Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development

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Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development
Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development logo.png
62 Northbourne Ave front.jpg
The building at 62 Northbourne Avenue in Canberra, which houses part of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development.
Department overview
Formed 18 September 2013[1]
Preceding agencies
Jurisdiction Commonwealth Government
Employees 994 (estimate for Department of Infrastructure and Transport 2013–14)[2]
Annual budget A$6.9 billion (Department of Infrastructure and Transport 2013-14)
Ministers responsible
Department executive
Child agencies
Website www.infrastructure.gov.au
www.bitre.gov.au

The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development is an Australian Public Service department of the Government of Australia charged with the responsibility for national policies and programs that promote, evaluate, plan and invest in infrastructure; foster an efficient, sustainable, competitive, safe and secure transport system; and ensure a strong and liveable Australia by focusing on effective local government and external territories administration and regional development that enables communities to achieve economic and social dividends.[3] Matters dealt with by the department include: infrastructure planning and coordination; transport safety; land transport; civil aviation and airports; maritime transport including shipping; administration of Australian territories; constitutional development of the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory; regional programs; regional development; local government matters; and regional policy.[4]

The head of the department is the Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, currently Mike Mrdak, who reports to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, currently the Hon. Darren Chester MP , the Minister for Regional Development, Senator the Hon. Fiona Nash, and the Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects, currently the Hon. Paul Fletcher MP .

The department is headquartered in the Canberra central business district at Infrastructure House and the neighbouring building to Infrastructure House.[5]

Operational activities

In an Administrative Arrangements Order made on 18 September 2013, the functions of the department were broadly classified into the following matters:[4]

  • Infrastructure planning and co-ordination
  • Transport safety, including investigations
  • Land transport
  • Civil aviation and airports
  • Transport security
  • Maritime transport including shipping
  • Major projects office, including facilitation and implementation of all non-Defence development projects
  • Administration of the Jervis Bay Territory, the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the Territory of Christmas Island, the Coral Sea Islands Territory, the Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands, and of Commonwealth responsibilities on Norfolk Island
  • Constitutional development of the Northern Territory
  • Constitutional development of the Australian Capital Territory
  • Delivery of regional and territory specific services and programmes
  • Planning and land management in the Australian Capital Territory
  • Regional development
  • Matters relating to local government
  • Regional policy and co-ordination

Prominent business units in the department

Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics

The Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) within the department provides economic analysis, research and statistics on infrastructure, transport and regional development issues to inform Australian Government policy development and wider community understanding.[6] BITRE employs around 30 staff, including statisticians, economists and policy analysts. BITRE was first established in 1970 as the Bureau of Transport Economics by the Cabinet.[6]

Office of Transport Security

The Office of Transport Security (OTS), a business division within the department, is the Australian Government’s preventive security regulator for the aviation and maritime sectors, and its primary adviser on transport security.[7] The OTS head office is in Canberra, and regional offices are situated in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.[8]

Structure and staff

Organisation structure for the Department of Infrastructure and Transport, Australia (as at 2 March 2013)

The department is administered by a senior executive, comprising a Secretary and several Deputy Secretaries.[9]:p.11

The current Secretary is Mike Mrdak, appointed on 29 June 2009.[10][11] Mr Mrdak began his public sector career in 1988 as a Graduate with the then Department of Transport and Communications.[12] He holds a bachelor's degree in arts along with a graduate diploma in economics.[13]

The department has a staff of around 994 people (estimate for 2013–14),[2] of which around 836 are employed in Canberra and 15 are based overseas.[14]:p.123 Staff are employed as part of the Australian Public Service under the Public Service Act 1999. The workforce of the department has a reasonably even gender distribution (54% male, 46% female), but at more senior levels this ratio decreases.[15] Around two-thirds of the department holds a bachelor's degree or higher.[15]

The department works closely with several Australian Government agencies within its portfolio, including:

Budget and Finance

In the department's 2013–14 budget statements, expenses are categorised as either departmental or administered expenses. Departmental expenses are those within the control of the relevant agency, whereas administered expenses are those administered on behalf of the Government. Expenses can be broken down as follows:

Program Funding (billions)
Administered expenses through the Department of the Treasury[17] $4.627
Administered expenses through the Department of Infrastructure and Transport[18] $2.038
Departmental expenses[18] $0.212
Total $6.877

Audit of expenditures

The department's financial statements are audited by the Australian National Audit Office.

History

The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development was formed by way of an Administrative Arrangements Order issued on 18 September 2013[4] and replaced the majority of the functions previously performed by the former Department of Infrastructure and Transport and some of the functions previously performed by the former Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport; with the exception of the arts functions that were transferred to the Attorney-General's Department and the sports functions that were assumed by the Department of Health and Ageing.[19][20][21]

Departments with responsibility for infrastructure and transport

Preceding Australian Government departments with responsibility for infrastructure and transport
Start date End date Department Ref.
14 Nov 1916 12 Apr 1932 Department of Works and Railways [22]
10 Dec 1928 21 Apr 1930 Department of Markets and Transport [23]
21 Apr 1930 12 Apr 1932 Department of Transport (I) [24]
27 Nov 1938 19 Dec 1973 Department of Civil Aviation [25]
26 Jun 1941 16 Mar 1950 Department of Transport (II) [26]
17 Oct 1942 6 Apr 1948 Department of Supply and Shipping [27]
6 Apr 1948 16 Mar 1950 Department of Shipping and Fuel [28]
16 Mar 1950 11 May 1951 Department of Fuel, Shipping and Transport [29]
11 May 1951 19 Dec 1972 Department of Shipping and Transport [30]
19 Dec 1972 7 May 1982 Department of Transport (III) [31][32]
7 May 1982 24 Jul 1987 Department of Aviation [33]
7 May 1982 11 Mar 1983 Department of Transport and Construction [34]
11 Mar 1983 24 Jul 1987 Department of Transport (IV) [35]
24 Jul 1987 23 Dec 1993 Department of Transport and Communications [32][36][37]
23 Dec 1993 11 Mar 1996 Department of Transport (V) [38]
11 Mar 1996 21 Oct 1998 Department of Transport and Regional Development [39]
21 Oct 1998 3 Dec 2007 Department of Transport and Regional Services [40][41]
3 Dec 2007 14 Sep 2010 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government [42][43]
14 Sep 2010 18 Sep 2013 Department of Infrastructure and Transport [44]

Departments with responsibility for regional development and local government

Preceding Australian Government departments with responsibility for regional development and local government
Start date End date Department Ref.
16 June 1950 (1950-06-16) 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) Department of National Development (I) [45]
20 December 1977 (1977-12-20) 8 December 1979 (1979-12-08) Department of National Development (II) [46]
8 December 1979 (1979-12-08) 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) Department of National Development and Energy [47]
11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) Department of Territories and Local Government [48]
13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24) Department of Local Government and Administrative Services [49]
24 July 1987 (1987-07-24) 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs [50]
24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) 23 December 1993 (1993-12-23) Department of Health, Housing, Local Government and Community Services [51]
24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) Department of Industry, Technology and Regional Development [52]
25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) Department of Housing and Regional Development [53]
11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) Department of Transport and Regional Development [39]
October 1998 (1998-10) 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) Department of Transport and Regional Services [40][41]
December 2007 (2007-12) 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government [42][43]
14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) 14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government [54]
14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport [55][56][57]

See also

References

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  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  46. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  47. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  48. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  49. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  50. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  51. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  52. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  53. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  54. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  55. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  56. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  57. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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