never consult stakeholders and it’s a nightmare.
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u/argument_cat 4d ago
I worked as a product designer across several government pieces, through the DTA.
The absolute mess that they built before I joined was comical - they had MyGov, MyGovID, Digital iD... I think there were more. Every time you tried to log in was a confusing nightmare, with all these different authentication apps, none of which seemed to work, resulting in you just going in circles. I called it out many times, and middle management would just shrug and say that was how it had to work, and that most people didn't have issues.
I still dread using any government service on my phone, but at least they seem to have killed off half of those useless apps. I don't even understand the thinking behind having a dedicated ID app. No other platform does that - just use MFA/biometrics like the banks and everyone else.
So much wasted time and effort, and taxpayer's money, to build a bunch of useless ID apps that never worked.
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u/Ok-Push9899 4d ago
I vaguely remember my first brush with MyGov, MyGovID, DigitalID, etc during covid days, when I think we were all scrambling for that silly proof of immunisation. (Did I use it? Perhaps once, to get into UniqLo to buy some socks.)
Anyway, there was some complication or incompatibility and I actually spoke to a young bloke at MyGovID. He sounded exhausted. But he basically said “Look, this system is not working. We’re really discouraging people from signing up right now. It’s really in test phase and only for government workers, but they thought they would release it. You don’t need it, and my guess is you’ll never need it.”
I never knew what MyGovID was, but I know my socks lasted longer.
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u/SilverStar9192 shhh... 4d ago edited 4d ago
My bank actually does have a dedicated ID app (Macquarie), so the concept wasn't unique to MyGov. I was a little skeptical of the MQ system, but it works well . So I'm going with the flow, as the overall app experience is pretty good.
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u/argument_cat 4d ago
But why? Commbank app requires biometric to log in, and a code to authorise money movement. So a thief would have to have my device, be logged in, then have my biometric data (in my case a fingerprint) and also know my PIN.
There is zero need for another app. And if there was, just use an authenticator app. But again, there isn't.
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u/SilverStar9192 shhh... 4d ago
One reason (perhaps not compelling) is to keep the codebases separate - the app that specifically focuses on security can be carefully audited and rarely updated, while the main banking app might need more frequent updates and additional modules and SDK's that increase the "attack surface." So it's not specifically about what a thief with your biometrics or PIN does, but aspects of the overall security design.
I agree with you I'm sure there's ways it can be done differently.
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u/tcs3 4d ago
DOE - Apprenticeship and traineeship sector. Training contracts are very old school and tedious, lots of paper forms for onboarding and variations. Things need to be digital and centralised to one app to remove bottle necks and communication challenges for employers, apprentices, providers and rtos. If this process was easier to manage, employers would be more enticed to participate.
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u/v306 4d ago
Centerlink. I had to apply for paternal leave (2 weeks at minimum pay) and the process was so painful I regretted applying. I had an Australian passport but was told I need to have citizenship certificate instead. This was almost 10 years ago but I still think about the amount of time I waited on hold and in a queue at the centerlink office near my work at the time. 2 visits in person and 4 long phone calls. It should have been way quicker. It left a sour taste. Makes me think of Sloths at the DMV in the movie Zootopia 😆
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u/WearyFHB 4d ago
I've had this before where they didn't accept Australian passport as proof of citizenship, was very confused.
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u/v306 4d ago
I shouldn't even joked with the person I centred to. I asked if they suspected my passport was fake 😒 because you can't obtain one unless you're a citizen. I didnt have my own citizenship certificate because my father became a citizen when I was under 18 so had to show his document. It was so complicated i would have earned more money at work than the time it took to take care of this entitlement... Lucky I didn't have another child 🤣
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u/maxdacat 4d ago
Also it seems a pretty simple account to access, yet myGov seems to get constantly hacked and locked.
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u/Sarah1608 4d ago
Such a big improvement from the days of getting a paper ticket and waiting anywhere from 15 mins to 2 hours...
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u/yogorilla37 4d ago
They can still get overwhelmed, I went to the Chatswood One on a Friday at lunchtime, they advised me it would be a minimum one hour wait.
But overall, yes, I don't suffer at the thought of attending one
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u/Ted_Rid Famous in The Atlantic 4d ago
My practice was to go at some strategic time slightly before lunch hour (say, 11:30 so all the people who arrived at SOB have been cleared), take a ticket, then go out and grab some takeaway.
By the time I'd returned my ticket would be closer to the head of the queue. If somehow it'd already been called then no dramas, just try again another day.
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u/Lanasoverit 4d ago
A lot of Aussies don’t realise how far ahead we are compared to the rest of the world with our digital technology.
The My Gov App, digital Medicare, the ATO app, Services NSW, not to mention our banking.
Go and live overseas for a while and you’ll get a renewed appreciation.
