The productive partnership between Charles Sturt University and the Department of Education and Training to create HSC On-line, has been recognised with a bronze award in the Premier's Public Sector Awards for 1999, announced in Sydney last night.

The HSC On-line project received the award in the prestigious service delivery category. The award gives recognition for organisations that have demonstrated a high level of service through coordination or resource sharing between public sector agencies and other sectors.

HSC On-line was launched in 1996 offering a range of course and exam information to HSC candidates via the Internet. The success of the site measured in high traffic rates, which have doubled each year since the launch. The biggest day for 1999 was recorded on 13 October when the site received 90,000 hits.

HSC On-line project manager Les Burr said the service was established particularly to provide a more equitable access to education resources for students in rural and remote areas.

"The award recognises the success of the services in reaching students right across the State but particularly pleasing were the results of our recent evaluation which showed that half the students using HSC Online were from rural and regional areas," he said.

"What's important about this award is that it recognises the unique collaboration between the University and the Department, a partnership that has clearly worked," Mr Burr said.

Chair of HSC On-line Lindsay Wasson said the information provided in the service was filtered, focussed, innovative and accessible.

"The on-line support for the HSC students is unique in Australia and the world. When students access the 28 subject nodes, they are assured of quality original material and quality assured links to a vast Internet resource."

HSC On-line came in behind gold award winner, the NSW Fire Brigades, silver placed Roads and Traffic Authority and ahead of competitors such as the Power House Museum, State Library of NSW and the State Transit Authority of NSW.

This is the third major award for HSC On-line, which this year has also received a Certificate of Merit in the Commonwealth of Learning Anniversary Honours for excellence in distance education and a Government Technology Productivity Award recognising improved productivity through technology.