AGY-6315 | Department of Services, Technology and Administration (2009-2011) Department of Finance and Services (2011-2014)

Full description

From 1 July 2009 the Department of Services, Technology and Administration (DSTA) was established as one of thirteen Principal Departments under the Public Sector Employment and Management (Departmental Amalgamations) Order 2009. The Department was responsible to the Ministers for Commerce, Fair Trading, Industrial Relations, Small Business and the Treasurer. (1)

All branches from the former Department of Commerce (including its subordinates: Office of Fair Trading, Office of Industrial Relations, Office of Public Works, NSW Procurement, Government Chief Information Office and State Records NSW) as well as the Internal Audit Bureau became branches of the Department of Services, Technology and Administration. (2)

The new Department was also responsible for the new Land and Property Management Authority which was formed from the former Department of Lands and the Office of the State Property Authority. (3) In addition, those staff in the Office of Strategic Lands in the Department of Planning who were required in connection with the Land and Property Management Authority were removed from that Department and added to the Land and Property Management Authority. (4)

The Department also had the following staff or units added: the group of staff employed in the Department of Education and Training to enable the Teacher Housing Authority to exercise its functions (5); the Retail Tenancy Unit from the Department of State and Regional Development (6); and, groups of staff in the former Department of Lands and the Office of the State Property Authority principally involved in the provision of corporate services and required in connection with the new Department. (7)

From 19 March 2010 the Land and Property Management Authority was removed from the Department of Services, Technology and Administration and added to the Department of Planning. Those groups of staff in the Land and Property Management Authority principally involved in the provision of corporate and shared services required in connection with the Department of Planning or the Department of Services, Technology and Administration were removed and added to those departments. (8)

From 4 April 2011 the name of the Department of Services, Technology and Administration was changed to the Department of Finance and Services (DFS) becoming one of nine Principal Departments of the Public Service. The Department was responsible to the Minister for Finance and Services and the Minister for Fair Trading. (9)

Also, from 4 April 2011, the Office of State Revenue and the Expenditure Review Directorate were removed from the Treasury and added to the Department of Finance and Services. (10) In addition the group of staff in Housing NSW, Department of Human Services who were principally involved in asset management were removed from that department and added to the Department of Finance and Services. (11) Further, the group of staff in the Department of Premier and Cabinet comprising, or involved in, the Corporate and Shared Services Reform Program were removed from that department and added to the Department of Finance and Services. (12)

On 10 October 2012 the group of staff in the Department of Finance and Services who were employed to enable the Long Service Corporation to exercise its functions were removed from that Department and added to the Treasury. (13)

On 24 February 2014 the Public Sector Employment and Management Act 2002 (Act No.43, 2002) was replaced by the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 (Act No. 40, 2013). Under the Constitution Act 1902 (Act No.32, 1902) the Administrative Arrangements Order 2014 was issued to commence on 24 February 2014. The Order abolished all principal departments under the former act however they were re-established with the same name as Departments under Schedule 1 of the Government Sector Employment Act. For all purposes the re-established Department of Finance and Services was the successor and a continuation of the former principal Department. (14) The Government Sector Employment Act replaced the former position of Director General of the Department of Finance and Services with the Secretary of the Department of Finance and Services. (15)

On 23 April 2014, the Department of Finance and Services became the Office of Finance and Services, a public service executive agency related to The Treasury. (16)

Endnotes
1. Public Sector Employment and Management (Departmental Amalgamations) Order 2009 (2009 No 352), cl. 27; notified on NSW Legislation website, 27 July 2009; amended by Public Sector Restructure (Miscellaneous Acts Amendments) Act 2009 (Act No.2009) Sch. 20, commencing 1 July 2009.
2. ibid., cl. 28.
3. Ibid. cl.30 (1).
5. ibid., cl. 29 (1).
4. Public Sector Restructure (Miscellaneous Acts Amendments) Act 2009, Sch. 20, cl.32 (9).
6. ibid., cl. 29 (2).
7. ibid., cl. 29 (5).
8. Public Sector Employment and Management (Land and Property Management Authority) Order 2010 (2010 No 99) cls. 3, 4; notified on NSW Legislation website, 19 March 2010.
9. Public Sector Employment and Management (Departments) Order 2011 (2011 No 184), cl. 29; notified on NSW Legislation website, 3 April 2011.
10. ibid., cl.31 (1).
11. ibid., cl.32 (1).
12. ibid., cl.33 (1).
13. Public Sector Employment and Management (Treasury) Order 2012 (2012 No 514), cl.4 (1); notified on NSW Legislation website, 10 October 2012.
14. Administrative Arrangements Order 2014 (2014 No 11), cl. 4 (amending Schedule 1 to Government Sector Employment Act), 7(2), 11(1); notified on NSW Legislation Website (2014 No 11), 29 January 2014.
15. Government Sector Employment Act 2013 (Act No.40, 2013), s.23.
16. Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes - Ministers and Public Service Agencies) Order 2014 (2014 No 233), cls. 4 (5), 6 (1); notified on NSW Legislation Website 23 April 2014.