AGY-6082 | Office of Public Works and Services (2003-2009) / NSW Public Works [I] (2009-2016)

Full description

The Office of Public Works and Services was established within the newly established Department of Commerce on 2 April 2003. All those staff of the former Department of Public Works and Services except those principally responsible for asset and procurement policy were  transferred to the Department of Commerce. (1) The Office of Public Works and Services became one of the Offices of the Department of Commerce, along with the: Office of Fair Trading, Office of Industrial Relations, Office of Government Business, Office of Government Procurement, and the Office of Information and Communications Technology.

In 2007, the Office of Public Works and Services brought together a comprehensive range of commercial services for government in property, public infrastructure, and office services. Key activities included:

- sustainable water solutions including dams, civil and geotechnical engineering, strategic water management, wastewater services and surveying and spatial information. Incorporates Manly Hydraulics Laboratory
- managing state property, including development, portfolio and strategic asset management, property transactions, town centre development, and ministerial and privately financed projects
- project management, including program and contract management and independent real estate valuation
- architecture, urban design, landscape architecture, heritage, engineering and quantity surveying through the Government Architect's Office
- heritage and building services including facilities management and minor building works, essential repairs and heritage sandstone restoration
- human resources management, research and information services, and information and technology management
- vehicle leasing and fleet management services, accident management and short term rental (ExtraCar) through StateFleet. (2)

From 1 July 2009, when the Department of Commerce was abolished, the Office of Public Works and Services became a branch of the new Principal Department, the Department of Services, Technology and Administration. (3) Later that year, the Office was renamed NSW Public Works. (4)

On 4 April 2011, the name of the Department of Services, Technology and Administration was changed to the Department of Finance and Services (5), with NSW Public Works being one of its 10 administrative divisions. (6)

In April 2014, the Department of Finance and Services joined the new Treasury and Finance cluster, becoming the Office of Finance and Services (OFS). (7) As at 30 June 2015, NSW Public Works, one of 10 administrative divisions of OFS, incorporated the Government Architect's Office; Facilities Management; Project Management; Strategic Support and Business Performance; NSW Water Solutions; and Commercial Business. (8)

On 1 July 2015 the Office of Finance and Services became the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation (9) and, during 2015-16, a process to transform NSW Public Works was commenced with the aim of moving its “core focus away from project management, design and delivery of infrastructure services into providing expert strategic advice and commissioning services”. (10) As part of this transformation, the Government Architect was transferred to the Department of Planning (11) and other parts of NSW Public Works were dispersed. Electromedical Engineering transferred to the Department of Health (12), the Manly Hydraulics Laboratory and Heritage Stoneworks became part of the Government and Corporate Services division (13), and the Construction Services Group was sold. (14)

From 1 July 2016, the Public Works Advisory function joined with Property NSW to form a new Property and Advisory Group. (15)

Endnotes
1. Public Sector Employment and Management (General) Order 2003, NSW Government Gazette No.67, 2 April 2003, p.4331.
2. Department of Commerce website http://www.commerce.nsw.gov.au/Government+Business/Government+Business.htm (cited 26 November 2007).
3. Public Sector Employment and Management (Departmental Amalgamations) Order 2009 (2009 No 352), cl. 28 (1); notified on NSW Legislation website, 27 July 2009.
4. Department of Services, Technology and Administration Annual Report 2009-10, p.30.
5. Public Sector Employment and Management (Departments) Order 2011 (2011 No 184) cls. 29; notified on NSW Legislation website, 3 April 2011.
6. Department of Finance and Services Annual Report 2010-11, p.3.
7. Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes - Ministers and Public Service Agencies) Order 2014 (2014 No 233), cls. 4 (5), 6 (1), 9; notified on NSW Legislation Website, 23 April 2014.
8. Office of Finance and Services Annual Report 2014-15, pp.5, 9.
9. Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes - Public Service Agencies) Order (No 2) 2015 (2015 No 250), cls. 5, 12 (1); notified on NSW Legislation Website, 29 May 2015.
10. Department of Finance, Services and Innovation Annual Report 2015-16, p.36.
11. Ibid., pp.36-7
12. Ibid., p.12.
13. Department of Finance, Services and Innovation Annual Report 2016-17, p.11.
14. Department of Finance, Services and Innovation Annual Report 2015-16, p.13.
15. Ibid., p.12.