Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development, formerly Department of Infrastructure, Cities and Regional Development prior to May 2019, was an Australian Public Service department of the Government of Australia charged with the responsibility for infrastructure and major projects, transport, local government, external territories administration, rural and regional development, population policy, and cities.
The department was merged with the Department of Communications and the Arts in January 2020 to form a "superdepartment", the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.
Governance
The head of the department is the Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities who is currently Mr Simon Atkinson, who reports to the Portfolio Ministers.The ministers of the Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities portfolio are as follows:
- Minister for Infrastructure and Transport: Michael McCormack
- Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government: Dr John McVeigh
- Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population: The Hon Alan Tudge MP
- Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister: Damian Drum
Operational activities
In an Administrative Arrangements Order made on 20 December 2017, 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
- 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 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
- National policy on cities
- Infrastructure and project financing
- Population policy
Structure and staff
The department has a staff of around 994 people, of which around 836 are employed in Canberra and 15 are based overseas. 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, but at more senior levels this ratio decreases. Around two-thirds of the department holds a bachelor's degree or higher.
The department works closely with several Australian Government agencies within its portfolio, including:
- the Australian Transport Safety Bureau ;
- the Australian Rail Track Corporation;
- Airservices Australia;
- the Australian Maritime Safety Authority;
- the Civil Aviation Safety Authority ; and
- the National Transport Commission.
Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics
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 |
| Administered expenses through the Department of the Treasury | $4.627 |
| Administered expenses through the Department of Infrastructure and Transport | $2.038 |
| Departmental expenses | $0.212 |
| Total | $6.877 |