Environment & waterDepartment of StateExists today
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
DCCEEW
1 July 2022 – present
Department of State responsible for climate change and emissions reduction, energy policy, environment protection and biodiversity, heritage, water policy and the Australian Antarctic program.
How it came into existence
Created on 1 July 2022 as a new department under the Administrative Arrangements Order of 23 June 2022, bringing together the environment, heritage, water and Antarctic functions of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, the energy and climate change functions of the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, and the National Water Grid Authority from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.
- Environment protection and biodiversity conservation
- Heritage
- Water policy and the Murray–Darling Basin
- Australian Antarctic program
- Parks Australia
- Bureau of Meteorology
- Energy policy
- Climate change and emissions reduction policy
- Clean energy agencies (Clean Energy Regulator, ARENA, Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Climate Change Authority)
- Split from Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications · 1 July 2022
- Water infrastructure investment (National Water Grid Authority)
Changes during its life
- EPBC Act compliance and enforcement
- Environmental assessments and approvals
- Environmental regulatory permits and licences
Main functions
- Climate change policy and emissions reduction
- Energy policy, markets and security
- Environment protection and biodiversity conservation (EPBC Act)
- Water policy and the Murray–Darling Basin
- Heritage protection
- Australian Antarctic program
- National parks (Parks Australia)
- Portfolio oversight of the Bureau of Meteorology and clean energy agencies
Where it sits
- Type of body
- Non-corporate Commonwealth entity
- Portfolio
- Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
- Accountable authority
- Secretary of the Department – Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 section 12(2) item 1
- ABN
- 63 573 932 849
Bodies in this portfolio (23)
- Bureau of Meteorology 1908–present
- Australian Antarctic Division 1948–present
- Australian Institute of Marine Science 1972–present
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 1975–present
- Australian National Botanic Gardens 1984–present
- Supervising Scientist 1994–present
- Director of National Parks 2000–present
- Sydney Harbour Federation Trust 2001–present
- Snowy Hydro Limited 2002–present
- Australian Heritage Council 2004–present
- Australian Energy Regulator 2005–present
- Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder 2008–present
- Murray-Darling Basin Authority 2008–present
- Clean Energy Regulator 2012–present
- Australian Renewable Energy Agency 2012–present
- Climate Change Authority 2012–present
- Clean Energy Finance Corporation 2012–present
- Threatened Species Commissioner 2014–present
- National Water Grid Authority 2019–present
- Australian Climate Service 2021–present
- Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner 2021–present
- Inspector-General of Water Compliance 2021–present
- National Environmental Protection Agency 2026–present
Lineage
Loading lineage…
Sources
Primary sources
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 1 June 2022 (created it)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 23 June 2022 (created it)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 13 May 2025, as amended to 1 July 2025 (sets it out)
5 more Administrative Arrangements Orders set it out
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 13 October 2022 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 13 October 2022, as amended to 8 June 2023 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 13 October 2022, as amended to 3 August 2023 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 13 October 2022, as amended to 29 July 2024 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 13 May 2025 (sets it out)
- List of Commonwealth entities and companies under the PGPA Act, 1 July 2026 (Department of Finance)
- Australian Government Organisations Register (Department of Finance, data.gov.au) (listed from 25 July 2022 to the latest release (30 June 2026))