Department of Communications and the Arts
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Department overview | |
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Formed | 21 September 2015 |
Preceding Department | |
Jurisdiction | Commonwealth of Australia |
Headquarters | Canberra |
Minister responsible | |
Department executive |
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Child agencies | |
Website |
www |
The Australian Department of Communications and the Arts is a department of the Government of Australia charged with responsibility for communications policy and programs and cultural affairs.
The head of the department is the Secretary of the Department of Communications, currently Mike Mrdak, who reports to Senator the Hon. Mitch Fifield, who is currently the Minister for Communications and Minister for the Arts
History
The department was created in September 2015 following Malcolm Turnbull becoming prime minister, replacing the Department of Communications, and transferring responsibility for the arts from the Attorney-General's Department.[1]
Preceding departments
- Postmaster-General's Department (1 January 1901 – 22 December 1975)
- Department of the Media (19 December 1972 – 22 December 1975)
- Postal and Telecommunications Department (22 December 1975 – 3 November 1980)
- Department of Communications (3 November 1980 – 24 July 1987)
- Department of Transport and Communications (24 July 1987 – 23 December 1993)
- Department of Communications (23 December 1993 – 30 January 1994)
- Department of Communications and the Arts (30 January 1994 – 21 October 1998)
- Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (21 October 1998 – 3 December 2007)
- Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (3 December 2007 – 18 September 2013)
- Department of Communications (18 September 2013 – 21 September 2015)
Operational functions
The Administrative Arrangements Order made on 21 September 2015 detailed the following responsibilities to the department:[2]
- Broadband policy and programs
- Postal and telecommunications policies and programs
- Spectrum policy management
- Broadcasting policy
- National policy issues relating to the digital economy
- Content policy relating to the information economy
- Classification
- Copyright
- Cultural affairs, including movable cultural heritage and support for the arts
See also
References
- ↑ Minute Paper for the Executive Council, Executive Council Meeting No. 21 (PDF), Federal Executive Council, 21 September 2015
- ↑ "Administrative Arrangements Order". Commonwealth of Australia. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.