Department of Productivity
Australian government department, 1976–1980
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Department of Productivity was an Australian government department with the mission to providing increased industrial productivity. The department existed between November 1976 and November 1980, operating under the Fraser government.
- Department of Transport (III) - for materials handling
Department of Business and Consumer Affairs - for patents of inventions and designs and trade marks
Department of Employment and Industrial Relations (I) - for working environment, productivity promotion and national training policy
Department of Industry and Commerce (I) - for efficiency and development of manufacturing and tertiary industries; and manufacture of goods and provision of services for defence purposes
| Department overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 8 November 1976[1] |
| Preceding Department |
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| Dissolved | 3 November 1980[1] |
| Superseding Department | |
| Jurisdiction | Commonwealth of Australia |
| Headquarters | Canberra |
| Ministers responsible |
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| Department executives |
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History
The establishment of the Department of Productivity was announced by Malcolm Fraser in November 1976, a new initiative taken to provide a technologically oriented agency with the responsibility of providing increased industrial productivity.[3]
The Department of Productivity was abolished in November 1980 when the Fraser government joined the department together with the Department of Science and the Environment to form the Department of Science and Technology, having received advice from the Australian Science and Technology Council that there would be merit in merging the two departments.[4]
Outcomes and scope
The Department's mission was to provide increased industrial productivity.[1]
Information about the department's functions and government funding allocation could be found in the Administrative Arrangements Orders, the annual Portfolio Budget Statements and in the department's annual reports.
At its creation, the Department dealt with:[1]
- Productivity of industry
- Industrial training policy
- Patents of inventions and designs, and trade marks
- Manufacture of goods and provision of services for defence purposes
Structure
The Department was an Australian Public Service department, staffed by officials responsible to the Minister for Productivity.[1]
List of ministers
| # | Name | Party | Start | End | Prime Minister | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ian Macphee | Liberal | 8 November 1976 | 8 December 1979 | Malcolm Fraser | |
| 2 | Kevin Newman | Liberal | 8 December 1979 | 3 November 1980 | Malcolm Fraser | |
