Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development

In an administrative arrangements order made on 18 September 2013, the functions of the department were broadly classified into the following matters:

• 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

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.{{cite web|title=About BITRE|url=http://www.bitre.gov.au/about/index.aspx|publisher=Department of Infrastructure and Transport|accessdate=15 March 2013|date=26 February 2013}} 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.

The Office of Transport Security (OTS), a business division within the department, was the Australian Government's preventive security regulator for the aviation and maritime sectors, and its primary adviser on transport security.{{cite web|url=http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/transport/security/|title=Transport Security|publisher=Department of Infrastructure and Transport|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130626094624/http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/transport/security/|archivedate=26 June 2013}} The OTS head office was in Canberra, and regional offices were situated in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.{{cite web|url=http://www.aviationsecurity.biz/ssl/website/asist_aviation_security_office_transport_security.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130927033635/http://www.aviationsecurity.biz/ssl/website/asist_aviation_security_office_transport_security.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 September 2013|title=About – Aviation Security Obligations – The Office of Transport Security (OTS)|publisher=Aviation Security International Systems Training|date=29 August 2013|accessdate=27 September 2013}}

The department was administered by a senior executive, comprising a secretary and several deputy secretaries.{{cite web|title=Department of Infrastructure and Transport Annual Report 2010-11|url=http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/annual_report/2010_2011/index.aspx|publisher=Department of Infrastructure and Transport|author=Department of Infrastructure and Transport|date=4 October 2011}}{{rp|p.11}}

The secretary between 2009 and 2017 was Mike Mrdak.{{cite web|title=Secretary|url=http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/about/secretary.aspx|publisher=Department of Infrastructure and Transport|accessdate=13 October 2012|author=Department of Infrastructure and Transport|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126030243/http://infrastructure.gov.au/department/about/secretary.aspx|archivedate=26 November 2010|date=3 November 2010}}{{cite news|last=Keane|first=Bernard|title=Canberra's new mandarin: meet Mike Mrdak|url=http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/05/15/canberras-new-mandarin-meet-mike-mrdak/|accessdate=13 October 2012|newspaper=Crikey|date=15 May 2009|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090618004800/http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/05/15/canberras-new-mandarin-meet-mike-mrdak/|archivedate=18 June 2009}} Steven Kennedy was appointed the department's secretary in September 2017.{{cite news|title=Mrdak takes up new role amid shakeup of departmental secretaries|date=7 September 2017|url=http://australianaviation.com.au/2017/09/mrdak-takes-up-new-role-amid-shakeup-of-departmental-secretaries/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907105917/http://australianaviation.com.au/2017/09/mrdak-takes-up-new-role-amid-shakeup-of-departmental-secretaries/|url-status=live|accessdate=16 March 2018|website=Australian Aviation|archivedate=7 September 2017}}

The department had a staff of around 994 people (estimate for 2013–14),{{cite web|title=Budget Paper No. 1: Statement 6: Expenses and Net Capital Investment|url=http://www.budget.gov.au/2013-14/content/bp1/html/bp1_bst6-04.htm|work=2013-14 Commonwealth Budget|publisher=Australian Government|author=Australian Government|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130924130405/http://www.budget.gov.au/2013-14/content/bp1/html/bp1_bst6-04.htm|archivedate=24 September 2013}} of which around 836 were employed in Canberra and 15 were based overseas.{{cite web|title=Annual Report 2011–12|url=https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/annual_report/2011_2012/Infra-Chapter6-02.aspx/#resources|accessdate=18 June 2013|date=27 February 2013|publisher=Australian Government|author=Department of Infrastructure and Transport}}{{rp|p.123}} Staff were employed as part of the Australian Public Service under the Public Service Act 1999. The workforce of the department had a reasonably even gender distribution (54% male, 46% female), but at more senior levels this ratio decreases.{{cite web|title=Capability review: Department of Infrastructure and Transport|url=http://www.apsc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/10578/1217-Doit_Capability_Review.pdf|publisher=APSC|accessdate=15 March 2013|author=Australian Public Service Commission|date=November 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516072102/http://www.apsc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/10578/1217-Doit_Capability_Review.pdf|archivedate=16 May 2013}} Around two-thirds of the department held a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

• the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB);
• the Australian Rail Track Corporation;
• Airservices Australia;
• the Australian Maritime Safety Authority;
• the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA); and
• the National Transport Commission.{{cite web|title=Flipchart of FMA Act Agencies / CAC Act Bodies|url=http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/flipchart/index.html|publisher=Department of Finance and Deregulation|accessdate=12 October 2012|author=Department of Finance and Deregulation|date=1 July 2012}}

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

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

The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development was formed by way of an Administrative Arrangements Order issued on 18 September 2013,{{cite web|url=http://www.dpmc.gov.au/parliamentary/docs/aao_20130918.pdf |title=Administrative Arrangements Order |date=18 September 2013 |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |accessdate=27 October 2013 |work=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922235407/http://www.dpmc.gov.au/parliamentary/docs/aao_20130918.pdf |archivedate=22 September 2013 }} 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.{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/tony-abbott-puts-broom-through-bureaucracy/story-fn59niix-1226721922686|title=Tony Abbott puts broom through bureaucracy |author=Packham, Ben|date=18 September 2013|newspaper=The Australian|accessdate=24 September 2013}}{{cite press release|title=The Coalition will restore strong, stable and accountable government |url=http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2013-09-18/coalition-will-restore-strong-stable-and-accountable-government |author=Tony Abbott |date=18 September 2013 |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |work=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |location=Canberra, Australia |accessdate=20 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920044911/http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2013-09-18/coalition-will-restore-strong-stable-and-accountable-government |archivedate=20 September 2013 }}{{cite news|author=Wilson, Lauren|newspaper=The Australian|title=Coalition carves up the public service|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/coalition-carves-up-public-service/story-fn59niix-1226722363408|date=19 September 2013|accessdate=24 September 2013}}

The department was superseded by the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities on 20 December 2017, which in turn was superseded by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications on 5 December 2019.

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Australia, Infrastructure and Transport

Category:2013 establishments in Australia

Category:2017 disestablishments in Australia

Infrastructure and Regional Development