AGY-3815 | Department of Environment and Conservation (2003-2007) Department of Environment and Climate Change (2007-2009) Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (2009-2011)

Full description

The Department of Environment and Conservation was established by Public Sector and Management (Environment and Conservation) Order 2003 on 24 September 2003. (1) The following agencies were abolished and their branches were transferred to the new Department:
Environment Protection Authority; (2)
National Parks and Wildlife Service; (3)
Resource New South Wales; and the (4)
Royal Botanical Gardens and Domain Trust. (5)

By the end of 2003 a structure for the new agency had begun to emerge.

The Department was headed by a Director General. The structure of the Department was as follows: office of the Director-General, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust; Sydney Catchment Authority (which also reported to its own Board) were responsible to the Director General.

There were five program divisions:
Environment Protection and Regulation Division;
Sustainability Programs Division;
Policy and Science Division;
Corporate Services Division; and
Parks Service Division.

The Environment Protection and Regulation Division was responsible for the operations formerly carried out by the Environment Protection Authority including responsibility for waste, forestry and contaminated sites; conservation programs and planning, radiation control; regulatory innovation and State of the Environment (SOE) Reporting.

The Sustainability Programs Division was responsible for the functions of the former Resource NSW (waste reduction and management); education and community programs and the Environmental Trust Administration.

The Policy and Science Division was responsible for Biodiversity and conservation policy; cultural heritage; environmental policy (air, water, noise, chemicals) environmental science and economics and strategic policy.

The Corporate Services Division was responsible for transition (from the various agencies which combined to comprise the Department) the shared corporate services reform team, in addition to providing financial services, human resources services, information technology and other administrative services.

The Parks Service Division was responsible for the Northern, Southern, Central and Western Directorates; reserve and wildlife conservation, education and marketing of parks. (6)

In 2007 the name of the Department was changed from the Department of Environment and Conservation to the Department of Environment and Climate Change (7), to be effective from the 23 April 2007. (8) However, after an unresolved departmental dispute the commencement date was officially moved to 27 April 2007. (9)

Following the abolition of the Department of Natural Resources on 27 April 2007, the following staff were transferred to the Department of Environment and Climate Change -

a. staff involved in the administration of the Native Vegetation Act 2003
b. staff involved in the administration of the Catchment Management Authorities Act 2003
c. staff involved in environmental water management and environmental water recovery programs
d. staff involved in riverbank, coastal and floodplain management and policy (including the administration of the Coastal Management, Estuary Management and Floodplain Management Programs)
e. staff involved in soil and vegetation management and policy. (10)

Subsequently groups of staff in the Department of Primary Industries principally involved in the administration of Divisions 1 and 2 of Part 7 (Habitat protection plans and Aquatic reserves), or Part 7A (Threatened species conservation), of the Fisheries Management Act 1994, or principally involved in the administration of the Marine Parks Act 1997 were removed from the Department of Primary Industries and added to the Department of Environment and Climate Change. In addition, the group of staff comprising the Marine Parks Authority Secretariat in the Department of Premier and Cabinet were removed from that Department and added to the Department of Environment and Climate Change, plus the group of staff principally involved in energy or water efficiency funding and renewable energy policy were removed from the Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability and added to the Department of Environment and Climate Change. (11)

A later Amendment included the removal of the Resource and Conservation Unit from the Department of Premier and Cabinet, to be added to the Department of Environment and Climate Change. (12)

The Department was to be responsible to the Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water. (13)

From 1 July 2009 the Department's name was changed to the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water and it became one of thirteen Principal Departments of the Public Service. The Department was responsible to the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment and the Minister for Water. (14)

The Office of Water was established as a separate office within the Department from 1 July 2008. It comprised staff from the former Department of Water and Energy who were principally involved in the administration of legislation relating to water and staff who provided corporate services in connection with the Office of Water. (15)

From 4 April 2011 the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water was abolished and its functions were transferred to the Principal Department, the Department of Premier and Cabinet. Most of its branches became part of the Office of Environment and Heritage within the Department of Premier and Cabinet. (16) The Office of Water, the Marine Parks Authority Secretariat and those staff who were principally involved in the administration of the Catchment Management Authorities Act 2003 were transferred to the Department of Primary Industries within the Principal Department, the Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Services. (17)

Endnotes
1. NSW Government Gazette No.152, Special Supplement, 24 September 2003, pp.9506-9509; Public Sector Employment and Management (Environment and Conservation) Order 2003, ss. 2, 4.
2. ibid., s.5.
3. ibid., s.6.
4. ibid., s.7.
5. ibid., s.8.
6. Department of Environment and Conservation Organisation Chart, late 2003?.
7. NSW Government Gazette No.47, Special Supplement, 2 April 2007, pp.2102-03.
8. ibid., p.2099.
9. NSW Government Gazette No.56, Special Supplement, 20 April 2007, p.2435.
10. ibid. No.47, Special Supplement, 2 April 2007, p.2103.
11. ibid., p.2105.
12. ibid. No.57, Special Supplement, 26 April 2007, p.2441.
13. ibid. No.47, Special Supplement, 2 April 2007, p.2103.
14. Public Sector Employment and Management (Departmental Amalgamations) Order 2009 (2009 No 352) cls.2, 4 and 9; notified on NSW Legislation website, 27 July 2009.
15. ibid. cls.10-11.
16. Public Sector Employment and Management (Departments) Order 2011 (2011 No 184), cls. 7, 8; notified on NSW Legislation website, 3 April 2011.
17. Ibid. cls.19.