The Department of National Development [II] (CA 2475) was renamed the Department of National Devlopment and Energy on 8 December 1979 by Executive Council Minute No 67 of 8 December 1979 (Commonwealth Gazette, No. S259, 8 December 1979).
 
Announcing the change, the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser emphasised the growing importance of energy policy and its inter-relationship with the other major areas of Government. Mr Fraser achnowledged the importance of energy by lifting the portfolio from number 19, in the Ministry, to number 5 in the Cabinet (Sydney Morning Herald, 8 December 1979, p 1). Mr Fraser said that the first Minister for National Development and Energy, Senator J L Carrick, would be giving priority to a number of major issues in the immediate future, including encouragement of energy-related projects approved by the Loan Council and further initiatives to expand coal-fired electricity generation.
 
The new Department assumed all the functions of the abolished
Department of National Development [II] (CA 2475). Its functions, as outlined in the Administrative Arrangements Orders of 11 September 1979 (Commonwealth Gazette, No S181, 12 September 1979) were:
 
. National energy policy, including planning and research into coal, 
  oil and gas, uranium, solar energy and other forms of energy 
. Radioactive waste management
. Minerals exploration and resource assessment
. Water resources, soil conservation, and electricity
. Geodesy and mapping
. Decentralisation and urban planning and development
. Local government.
 
The Minister was responsible for all bodies which previously
reported to the Minister for National Development [II].
 
The Acts administered by the Department were:
 
. Albury-Wodonga Development Act 1973
. Albury-Wodonga Develpment (Financial Assistance) Act 1973
. Atomic Energy Act 1953, except to the extent administered by the 
. Minister for Trade and Resources
. Blowering Water Storage Works Agreement Act 1963
. Cities Commission (Repeal) Act 1975
. Coal Research Assistance Act 1977
. Derby Jetty Agreement Act 1962
. Gladstone Power Station Agreement Act 1970
. Growth Centres (Financial Assistance) Act 1973
. Julius Dam Agreement Act 1974
. Land Commissions (Financial Assistance) Act 1973
. Liquid Fuel (Defence Stocks) Act 1949
. Menindee Lakes Storage Agreement Act 1963
. National Water Resources (Financial Assistance) Act 1978
. New South Wales Grant (Flood Mitigation) Act 1971
. New South Wales Grant (Gwydir River Dam) Act 1969
. New South Wales Grant (Namoi River Weirs) Act 1976
. Petroleum (Ashmore and Cartier Islands) Act 1967
. Petroleum Search Subsidy Act 1959
. Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1967
. Petroleum (Submerged Lands)  (Exploration Permit Fees) Act 1967 
. Petroleum (Submerged Lands)  (Pipeline Licence Fees) Act 1967
. Petroleum (Submerged Lands)  (Production Licence Fees) Act 1967
. Petroleum (Submerged Lands)  (Registration Fees) Act 1967
. Petroleum (Submerged Lands)  (Royalty) Act 1967
. Pipeline Authority Act 1973
. Queensland Grant (Bundaberg Irrigation Works) Act 1970
. Queensland Grant (Clare Weir) Act 1974
. Queensland Grant (Dawson River Weirs) Act 1973
. Queensland Grant (Kinchant Dam) Act 1973
. Queensland Grant (Maraboon Dam) Act 1968
. Queensland Grant (Proserpine Flood Mitigation) Acts
. Queensland Grant (Ross River Dam) Act 1974
. River Murray Waters Act 1915
. Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973
. Sewerage Agreements Acts
. Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Power Act 1949
. South Australia Grant (Lock to Kimba Pipeline) Act 1973
. South Australia Grant (Tailem Bend to Keith Pipeline) Act 1969 
. States Grants (Soil Conservation) Act 1974
. States Grants (Water Resources Assessment) Acts
. Tasmania Grant (Cressy-Longford Irrigation Works) Act 1969
. Urban and Regional Development (Financial Assistance) Act 1974, 
  except to the extent administered by the Minister for Home affairs
. Victoria Grant (King River Dam) Act 1969
. Victoria Grant (Millewa Pipelines) Act 1972
. Victoria Grant (River Murray Salinity) Act 1968
. Victoria Grant (Seymour Flood Mitigation) Act 1975
. Weipa Development Agreement Act 1965
. Western Australia Agreement (Ord River Irrigation) Act 1968 
. Western Australia (Northern Development) Agreement Act 1963.  

Under the Administrative Arrangements Orders of 5 September 1980, 
the Department of National Development became responsible for the following new enactments:
 
. Pipeline Construction (Dalton to Canberra) Act 1980
. Pipeline Construction (Young to Wagga Wagga) Act 1980
. Tasmania Agreement (Launceston Precision Tool Annex) Act 1980.  

It also became responsible for administering section 29 of the Atomic Energy Act, a section previously administered by the Department of Trade and Resources (CA 2477) which now took over the responsibility for sections 30 and 30B of the same act from the Department of National Development and Energy.
 
Under the Administrative Arrangements Orders of 23 December 1981, the Department became responsible for administering the following new enactments:
 
. Minerals (Submerged Lands) Act 1981
. Minerals (Submerged Lands) (Exploration Permit Fees) Act 1981 
. Minerals (Submerged Lands) (Production Licence Fees) Act 1981 
. Minerals (Submerged Lands) (Registration Fees) Act 1981
. Minerals (Submerged Lands) (Royalty) Act 1981
. Minerals (Submerged Lands) (Works Authority Fees) Act 1981.  

On 11 March 1983 the Department of National Development and Energy was renamed the Department of Resources and Energy (CA 3496)
(Commonwealth Gazette, No S45, 11 March 1983). The new department inherited domestic resources and energy matters from the Department of Trade and Resources (CA 2477). It inherited the majority of the functions of the Department of National Development and Energy except for decentralisation and urban planning and development which went to the Department of Industry and Commerce [II] ((CA 3256) and local government which was passed to the Department of Territories and Local Government (CA 3499).
 
The Minister for the Department was:
 
 8 Dec 1979 - 11 Mar 1983   : Hon John Leslie Carrick.
 
The Secretary to the Department was:
 
 8 Dec 1979 - 11 Mar 1983   : A J Woods.
Historical agency address
Tasman House, Hobart Place, Canberra City
Legislation administered
Creation: Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No. S259, 8 December 1979 
Abolition: Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No. S45, 11 March 1983