NICTA to lose $42m in Coalition cuts FUNDING for research body National ICT Australia's Centre of Excellence has been slashed as part of Coalition cuts before the federal election. The Fiscal Budget Impact of Federal Coalition Policies released by opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey includes $42 million cuts by 2015-16 for discontinuing direct federal government funding to the ICT Centre of Excellence. NICTA had bagged the funding just last month, which would have brought its total funding to $130m over three years. NICTA had previously been funded until mid-2015, with $185.5m pledged over four years. The funding had been announced by Minister Assisting for the Digital Economy Kate Lundy.