Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
DEWR
26 November 2001 – 3 December 2007
Previously Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business (1998–2001).
Department of State responsible for employment policy and the Job Network, workplace relations and occupational health and safety, and from 2004 working-age income support policy and Indigenous employment programs.
Names over time
- Department of Industrial Relations1987–1997
- Department of Workplace Relations and Small Business1997–1998
- Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business1998–2001
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations2001–2007
How it came into existence
Created by the Administrative Arrangements Order of 26 November 2001 from the Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business, whose small business functions went to the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources. It took the Community Development Employment Projects program from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services on 1 July 2004, and the Administrative Arrangements Order of 26 October 2004 gave it disability open employment services (transferred on 1 December 2004) and working-age income support policy from the Department of Family and Community Services. From 2005 its Office of the Australian Safety and Compensation Council carried on the national OHS work of the abolished National Occupational Health and Safety Commission.
- Employment
- Workplace relations
Changes during its life
- Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) program
- Disability open employment services
- Policy for working-age income support payments such as Newstart Allowance
Allocated by the Administrative Arrangements Order of 26 October 2004; the transfer of open employment services took effect on 1 December 2004. The scope and date of the income support transfer are not confirmed.
- National OHS research, data and standards support (Office of the Australian Safety and Compensation Council)
NOHSC was replaced by the non-statutory Australian Safety and Compensation Council, whose secretariat was part of the department.
- Building industry workplace relations compliance
- Building and construction industry occupational health and safety
- Workplace inspection and compliance (federal award inspectorate)
How it ended
Merged on 3 December 2007 with the education functions of the Department of Education, Science and Training and child care from the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs to form the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
- Employment
- Workplace relations
- Working-age income support policy
Main functions
- Employment policy and the Job Network
- Workplace relations, including the Work Choices reforms of 2006
- Occupational health and safety and workers' compensation policy
- Working-age income support policy and Welfare to Work (from 2004)
- Indigenous employment and the Community Development Employment Projects program (from 2004)
- Disability employment services (from 2004)
Bodies in this portfolio (6)
- National Occupational Health and Safety Commission 1985–2006
- Office of the Employment Advocate 1997–2007
- Maritime Industry Finance Company Limited 1998–2006
- Employment National Limited 1998–2003
- Building Industry Taskforce 2002–2005
- Office of Workplace Services 2006–2007
Lineage
Loading lineage…
Sources
Primary sources
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 26 November 2001 (created it)
- 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.