Australian Customs Service
{{Short description|Australian government agency responsible for Australian border protection (1985-2009)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}}
{{Infobox government agency
|agency_name = Australian Customs Service
|type = Agency
|logo = Australian Customs Flag 1988-2015.svg
|logo_caption = Australian Customs Flag
|formed = 1 July 1985{{citation|title=CA 4416: Australian Customs Service|url=http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/SearchOld.asp?Number=CA+4416|publisher=National Archives of Australia|access-date=17 February 2015}}
|preceding1 = Department of Business and Consumer Affairs
Bureau of Customs (1975–1982)
|dissolved = 22 May 2009
|superseding = Australian Customs and Border Protection Service
|jurisdiction = Government of Australia
|headquarters = Customs House
Canberra
|coordinates = {{coord|35|17|1|S|149|7|55|E|type:landmark_region:AU|display=inline}}
|employees = 6,284 (in April 2008){{citation|url=https://resources.apsc.gov.au/2008/SOSR0708.pdf|publisher=Australian Government|author=Australian Public Service Commission|page=305|title=State of the Service 2007–08|date=2008}}
|budget =
|minister1_name =
|minister1_pfo = Minister for Justice and Customs
|minister2_name =
|minister2_pfo = Minister for Home Affairs
|chief1_name = Michael Carmody
|chief1_position = Chief Executive Officer (2006–2009)
|chief2_name = Lionel Woodward
|chief2_position = Chief Executive Officer (1994–2005)
|chief3_name = Frank Kelly
|chief3_position = Comptroller‑General (1988–1994)
|chief4_name = Tom Hayes
|chief4_position = Comptroller‑General (1985–1988)
|agency_type = Statutory authority
}}
The Australian Customs Service was an Australian Government agency responsible for Australian border protection, duties and taxes between 1985 and 2009. The Service was first under the portfolio of the Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce from 1985 to 1998 and then the Attorney-General's Department from 1998 to 2009.[http://australiancustomshistory.com.au From Federation to the Australian Border Force]
In 1998, the collection of Excise duties was transferred to the Australian Taxation Office. The Service was dismantled in 2009 and replaced with the newly augmented, retasked and renamed Australian Customs and Border Protection Service which moved from AGD to the newly established Department of Immigration and Border Protection in September 2013.
History
The Australian Customs Service was created as an independent authority by the Hawke government in 1985 under the Commonwealth Customs Administration Act 1985 after operating as a departmental entity from 1982 to 1985 within the Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce and as the Department of Business and Consumer Affairs Bureau of Customs from 1975 to 1982.{{citation|title=CA 9259: Australian Customs and Border Protection Service|url=http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/SearchOld.asp?Number=CA+9259|publisher=National Archives of Australia|access-date=17 February 2015}}{{cite news|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/127011707|title=Customs service|date=22 May 1985|page=14|newspaper=The Canberra Times}}
In December 2008 then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that the Australian Government would be augmenting, re-tasking and renaming the Australian Customs Service to create the new Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.{{citation|url=http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=16289|title=The First National Security Statement to the Parliament Address by the Prime Minister of Australia The Hon. Kevin Rudd MP|date=4 December 2008|first=Kevin|last=Rudd|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230025339/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=16289|archive-date=30 December 2013}} Royal assent was given to the changes on 22 May 2009 and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service was established.
Role and functions
The role of the Australian Customs Service was to prevent the illegal movement of people and harmful goods across Australia's border, and to apply trade measures and collect border-related duties and taxes.{{citation|url=http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/annual_report.pdf|page=2|title=Australian Customs Service Annual Report 2007–08|author=Australian Customs Service|publisher=Australian Government|date=2008}}
==Structure==
Customs was an Australian Public Service agency, staffed by officials who were responsible to the agency's Minister. The responsible minister was the Minister for Home Affairs from 2007 to 2009, the Minister for Justice and Customs from 1998 to 2007, and the Attorney-General of Australia between 1998 and 2007.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
Between 1 January 2006 and 22 May 2009, the Chief Executive Officer of the agency was Michael Carmody. Lionel Woodward was Chief Executive Officer between 1994 and 2005.{{cite news|newspaper=PS News|title=Carmody moves from Taxation to Customs|date=25 November 2005|url=http://www.psnews.com.au/aps/archives/ArchivesNovember05.html|access-date=17 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924082823/http://www.psnews.com.au/aps/archives/ArchivesNovember05.html|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=dead}} Frank Kelly was Comptroller-General of Customs (and head of the agency) between 1988 and 1994.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article102069364|title=A career officer is appointed new head of customs|date=9 September 1988|newspaper=The Canberra Times|first=Philip|last=Hobbs|page=12}} Prior to Kelly, Tom Hayes headed the agency from its establishment to 1988.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122525135|title=Head of reorganised department|newspaper=The Canberra Times|page=24|date=28 August 1985}}