AGY-3076 | Department of Works and Local Government

Full description

The Department of Public Works and Department of Local Government were amalgamated on 1 February, 1936 and were known as the Department of Works and Local Government. (1). The major responsibilities of the new Department included:
electricity supply;
architectural services (including the construction and maintenance of public buildings);
water supply and sewerage;
stormwater and swamp drainage;
harbours and rivers administration;
gas administration;
administration of the state industrial undertakings:
administration of local government loans: and
supervision of local government.

The Department's responsibility for local government included administering legislation and ordinances; provision of financial assistance to shires and municipalities; establishment of County Councils for the supply of electricity; the establishment of urban areas within shires; declaration of residential districts; creation of joint committees to consider particular issues in adjacent local government areas; proposals for the creation of new local government areas; alterations to municipal and shire boundaries and to wards and ridings; declaration of the pecuniary interests of aldermen; making arrangements for administration of municipalities and shires whose councillors had been dismissed; and dealing with disputes between councils and government agencies. (2)

On 2 June, 1941 the Department of Works and Local Government was abolished and the Department of Local Government and Housing and the Department of Public Works II were established to perform its functions. (3)



ENDNOTES
(1) Department of Works and Local Government for the year ended 30 June, 1936 p.1 in NSW Parliamentary Papers, 1937 -1938, Volume 3, 1145
(2) Ibid.
(3) Annual Report of the Department of Local Government for the period 1st July 1940 to 30th June 1951 in the Parliamentary Papers 1950-51-52 Vol. 3 page 113.