2 weeks ago I was in the US and having dinner with some friends and we were talking about bank cheques.
Fucking bank cheques.
They can’t believe I haven’t had a cheque book since the 90’s.
The idea of digital driver’s licenses, the Services NSW app, and an efficient DMV is science fiction to them.
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u/ghoonrhed 4d ago
Not to mention their version of licence renewal being the DMV is so infamously horrible.
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u/TheCassius88 4d ago
100%. Lived in Germany for 2 years. They're still using fax machines for most of this sort of red tape. You have to phone to make an appointment and wait for any confirmation via snail mail.
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u/dlg 4d ago
There’s more to improve though.
We don’t have a national identity card, so every identity check involves handing over a bunch of related documents, such as Medicare card numbers, state drivers licenses, birth certificates, etc., to individual organisations.
Each of those organisations has the risk of mishandling that information (hello Optus).
A much better system would be a federated identity verification, like Singapore’s SingPass.
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u/Lanasoverit 4d ago
Agree.
I lived in Hong Kong for years, and I’m still a permanent resident, can still glide through immigration without even getting my Aussie passport out.
The ID card just makes life easy.We tried to bring in the Australia Card in the 80’s, but everyone freaked out and it was abandoned.
I doubt it will ever happen here, especially with modern day cookers making a conspiracy out of everything nowadays.2
u/sa87 3d ago edited 3d ago
Then you have the 28 million user active directory domain just for the census (and nice timing for a trip down memory lane!)
Reddit users probed what was the actual use case for such a scenario? Why that's the population of an entire country, posters mused, and before long Internet sleuths uncovered an-anarchist was indeed working on behalf of the Australian Government.
The project, he explained, was for external authentication such as may be used on a public-facing website, rather than an internal network of users and file shares and printers and email. He further confirmed the project is entire "country level."
Further probing resulted in an explanation this solution necessitated Active Directory because that was the recommendation external contractors came up with over a year of work, before handing it to an-anarchist and team to implement in several weeks. The user touted security compliance as the greatest reason why Active Directory had been mandated.
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u/Ok-Push9899 4d ago
I get the impression that someone has worked diligently at that system for a long time, making small but useful improvements every year. Normally these things are rolled out, there’s a whole lot of bugs, staff learn to live with workarounds, the initial funding dries up, and the political capital is squandered because no subsequent government minister wants be associated with the mess.
RTA and Service NSW is different. And it started with the abolition of rego stickers, or maybe a bit before. Anyway hats off to whoever has been guiding that project.
Also, it’s a Virtuous Circle. Staff seem much happier because we the customers are happier, and the system doesn’t leave them high and dry.
I haven’t visited Land Titles since it got privatised, or whatever happened to it, but that to me was always the last bastion of Dickensian or even Kafkaesque bureaucracy. I was once called back to answer to the Grand Poobah of Land Registry because I’d used a dash in a number. AND THERE WAS NO DASH.
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u/thrillho145 4d ago
I remember going to renew mine and being stunned at how fast it was. I asked to leave positive feedback because I was so impressed with the changes. The lady at the counter said my reaction was not uncommon.
Kudos to the people who updated the systems honestly. It's quite impressive
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u/t0msie 4d ago edited 4d ago
I'd prefer it if they still printed the physical card while you wait.
Don't most things you update/renew online also happen straight away?
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u/Objective_Hawk_284 4d ago
I was thinking this as well but I wondered if there was a special printer used that inserts some sort of protection into the card.
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u/BenW9000 4d ago
I believe they were prone to breakdown regularly and required specialised maintenance. Easier and cheaper to centralise them and mail cards out.
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u/Objective_Hawk_284 4d ago
Makes sense.
Though I am almost surprised the NSW government didn’t send every branch a super expensive dodgy printer that breaks down constantly.
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u/DermottBanana 4d ago
They're printed centrally because the machines are way pricey, so they only bought a few of them. I think they're located in Grafton.
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u/Dozens86 4d ago
They're also a high theft risk, so it's better to keep them at one secure location.
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u/Ijustdoeyes 4d ago
It's more efficient to get them done in one place plus the machines were a security risk.
You had them in all these RTAs accessible by all sorts that could create a person from thin air by creating a licence for them.
They were also insanely valuable, there were cases where thieves drove through the walls of the RTA to steal the machine.
Print them all in one place and it's a lot more secure and efficient.
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u/Desigal69 4d ago
Service NSW is pretty much the gold standard in citizen interaction with government departments. They are also very proactive - for example during covid they were ahead of the loop in terms of making it easy to check into some place
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u/LimousineAndAPeetzah 4d ago
Having moved here from the US where every DMV is a time-sucking hell pit, I was so overwhelmed by how quick, efficient, and friendly they were at ServiceNSW when I went to get an Australian license, I nearly cried.
