Department of Manufacturing and Industry Development

Full description

Establishment

The Department of Manufacturing and Industry Development was established under Administrative Arrangements Order (No 82) 1990, effective from 18 December 1990.

This order created the new Department by renaming the Department of Industry and Office of Economic Planning (VA 3005). As such the new Department assumed all of the functions of the previous agency. Responsibility for the Department was vested with the Minister for Manufacturing and Industry Development.

Function and development

The Department saw its basic role as promoting the economic development of Victoria with emphasis on providing a framework for economic reform. This encompassed the following broad functions:

* Mineral and energy resource development.
* Regional development.
* Overseas trade and investment.
* Industrial assistance, and
* Victorian public sector reform.

Originally the following statutory authorities operated within the portfolio:

Albury/Wodonga Development Corporation: Latrobe Regional Commission; Geelong Regional Commission; Small Business Development Corporation; State Electricity Commission; Gas & Fuel Corporation; Coal Corporation; Renewable Energy Authority and Exhibition Trustees.

Responsibility for Small Business Development Corporation and the Regulation Review Unit was transferred to the Department of Small Business via Administrative Arrangements Order (No 91) of January 1991.

The same order lead to the Department gaining responsibility for Ports Administration from VA 673 Ministry of Transport and with it the following statutory authorities:

Port of Melbourne Authority; Port of Geelong Authority and Port of Portland Authority.

The Ministerial post was changed with this particular transfer; the position was constituted as the Minister for Manufacturing and Industry Development and Minister Responsible for Ports. An assistant Minister with responsibility for corporatisation was also subsequently appointed.

Abolition

This agency was abolished after the 1992 State election. The Ports function was transferred back to VA 673, energy and minerals functions to VA 3035 Department of Energy and Minerals and remaining functions to Department of Business and Employment (VA 3096).