Administrative Arrangements Order – 29 May 2019
GovernmentParliamentary Information
Wednesday, 29 May 2019
Publication author(s):
Publication abstract:
Administrative Arrangements Order (AAOs) formally allocate executive responsibility among ministers. They set out which matters and legislation are administered by which department or portfolio.
Summary of Changes
On 29 May 2019, the Governor-General made a new Administrative Arrangements Order (AAO) to replace the Order made on 4 April 2019. The new Order reflects changes to administrative arrangements recommended by the Prime Minister.
The new AAO reflects the following changes:
- transfer of responsibility for industrial relations from the Employment portfolio to the Attorney‑General’s portfolio;
- transfer of responsibility for vocational education and training, and apprenticeships from the Education portfolio to the Employment portfolio;
- transfer of responsibility for migrant adult education from the Education portfolio to the Home Affairs portfolio;
- transfer of settlement services for refugees and humanitarian migrants from the Social Services portfolio to the Home Affairs portfolio;
- transfer of responsibility for whole of government service delivery from the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio to Services Australia;
- transfer of responsibility for population policy from the Infrastructure portfolio to the Treasury portfolio;
- transfer of responsibility for housing affordability from the Social Services portfolio to the Treasury portfolio;
- update of the legislation listed in the AAO to reflect new, repealed and amended legislation as well as minor corrections; and
- correction of other matters, including Ministers’ titles, to reflect the Ministry list.
In addition to these changes, five departments have been renamed, as detailed below:
| New title | Old title |
|---|---|
| Department of Agriculture | Department of Agriculture and Water Resources |
| Department of Education | Department of Education and Training |
| Services Australia | Department of Human Services |
| Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business | Department of Jobs and Small Business |
| Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development | Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities |