Tasmania Police has terminated a significant $6 million contract with consulting firm KPMG, which was engaged to modernise the force’s intelligence systems. The decision comes after two years of work, with neither Tasmania Police nor KPMG able to publicly disclose the specific reasons for the contract’s cancellation, according to ABC News Tasmania.
The contract’s termination is part of an ongoing review into the project, which aimed to improve the force’s digital capabilities. A settlement deed between Tasmania Police and KPMG includes clauses that prevent both parties from making disparaging statements, thereby limiting public insight into the issues that led to the project’s failure.
At the heart of the upgrade efforts was the Atlas intelligence management system, which Tasmania Police acquired for $13 million in 2019. Commissioner Donna Adams has previously described the Atlas software as “clunky,” noting that officers often spend up to 30 minutes to file intelligence submissions using the system.
KPMG was also involved in the “Project Link” initiative, for which it received $637,000. This project, intended to streamline minor crime report submissions, faced considerable delays and functional problems. Originally slated for a November 2024 launch, it was postponed to April 2025 before being paused entirely. Commissioner Adams stated that Project Link had not met community expectations. Following KPMG’s departure in January, Tasmania Police spent an additional seven months to bring Project Link to fruition, with the platform recently going live.
The cancellation of the contract highlights challenges in the force’s efforts to enhance its digital infrastructure and support frontline officers with more efficient systems. The $6 million expenditure on the unfinished projects underscores the significant investment made before the termination.
For more details on this developing story, readers are encouraged to refer to the original reporting by ABC News Tasmania.