AGY-3819 | Ministry of Transport [I] (1932-1975) Ministry of Transport and Highways (1975-1978) Ministry of Transport [II] (1978-1990)

Full description

The Transport (Division of Functions) Act, 1932 (Act No. 31, 1932) created the Ministry of Transport to replace the Department of Transport by repealing the sections of the Act that constituted the Department and laid down its structure and functions. The newly created Ministry of Transport, which was divided into
(a) the Department of Railways administered by the Commissioner for Railways;
(b) The Department of Road Transport and Tramways administered by the Commissioner of Road Transport and Tramways;
(c) The Department of Main Roads administered by the Commissioner for Main Roads (1)
provided a secretariat to the Commissioners that carried out their responsibilities independently.  The Ministry of Transport was established on 29 December 1932. (2)

A document dated 1948 (?) confirms that the Ministry consisted of the following sections - The Ministerial Office, Soldiers Passes and Administrative branches. The Ministerial staff dealt with the Minister’s personal correspondence, appointments, constituency matters, provided secretarial support for delegations received by him and co-ordinated the Department of Railways, Road Transport and Tramways and Main Roads. The Administration Branch was responsible for departmental correspondence, submission of policy to the Minister, research for the Minister in connection with transport policy, managing the accounts, and recordkeeping. The Soldiers Passes branch issued travel concessions to ex-service personnel. (3) The Commissioners for Railways, Road Transport and Tramways and Main Roads had considerable autonomy, but were responsible the Minister for carrying out their legislative responsibilities and for the authorisation of loan raising (4)

The New South Wales Transport and Highways Commission was established by the Transport and Highways Act, 1950 and exercised a supervisory role over the Department, its subordinate agencies and the Maritime Services Board from 22 May 1950 until 25 August 1952. This Commission’s purpose was to plan for the provision of an ‘efficient, adequate, economical and properly integrated system of public transport’ (5) The Commission had wide powers enabling it to:
ensure that the branches of the Ministry of Transport were efficiently conducted;
review policy for the development of transport throughout the State;
consider and make recommendations concerning any proposal from the agencies, which comprised the Ministry of Transport and co-ordinate, their annual budgets, and
‘control and direct’ the branches of the Ministry. For this purpose the offices could be inspected and the, records and all assets examined. (6)

In 1952 there were further legislative changes to the Commissions by the Transport (Division of Functions) Amendment Act, 1952 (Act No 15, 1952) and the Transport (Division of Functions) Further Amendment Act, 1952 (act No 24, 1952) The first of these divided the functions of the Commissioner of Road Transport and Tramways into two separate bodies - the Department of Transport and Highways and the Department of Tram and Omnibus Services (7) and the second Act altered these titles to the Department of Motor Transport (led by a Superintendent) and Department of Government Transport respectively (led by a Commissioner). (8) The designation of the Superintendent of Motor Transport was altered to the Commissioner for Motor Transport in 1954. (9)

From 15 March 1956 the Department of Main Roads ceased to form a part of the Department of Transport and became responsible to the Minister for Highways. (10)

The Transport (Amendment) Act, 1960 (Act No 49, 1960) enabled the establishment of transport districts in areas where there was no transport trust (11)

The Public Transport Commission Act 1972 dissolved the offices of the Commissioner for Railways and the Commissioner for Public Transport as corporate bodies and replaced them by the Public Transport Commission consisting of five Commissioners. (12) From 20 October 1972 until 1 July 1980 the Public Transport Commission formed part of the Ministry. (13)

The Machinery of Government review 1975, recommended the combination of the transport and highways portfolios. From 3 January 1975 these portfolios were occupied by the same minister, and the name of the Ministry of Transport was changed to Ministry of Transport and Highways. The departments that formed part of the Ministry were the Public Transport Commission of New South Wales, Department of Main Roads and the Department of Motor Transport. The review had indicated that the role of the Ministry would change to occupying a co-ordinating position with three agencies, developing co-ordinated planning proposals and giving advice to the Minister. (14)

On 19 October 1978, as a result of a reallocation of portfolios, the name of the Ministry returned to the Ministry of Transport and the Department of Main Roads transferred to the new Ministry of Roads. However, the Minister for Transport continued to exercise a number of responsibilities in relation to main roads - including co-ordination with transport matters, financial arrangements, research and State/ Commonwealth relationships. (15) The subordinate agencies then became The Department of Motor Transport, the Public Transport Commission of New South Wales and the Traffic Authority of New South Wales. (16).

