AGY-3528 | Transport Co-ordination Authority (2003) Ministry of Transport (2003-2009)

Full description

The Public Sector Employment and Management (General) Order 2003 following the election of the fourth Carr Government in March 2003 abolished the Department of Transport. The Master Planning and Infrastructure Division was transferred to the Department of Urban and Transport Planning (which on 1 July 2003 became the Department of Infrastructure Planning and Natural Resources). The remainder of the responsibilities of the Department were passed to the newly-created Transport Co-Ordination Authority. (1)

The agency operated as the Transport Co-ordination Authority for an interim period while legislative arrangements were made for administrative change and was officially re-named the Ministry of Transport (popularly known as MoT) from 1 July 2003 by the Public Sector Employment and Management (Transport) Order 2003 . (2)

On 8 April 2003 the Minister for Transport Services had announced the first stage of a restructure of the Department of Transport. The former nine-division Department of Transport was replaced by a policy-driven Ministry of Transport of four divisions. (3) These divisions were as follows:

Transport Policy;
Finance and Corporate Services;
Ministerial and Strategic Co-Ordination; and
Contracts. (4)

The Independent Transport Safety and Reliability Regulator was created to commence on 1 January 2004. (5). This body , which was formed from the previous Transport Safety and Rail Safety Regulation Division was independent of the Ministry of Transport and reported directly to the Minister. (6)

The office of Director-General of the Ministry of Transport was separated from the Co-ordinator General of Rail.

A Ministerial Inquiry into Public Passenger Transport Services commenced in May 2003 under Dr Tom Parry whose terms of reference included reviewing funding, fares and priorities; and a review of bus service by Barrie Unsworth was established to examine contracting arrangements, demographic change and transport subsidies for school children. A working group considered a proposal by the Australian Rail Track Corporation to lease the NSW interstate main lines and the Hunter Valley network. Priorities were revisited which resulted in the deferral of the second stage of the Parramatta-Epping rail link and the commencement of a 10 year plan to introduce rail clearways in order to improve on time running. A contract to introduce smartcard ticketing was finalised. (7)

On 29 August 2005, the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources was abolished and its branches transferred to different agencies, with the group of staff in the Transport Network Unit of the Transport Information Branch, who in the opinion of the Director-General of the Premier’s Department were principally involved in providing transport network advice, transferred to the Ministry of Transport. (8)

On 29 January 2007 the Infrastructure and Transport Planning Branch was removed from the Department of Planning [III] and added to the Ministry of Transport. (9)

From 1 July 2009 the Ministry of Transport was abolished and its functions and its branches were transferred to the new Principal Department, the Department of Transport and Infrastructure. (10)

Endnotes
(1) NSW Government Gazette, 2 April 2003, p.4328.
(2) NSW Government Gazette, 18 June 2003, p.5768.
(3) Ministry of Transport website http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/site-notice.html.
(4) Ministry of Transport, Annual Report 2003, p.3.
(5) Transport Legislation Amendment (Safety and Reliability) Bill, 2003.
(6) Ministry of Transport, Annual Report, op. cit.
(7) Ibid. ‘Director-General Report’ and ‘Year in Review’ pp.3-6.
(8) Public Sector Employment and Management (Planning and Natural Resources) Order 2005 [NSW Government Gazette No.108, 26 August 2005, p.6385].
(9) Public Sector Employment and Management (Infrastructure and Transport Planning) Order 2007 [NSW Government Gazette No.16, 29 January 2007, pp.345-345].
(10) Public Sector Employment and Management (Departmental Amalgamations) Order 2009 (2009 No 352) cl.34; notified on NSW Legislation website, 27 July 2009, cl.34.