Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
DEWHA
3 December 2007 – 14 September 2010
Previously Department of the Environment and Water Resources (2007). Renamed Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities in 2010.
Department of State responsible for environment protection, water policy and Murray–Darling Basin reform, heritage, the arts and national cultural institutions, Antarctica and, until March 2010, energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.
Names over time
- Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories1987–1991
- Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment and Territories1991–1993
- Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories1993–1997
- Department of the Environment1997–1998
- Department of the Environment and Heritage1998–2007
- Department of the Environment and Water Resources2007
- Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts2007–2010
- Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities2010–2013
- Department of the Environment2013–2016
- Department of the Environment and Energy2016–2020
How it came into existence
Created by the Administrative Arrangements Order of 3 December 2007 from the Department of the Environment and Water Resources, less climate change policy and most of the Australian Greenhouse Office (which went to the new Department of Climate Change) but keeping the Office's energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, plus the arts from the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.
- Environment protection
- Water
- Heritage
- Antarctica
- Meteorology
- Arts and culture
- National collecting institutions
- Indigenous arts and culture programs
- Energy efficiency programs
- Renewable energy programs such as the Solar Homes and Communities Plan
Changes during its life
- Management of water recovered for the environment
Created as a statutory office within the department, which supplied its staff.
- Management of Old Parliament House and its collections
- Energy efficiency programs, including the Home Insulation Program
- Renewable energy programs
How it ended
Became the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities on 14 September 2010, with the arts going to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet; energy efficiency and renewable energy programs had already moved to the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency in March 2010.
- Renamed to Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities · 14 September 2010
- Environment protection and biodiversity conservation
- Heritage
- Water policy and the Murray–Darling Basin
- Antarctica
- National parks
- Arts and cultural policy (Office for the Arts)
Main functions
- Environment protection and biodiversity conservation
- Water policy and the Water for the Future program, including Murray–Darling Basin reform
- Heritage
- Arts, culture and the national collecting institutions
- Antarctic program
- Energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, including the Home Insulation Program (until March 2010)
- Meteorology
Bodies in this portfolio (4)
- Australian Film Commission 1975–2008
- Australian Film Finance Corporation 1988–2008
- Film Australia Limited 1988–2008
- Murray-Darling Basin Commission 1988–2008
Lineage
Loading lineage…
Sources
Primary sources
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 3 December 2007 (created it)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 14 September 2010 (took effect as it ended)
1 more Administrative Arrangements Order sets it out
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 25 January 2008 (sets it out)