Department of Communications
18 September 2013 – 21 September 2015
Previously Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (2007–2013). Renamed Department of Communications and the Arts in 2015.
Department of State responsible for telecommunications and broadband, including the National Broadband Network, broadcasting, radiocommunications and spectrum, postal services and the digital economy.
Names over time
- Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy2007–2013
- Department of Communications2013–2015
- Department of Communications and the Arts2015–2020
How it came into existence
Created by the Administrative Arrangements Order of 18 September 2013, when the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy was renamed at the start of the Abbott government. Malcolm Turnbull became Minister for Communications.
- Telecommunications and broadband
- Broadcasting
- Radiocommunications
- Postal services
- Digital economy
Changes during its life
- Contracting and administration of the telecommunications universal service obligation
- Communications economic research and analysis
- Digital transformation agenda
Set up within the Communications portfolio by the Department of Communications.
How it ended
Renamed the Department of Communications and the Arts on 21 September 2015, when the Turnbull government moved the arts, classification and copyright to it from the Attorney-General's Department; national digital economy policy went to the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science.
- Telecommunications and broadband
- Broadcasting
- Spectrum
- Postal services
- National digital economy policy
Main functions
- Telecommunications policy and the National Broadband Network
- Broadcasting and content policy
- Radiocommunications and spectrum policy
- Postal services (Australia Post)
- Telecommunications universal service arrangements (from July 2015)
- Online safety for children and the digital transformation agenda (2015)
Bodies in this portfolio (1)
Lineage
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Sources
Primary sources
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 18 September 2013 (created it)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 9 July 2015 (sets it out)
2 more Administrative Arrangements Orders set it out
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 12 December 2013 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 23 December 2014 (sets it out)
- Australian Government Organisations Register (Department of Finance, data.gov.au) (listed from 11 December 2014 to 23 October 2015)
- Administrative Arrangements Order, 18 September 2013 (Federal Register of Legislation, C2013G01404)