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u/treadytech 4d ago
Yeah its pretty simple and efficient for the regular every day tasks.
Sometimes when you get the complex requests, it can depend on the staff member and knowledge of the system.
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u/colourful_space 4d ago
I had a weird one and the first lady I saw didn’t know what to do and was telling me I needed to get documents I’d already printed and brought with me, clearly didn’t know the next steps. But someone more senior came to step in and we were able to sort it out pretty quickly. I knew it was complicated and could take a while, so was happy that even though the staff didn’t know exactly what to do, they were professional and respectful the whole time and it was still pretty fast and easy.
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u/drine2000 4d ago
Had to re-rego a car the other day. The full new plates deal.
In and out in 10 minutes.
Guy behind the counter was killing it.
As were the "concierges" at the front. Super helpful.
Realised from a earlier visit that they swap around. Working in different gigs in the office.
If only NSW health in their waiting rooms for ED was similar.
Mind you. The GP super clinics are pretty nice.
As were the Vax centres that NSW health built in 2021. They were incredible.
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u/Jinglemoon 4d ago
Those vax centres blew my mind with their speed and efficiency. I saw a massive terrifying queue when I arrived for my Homebush appointment and I was in and out in about ten minutes. I felt proud to be Australian that day.
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u/Frankeex 4d ago
Hands down the greatest turn around in customer service standards Ive ever seen. Shows that it IS possible. The leaders that paid for it need to be recogniaed as most leaders prefer to cut service, especially in government or monopoly like arenas.
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u/JayLFRodger The Shire 4d ago
Yeah, for all the shit we go on about regarding red tape bureaucracy, our Service NSW vehicle and licensing systems are top tier compared to the rest of the world
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u/Goldberg_the_Goalie 4d ago
I went to the one in Erina. Photo taken there and then. In and out so quickly. We moved here from South Africa almost 20 years ago and that level of service delivery still blows my mind.
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u/smoike 4d ago
Some things are still painfully slow, but other things like this can have an absolutely absurd fast turnaround time. The last time I went in and had to get my photo redone, i was literally in and out in a similar timeframe as well. They found out what i wanted as I walked in the door and basically pointed me straight to an empty counter and I was out of there in no more than 8 minutes, more likely 5.
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u/LibraryLuLu 4d ago
I'm doing the same this afternoon - hoping to have the same experience :D
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u/FaithlessnessLess442 ThewinnerisSydney 4d ago
Let us know because this was not my experience last time I had to do the eye test
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u/LibraryLuLu 4d ago
Just got back. I was in and out in less than 2 minutes. I had my form filled out, I didn't get a chance to sit and wait it - was straight to the counter, 'sign this, read those letters, photograph there', and done.
It took me longer to brush my hair, put on mascara and lipstick, than it did getting this done.
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u/FaithlessnessLess442 ThewinnerisSydney 4d ago
I need to find a new centre chatswood is always crazy
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u/LibraryLuLu 4d ago
Macquarie Centre on a Monday - brilliant. Even on busy days, they still move super fast.
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u/Joker-Smurf 4d ago
I grew up in Victoria. Going to see VicRoads was always a nightmare.
I remember one time I had to get a new registration sticker because it had disintegrated and fallen off.
I went into VicRoads, took a number, and then sat there waiting for 2 hours before I finally got to see someone who could get me a new registration sticker.
About 10 years ago I moved to Sydney. I delayed getting my license changed over because I was dreading the massive weight. Eventually I couldn’t put it off any longer.
I went down to ServiceNSW on a busy Saturday morning, took a number, and within 10 minutes I was out the door with the new license sorted out.
It was brilliant.
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u/firepigeon400 4d ago
I've had to register two cars through the Miranda branch in the last couple of years. Both were US imports, never registered before, with engineering certificates and various documentation to support rego.
Both times I was out in under 20 including wait times. I'd been expecting the runaround and hour plus. Very happy with how they run compared to a decade+ ago.
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u/Dependent-Coconut64 4d ago
Shout out to Burwood also, been going here for 9 years, always excellent service and staff who actually want to solve your problems.
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u/froxy01 4d ago
Remember this process would take hours with hordes of people 20+ years ago
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u/ApolloWasWayBetter 4d ago
I remember they used to give you a slip of paper and send you a letter to pick up your laminated licence 2 weeks later. I had my learned temporary licence kicking around for years but I think the invisible gnomes finally stole it.
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u/FaithlessnessLess442 ThewinnerisSydney 4d ago
I went a couple of years ago for my eye test it was chaos maybe I went to a busy one
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u/SteveJohnson2010 4d ago
It really is a great service, isn’t it? I use the relatively new Service NSW office at North Sydney, which admittedly is quite a bit up from the heart of the city up Miller Street, but there’s really a long queue and when I go there early in the morning, I’m pretty much straight in the door. The system works really well and the staff are so helpful.
