Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
DCITA
21 October 1998 – 3 December 2007
Previously Department of Communications and the Arts (1994–1998).
Department of State responsible for telecommunications, broadcasting and postal services, information technology and the information economy, the arts and national cultural collections, and from 2001 sport.
Names over time
- Department of Communications1993–1994
- Department of Communications and the Arts1994–1998
- Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts1998–2007
How it came into existence
Created by the Administrative Arrangements Order of 21 October 1998 from the Department of Communications and the Arts, adding information technology and the information economy; government online delivery and IT and communications management (other than IT outsourcing) came from the Department of Finance and Administration, while built heritage matters went to the Department of the Environment and Heritage. It took sport and recreation from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources on 26 November 2001, and in 2004 the information economy policy role of the abolished National Office for the Information Economy and Indigenous arts, culture and broadcasting programs from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services.
- Telecommunications, broadcasting and postal services
- Arts and cultural policy
- National collecting institutions
- Government online delivery
- Information technology and communications management, excluding IT outsourcing
Including the Office for Government Online; the exact scope of the transfer is not confirmed.
Changes during its life
- 26 October 2004The Australian Government Information Management Office, set up in the portfolio in April 2004 from the government ICT functions of the National Office for the Information Economy, moved with whole-of-government ICT policy to the Department of Finance and Administration.
- Sport and recreation
- Portfolio oversight of the Australian Sports Commission
- Information economy policy
NOIE was abolished; its government ICT role went to the Australian Government Information Management Office.
- Indigenous arts, culture and languages programs
- Indigenous broadcasting
- Whole-of-government information and communications technology policy (Australian Government Information Management Office)
The Australian Government Information Management Office moved from the Communications, Information Technology and the Arts portfolio after the 2004 election.
How it ended
Abolished on 3 December 2007 by the Rudd government's Administrative Arrangements Order: communications and information technology went to the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, the arts to the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, and sport to the Department of Health and Ageing.
- Part split off to form Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy · 3 December 2007
- Telecommunications
- Broadcasting
- Postal services
- Information technology and information economy policy
- Sport and recreation
- Portfolio oversight of the Australian Sports Commission
- Part split off to form Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts · 3 December 2007
- Arts and culture
- National collecting institutions
- Indigenous arts and culture programs
Main functions
- Telecommunications, broadcasting and postal policy
- Information technology and information economy policy
- Online government service delivery (until 2004)
- Arts, culture and the national collecting institutions
- Government records
- Sport and recreation (from 2001)
- Indigenous arts, culture, languages and broadcasting programs (from 2004)
Bodies in this portfolio (11)
- National Film and Sound Archive 1984–1999
- Australian Sports Drug Agency 1988–2006
- National Transmission Agency 1992–1999
- Australian Broadcasting Authority 1992–2005
- Telstra Corporation Limited 1993–2006
- Australian Multimedia Enterprise Limited 1995–1999
- National Office for the Information Economy 1997–2004
- Australian Communications Authority 1997–2005
- AusInfo 1997–2004
- ScreenSound Australia 1999–2003
- NetAlert Limited 1999–2006
Lineage
Loading lineage…
Sources
Primary sources
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 26 November 2001 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 3 December 2007 (took effect as it ended)
5 more Administrative Arrangements Orders set it out
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 18 December 2003 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 26 October 2004 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 16 December 2004 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 21 September 2006 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 21 September 2006, as amended to 30 January 2007 (sets it out)
Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.