Summary heading

CA 8614 – Department of the Environment and Heritage.

Abolition

The Department of the Environment and Heritage was replaced by the Department of the Environment and Water Resources (CA 9160) on 30 January 2007. 

Creation

The Department of the Environment and Heritage was established on 21 October 1998.  

Functions and activities

The role of the Department was to:

• advise the Australian Government on its policies for protecting the environment and heritage
• Administering the Australian Government’s main laws relating to the environment and heritage
• Managing the Australian Government’s main environment and heritage programmes including the $3 billion Natural Heritage Trust;
• Implementing an effective response to climate change;
• Representing the Australian Government in international negotiations related to the environment and Antarctica (1)

In the Administrative Arrangements Order of 21 October 1998, the Department’s initial functions were listed as:

• Environment and conservation
• Meteorology
• Administration of the Australian Antarctic Territory and the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
• Natural and built heritage
• Greenhouse policy co-ordination.

In the final Administrative Arrangements Order (21 September 2006) prior to the Department’s abolition, its functions were listed as:

• Environment protection and conservation of biodiversity
• Air Quality
• National fuel quality standards
• Land contamination
• Meteorology
• Administration of the Australian Antarctic Territory, and the Territory of Heard Island and Mc Donald Islands
• Natural, built and movable cultural heritage
• Greenhouse policy coordination
• Environmental research

Legislation administered

The main piece of legislation that was administered by the Department was the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

The other pieces of legislation administered by the Department at the time of its abolition were:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984
• Antarctic Martine Living Resources Conservation Act 1981
• Antarctic Treaty Act 1960
• Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980
• Australian Antarctic Territory Acceptance Act 1933
• Australian Antarctic Territory Act 1954
• Australian Heritage Council Act 2003
• Captains Flat (Abatement of Pollution) Agreement Act 1975
• Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978
• Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981
• Fuel Quality Standard Act 2000
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Environmental Management Charge – Excise) Act 1993
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Environmental Management Charge – General) Act 1993
• Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1989
• Heard Island and McDonald Islands Act 1953
• Hindmarsh Island Bridge Act 1997
• Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976
• Koongarra Project Area Act 1981
• Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental Agreement Act 2001
• Meteorology Act 1955
• National Environment Protection Council Act 1994
• National Environment Protection Measures (Implementation) Act 1998
• National Heritage Trust of Australia Act 1997
• Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989
• Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Licence Fees – Imports) Act 1995
• Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Licence Fees – Manufacture) Act 1995
• Product Stewardship (Oil) Act 2000
• Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986
• Removal of Prisoners (Territories) Act 2000 (insofar as it relates to Heard Island, McDonald Islands and the Australian Antarctic Territory)
• Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000
• Renewable Energy (Electricity) (Charge) Act 2000
• Sea Installations Act 1987
• Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Act 2001
• Water Efficiency Labeling and Standards Act 2005
• Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area Conservation Act 1994(2)

Administrative structure

At the time of its abolition, the Department was made up of 12 divisions:

• Australian Antarctic Division (CA 1873)
• Industry, Communities and Energy Division*
• International, Land and Analysis Division*
• Approvals and Wildlife Division
• Corporate Strategies Division
• Heritage Division
• Policy Coordination and Environment Protection Division
• Supervising Scientist Division
• Land, Water & Coasts Division
• Marine Division
• Natural Resource Management Programmes Division
• Parks Australia Division

* The Industry, Communities and Energy Division and the International, Land and Analysis Division together made up the Australian Greenhouse Office.

Historical agency address

Administration Building (later renamed John Gorton Building), King Edward Terrace, Parkes ACT.

State/regional structure

 

Records created by the agency

 

Additional information

Secretaries of the Department were:

21 Oct 1998 – Feb 2004: Roger Beale AM (CP 621)

Feb 2004 – 30 Jan 2007: David Borthwick 

Ministers responsible for the Department were:

21 Oct 1998 – 26 Nov 2001: Senator Hon Robert Hill (CP 368)

26 Nov 2001 – 18 Jul 2004: Hon Dr David Alistair Kemp (CP 690)

18 Jul 2004 – 30 Jan 2007: Senator Hon Ian Campbell

End notes

(1)   Department of the Environment and Heritage Annual Report, 2004-2005.

(2)   Administrative Arrangements Order 21 September 2006.

Sources