In 1982 the role of the Department was described as follows: “the Ministry’s principal role is to assist the Minister for Transport in the initiation, implementation, evaluation and co-ordination of transport policy and development in New South Wales. This involves a wide range of activities including strategic planning, advice on financial; policy and industrial relations and the development and evaluation of specific programs. The State Transport Study Group is part of the Ministry.” (17)

In the year ended 1986 the Ministry reported on dealing with the following interest groups - public transport users; road freight industry representatives; primary producers, the coal industry; bus, coach and taxi operators and the airline industry. The Ministry dealt with these groups either directly or though participation in a number of Committees including the Commuter Council and the Joint Committee on Transportation for Persons with Disabilities. (18)

In addition to ministerial staff the agency was divided into six sections - Four of these sections provided the Minister with advice on issues and policies according to their expertise. These areas were - Passenger Policy and Planning Co-ordination; Freight Co-Ordination; Infrastructure and Finances; and Road Safety and Traffic Control. The State Transport Study group performed operational, financial and economic evaluations of transport proposals and collected transport travel and related data. The Administrative Support group co-ordinated responses to representations, assisted with legislative and other matters in addition to providing the essential support services such as personnel and accounts management. The group also assisted with the Ministerial Staff and Transport Appeal Boards with administrative matters. (19)

The portfolios of Ports and Roads were abolished on 26 November 1987 and the responsibilities of these Ministers were transferred to the Minister for transport. (20) Until 24 July 1990 the Department of Main Roads and the Traffic Authority (later to become the Roads and Traffic Authority) were therefore under the control of the Minister and the Maritime Services Board remained there until the re-establishment of the Minster for Ports on 26 May, 1993 (21)
The Department of Motor Transport, the Department of Main Roads, and the Traffic Authority of New South Wales were dissolved and their former functions were amalgamated to form the Roads and Traffic Authority under the Transport Administration Act, 1988 (Act No.109, 1988). Responsibility for traffic regulation including vehicle registration, driver licensing, road safety and related matters was thus centralised in a single agency when the Act was proclaimed on 16 January 1989. (22) The Act also restructured the State Rail Authority and the State Transit Authority (formerly the Urban Transit Authority). There was a considerable task of co-ordination required and the Ministry was heavily involved in the establishment of this new agency and reconstitutions of the Rail and Transit Authorities. (23)

The organisational of the Ministry was re-structured into three main divisions following this administrative changes brought about by the Transport Administration Act. The Ministerial, Corporate Services and Review Division consisted of the Ministerial Co-ordination group, Freight Group, Roads and Traffic Group, Financial Analysis and Performance Review Group and the Corporate Services Group. The Planning and Studies Division consisted of the Planning and Co-ordination Group, Transport Studies Group and the Data Management Group. The Passenger Transport Division consisted of the Passenger Policy Branch, Country Regions Branch, Metropolitan Regions Branch, Project Implementation Branch and Administration branch. (24)

In 1989 a review of the structure and operations of the Ministry was undertaken to determine the extent to which it assisted the Minister in the management and co-ordination of his portfolio. The review identified five principal roles:
Transport policy and planning;
Monitoring and review of the transport authorities;
Implementation of Government transport initiatives and policy;
Administrative support to the Minister; and
Regulating transport operators.

The Department of Transport was established on 29 January 1990 to replace the Ministry of Transport (25) The new Department was restructured in 1990.

Endnotes
(1) Transport (Division of Functions) Act, 1932 (Act No 31, 1932)
(2) New South Wales Government Gazette No.193, 29 December 1932 Vol.4, p.4591
(3) The brochure of Departmental functions, legislation and Procedure, 1948- 1952? CGS 10628 [3/15046D] p. 14, 26-27
(4) Ibid. p. 13
(5) Transport and Highways Act, 1950 (Act N0 10, 1950) s. 8 (1) (a)
(6) Ibid s. 9
(7) Transport (Division of Functions) Amendment Act, 1952 s. 2
(8) Transport (Division of Functions) Further Amendment Act, 1952 s. 4
(9) State Transport (Co-ordination) Amendment Act, 1954 (Act No 48, 1954 s. 5(1)(a)
(10) Transport (Division of Functions) Amendment Act 1956 (Act No 38, 1956) s. 2
(11) New South Wales Government Gazette No.110, 20 October 1972, Vol.4, p.4115
(12) The Public Transport Commission Act 1972, s.
(13) Transport Authorities Act, 1980 (Act No. 103, 1980)
(14) Public Service Board Annual Report year ended 30 June 1975, p.82, Parliamentary Papers 1975-76, vol 6 p.98
(15) The Government of New South Wales Directory of Administration and Services. 2nd edition, March, 1979 p. 367
(16) Ibid. p.366 ff
(17) The Government of New South Wales Directory of Administration and Services. 3rd edition, 1982 p. 401
(18) Ministry of Transport New South Wales. Annual report for the year ended 30 June 1986 p. 17
(19) Loc. Cit
(20) NSW Government Gazette 4 December 1987 p. 6704
(21) NSW Government Gazette 24 June 1993 p. 3037
(22) New South Wales Government Gazette No.3, 16 January 1989, Vol1, Part1, p.275
(23) Ministry of Transport. Annual report for the year ended 30 June 1989 p. 4
(24) Ibid. p. 6-7
(25) NSW Government Gazette 25 January 1990 p. 549