List of Australian Government entities

This list of Australian Government entities includes ministerial departments, principal entities, secondary entities, and other entities, which are grouped into a number of areas of portfolio responsibility. Each portfolio is led by one or more government ministers who are members of the federal parliament, appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister.[1]

As of December 2023, there are 1,334 government entities reportable to the Australian Government Organisations Register. This includes:[2][3]

  • 191 "principal" entities, including non-corporate Commonwealth entities (such as the 20 cabinet departments), corporate Commonwealth entities, and Commonwealth companies
  • 693 "secondary" entities, such as advisory bodies, ministerial forums, and statutory offices
  • 450 "other" entities, such as subsidiaries of government companies, joint ventures, national law bodies, and bodies linked through statutory contracts, agreements or delegations

Principal entities

Principal entities are Australian Government entities that are defined in the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2011 as either a:

  • Principal non-corporate Commonwealth entity - such as a cabinet department
  • Principal corporate Commonwealth entity - such as the CSIRO or Reserve Bank of Australia
  • Commonwealth company - such as NBN Co or Aboriginal Hostels Limited

Cabinet departments

The Australian Government comprises 20 portfolio departments, each representing a seat in the federal cabinet and leading its respective portfolio area:[4][2]

Other principal entities

There are 171 principal entities other than the cabinet departments. These government agencies are classified by the Australian Government Organisations Register as either a non-corporate Commonwealth entity, a corporate Commonwealth entity, or a Commonwealth company.[2]

Non-Corporate Commonwealth Entities
Portfolio Agencies
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Attorney-General's
Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Defence
Education
Employment and Workplace Relations
Finance
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Health and Aged Care
Home Affairs
Industry, Science and Resources
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
Prime Minister and Cabinet
Social Services
Treasury
Corporate Commonwealth Entities
Portfolio Companies
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Attorney-General's
Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Defence
Education
Employment and Workplace Relations
Finance Reserve Bank of Australia
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Health and Aged Care
Industry, Science and Resources
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
Prime Minister and Cabinet
Social Services
Treasury
Veterans' Affairs
Commonwealth Companies
Portfolio Companies
Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Defence
Education
  • Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Limited
Finance
Health and Aged Care
  • Australian Sports Foundation Limited
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
Prime Minister and Cabinet

Secondary entities

Other entities

History of government departments

September 2013

On 18 September 2013 an Administrative Arrangements Order was issued by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister Tony Abbott[5] which replaced the previous Order of 14 September 2010 issued by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Gillard government.[6][7] The Order formed or re-confirmed government departments, as follows:

September 2015

Following the appointment of Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister, three departments were renamed, with effect from 21 September 2015:[8]

July 2016

Following the election of the Turnbull government, the Department of the Environment was renamed, with effect from 19 July 2016:[9][10]

December 2017

Some departments were renamed, with effect from 20 December 2017:[11]

May 2019

Following the election of the Morrison government, five departments were renamed, with effect from 29 May 2019:[12]

February 2020

The number of departments were cut from 18 to 14, with effect from 1 February 2020:[13][14]

July 2022

The new Albanese Government made the following modifications and increased the number of departments to 16, with effect from 1 July 2022:[15][16][17]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Infosheet 20 - The Australian system of government". About Parliament: House of Representatives. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Australian Government Organisations Registry Quarterly Report". Department of Finance. 21 February 2024 [31 December 2023]. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Australian Government Organisations Register - Types of Bodies". Department of Finance. 20 December 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Portfolios". Australian Government Directory. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Administrative Arrangements Order" (PDF). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 18 September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  6. ^ "Administrative Arrangements Order" (PDF). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 14 September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2013.
  7. ^ "Australian Government Directory". Australian Government. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
  8. ^ Minute Paper for the Executive Council, Executive Council Meeting No. 21 (PDF), Federal Executive Council, 21 September 2015, archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016, retrieved 28 June 2016
  9. ^ Administrative Arrangements Order – amendment made 19 July 2016, Australian Government, archived from the original on 30 August 2016
  10. ^ Administrative Arrangements Order, Australian Government, 19 July 2016, retrieved 30 August 2016
  11. ^ "Amendments to the Administrative Arrangements Order" (PDF). Australian Government. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  12. ^ "Administrative Arrangements Order Summary of changes - 29 May 2019" (PDF). Australian Government. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  13. ^ "Administrative Arrangements Order made on 5 December 2019 with effect from 1 February 2020". Australian Government. Archived from the original on 3 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  14. ^ "Scott Morrison to sack top bureaucrats and dismantle departments in wide-ranging public sector overhaul". ABC News. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  15. ^ "Administrative Arrangements Order made on 23 June 2022" (PDF). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 23 June 2022.
  16. ^ "Administrative Arrangements Order made on 1 June 2022" (PDF). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 1 June 2022. p. 49,50.
  17. ^ "Albanese government restores abolished environment department but avoids major public service overhaul". ABC News. 2 June 2022.