Department of Communications and the Arts
21 September 2015 – 1 February 2020
Previously Department of Communications (2013–2015).
Department of State responsible for telecommunications and the National Broadband Network, broadcasting, spectrum and postal services, together with the arts, the national collecting institutions and cultural heritage.
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 21 September 2015, at the start of the Turnbull government, when the Department of Communications was renamed on taking the arts (the Ministry for the Arts), classification and copyright from the Attorney-General's Department. Mitch Fifield became Minister for Communications and Minister for the Arts.
- Telecommunications and broadband
- Broadcasting
- Spectrum
- Postal services
- Arts and cultural policy (Ministry for the Arts)
- National collecting institutions
- Movable cultural heritage
- Classification (previously described as censorship)
- Copyright policy
How it ended
Merged on 1 February 2020 with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development to form the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications.
- Merged into Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications · 1 February 2020
- Communications, broadband and broadcasting policy
- Arts and cultural policy (Office for the Arts)
- Classification
Main functions
- Telecommunications and the National Broadband Network
- Broadcasting and content policy
- Spectrum and radiocommunications policy
- Postal services
- Arts and cultural policy (Office for the Arts)
- National collecting institutions and movable cultural heritage
- Classification and copyright policy
- Online safety policy
Bodies in this portfolio (2)
- Bureau of Communications Research 2014–2016
- Children's eSafety Commissioner 2015–2017
Lineage
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Sources
Primary sources
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 30 September 2015 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 5 December 2019 (took effect as it ended)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 5 December 2019, as amended to 2 April 2020 (took effect as it ended)
10 more Administrative Arrangements Orders set it out
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 30 September 2015, as amended to 18 February 2016 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 30 September 2015, as amended to 19 July 2016 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 1 September 2016 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 1 September 2016, as amended to 27 October 2016 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 1 September 2016, as amended to 13 April 2017 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 19 April 2018 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 19 April 2018, as amended to 28 August 2018 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 4 April 2019 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 29 May 2019 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 29 May 2019, as amended to 1 September 2019 (sets it out)
- Australian Government Organisations Register (Department of Finance, data.gov.au) (listed from 30 November 2015 to 31 December 2019)