Transport & infrastructureDepartment of State
Department of Transport and Communications
24 July 1987 – 23 December 1993
Department of State responsible for transport, including civil aviation, shipping, railways and roads, and for communications, including telecommunications, postal services, broadcasting and radio spectrum management.
How it came into existence
Created by the Administrative Arrangements Order of 24 July 1987 by merging the Department of Transport, the Department of Aviation and the Department of Communications. Gareth Evans was its first minister.
- Land and sea transport
- Civil aviation
- Telecommunications
- Postal services
- Broadcasting
Changes during its life
- Operation of federal airports
The airports had been run by the Department of Aviation until 24 July 1987.
- Air traffic services
- Airways facilities
- Aviation safety regulation
- Aviation search and rescue
- Telecommunications regulation
- Marine casualty investigation
- Maritime safety regulation
- Marine navigation aids
- Marine pollution response
- Maritime search and rescue
- Allocation of international air services capacity
- Ownership and management of the national broadcasting transmission network
- Planning of the broadcasting services bands
- Radiofrequency spectrum management
- Radiocommunications licensing
How it ended
Split on 23 December 1993 into the Department of Transport and the Department of Communications.
- Telecommunications
- Broadcasting
- Postal services
- Radio spectrum management
- Aviation
- Shipping
- Land transport
- Roads
- Railways
Main functions
- Civil aviation and airports
- Shipping and maritime safety
- Land transport, road funding and railways
- Telecommunications policy
- Postal services
- Broadcasting policy
- Radio frequency spectrum management
Bodies in this portfolio (15)
- Australian National Airlines Commission 1946–1988
- Overseas Telecommunications Commission (Australia) 1946–1989
- Bureau of Transport Economics 1970–1988
- Australian Shipping Commission 1974–1989
- Australian Postal Commission 1975–1989
- Australian Telecommunications Commission 1975–1989
- Australian Broadcasting Tribunal 1977–1992
- Special Broadcasting Service 1978–1991
- Aussat Pty Ltd 1981–1992
- Independent Air Fares Committee 1981–1990
- Inter-State Commission 1983–1990
- Australian Airlines Limited 1988–1992
- OTC Limited 1989–1992
- Australian Telecommunications Corporation 1989–1992
- Australian and Overseas Telecommunications Corporation Limited 1992–1993
Lineage
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