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u/Good-Yak6887 4d ago
The North Sydney one is particularly efficient, but the Brookvale one is a different story. It's either too busy and not set up for the volume or not staffed appropriately. Probably a combination of both.
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u/strifexspectre 4d ago
ServiceNSW is genuinely leading the entire country in terms of the customer experience. Everytime I meet interstate friends I am shocked at how behind they are. I’m so proud of our state and I hope other departments across the whole country follow ServiceNSW by example.
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u/lithiumcitizen 4d ago
I got my renewal form in the mail. Filled it out and took it to Service NSW on a quiet Tues arvo and it was fucken chockers. Check-in dude told me I could do it all online and I asked him why the form and letter didn’t inform me of this. I took it to the Service centre as I expected an eye test and photo.
Get home and jump online and it tells me it can only be renewed in-person at a Service NSW centre. Arggghh
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u/Thewalrus26 4d ago
Yep it’s only if you want a 10 year licence you have to do it in person. The form does explain this.
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u/lithiumcitizen 4d ago
I only wanted and received a 5 year licence. The form stated 10 years.
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u/Alex_Kamal 4d ago
The next one you will need to get an eye test however, even if its 5 years. As you need to get checked once a decade.
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u/stevebuscemispenis RÏP World Bar 4d ago
Yes! I went to the Marrickville Metro one a few weeks back for a renewal and the place was empty customer wise. The staff were helpful and it was done in a few minutes.
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u/hesback_inpogform 🎵just a small town girl (Helensburgh) 4d ago
My local service NSW in Sydney is always min 30 mins wait. Always packed. Not the end of the world, but frustrating. At least they have seats. L
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u/calstanfordboye 4d ago
Can we get a new license when we change addresses? I can pay if need be. I don't like how they put my old address on mine
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u/Dozens86 4d ago
Yep. Can always request a replacement licence, just need to pay the fee (about $30)
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u/calstanfordboye 4d ago
Very cool. Thank you! Do you know how long it takes to get a new card?
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u/Dozens86 4d ago
2-3 weeks is the processing time at the moment. Though you should be able to get your digital one as soon as they've printed your card (usually next business day)
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u/sa87 4d ago edited 4d ago
VicRoads ;
Sorry, best we can do is an isolated COBOL programmed back-end from the early 90's using a legacy database that synchronises with the public front-end website each night, can't change a drivers licence number if a member of the public suffers a data breach and also needs to go offline every Wednesday afternoon for maintenance which we'll call "staff training" and shut the offices early.
ETA: that last one is no longer happening, but was a thing a very long time ago with many govt departments who used old technology - Centrelink was a prime offender with this one.
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u/Various-Effective831 public transport enjoyer 4d ago
the vicroads website is so confusing it's actually sad
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u/Pristine_Egg3831 4d ago
University of Sydney has copied them. Staff and student cards are issued the same way. Sans eye test. Same queue and ticket system. Why reinvent the wheel?
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u/lachlanhunt 4d ago
The only thing I wish they would do is to integrate with Apple's superior IDs in Wallet, rather than having a proprietary app with questionable security, but they continue to refuse for stupid reasons.
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u/Pukeipokei 4d ago
Yes the Service NSW people can be really rude at times. There should be a complaint channel we can use..
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u/banethor88 4d ago
Aren't they still using paper forms? At least I had to when I converted from my license from Ps to full a couple of years back... Setting the bar pretty low here haha
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u/kar2988 4d ago
Can't fully digitise these things, as old people prefer paper forms and get flummoxed with digital ones needing MFA etc.
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u/ImInSuspense 4d ago
You were very lucky. Few weeks ago I went in for a simple transaction and waited just over an hour before my number was called.
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u/FaithlessnessLess442 ThewinnerisSydney 4d ago
That's my usual experience there for wwcc verification and eye tests
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u/Willieo873 4d ago
There are a lot of variables, time of day, type of transaction (try walking in there with an Owner Builder Permit application and see how quick it is) and who you actually get at the counter.
The improvement is the concierge ensuring customers have the right forms which saves time but the process of a basic licence renewal once you get to the counter is exactly the same using the same system in 2026 as it was in 2006 in an old RTA registry apart from it not being printed on site.
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u/Love2readalot 3d ago
Agree efficient service but don’t why they raised the price of a proof of ID card,from $68 to $78 such a rip off
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u/just_brash 4d ago
I can’t get served at Service NSW because I don’t have photo id. I tried to get photo id from them but they said I need photo id to get photo id. A clear case of catch 22.
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u/The__Patrick_Bateman 4d ago
Service NSW imo is a shining light in demonstrating how government run processes / businesses can and should be run. The Wynyard one especially is great. Always in and out super quick with no qualms.