The Portfolio
The Industry, Tourism and Resources portfolio is accountable to the Australian Parliament through:
- the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, the Hon Ian Macfarlane MP;
- the Minister for Small Business and Tourism, the Hon Fran Bailey MP; and
- the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, the Hon Bob Baldwin MP.
The portfolio comprises the Department, (www.industry.gov.au) two prescribed agencies, Geoscience Australia (www.ga.gov.au) and IP Australia (www.ipaustralia.gov.au), and two statutory authorities, Tourism Australia (www.tourism.australia.com) and the National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority (NOPSA) (www.nopsa.gov.au).
Geoscience Australia is a world leader in providing high-quality geoscience research and information including the mapping of Australia and its surrounding seabed. IP Australia examines applications and grants rights in patents, trade marks and industrial designs. Tourism Australia is responsible for international and domestic tourism marketing as well as the delivery of research and forecasts for the sector. NOPSA is responsible for regulating Commonwealth, state and territory coastal waters. These agencies and authorities work in partnership with the Department to provide services to Australian industry and business and have their own strategic plans.
The portfolio’s activities build on the four drivers of economic growth – innovation, investment, and international competitiveness, and global integration – which has grown in significance.
The Department
The Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources provides policy advice to its Ministers. It also administers legislation, manages programs, undertakes analysis, provides services to the business community, and provides advice to the Government.
The Department is structured into a number of divisions: AusIndustry; Energy and Environment Division; Industry Policy Division; Innovation Division; Resources Division; Manufacturing Division; Office of Small Business; Tourism Division; eBusiness Division and Corporate Division. In addition, the National Measurement Institute (NMI) and Invest Australia operate as divisions of the Department and the Ionospheric Prediction Service (IPS) and Biotechnology Australia are also located within the Department.
NMI (www.nmi.gov.au) is the national centre for measurement in Australia, bringing together physical, chemical, biological and legal metrology. It is responsible for developing and maintaining Australia's national standards of measurement traceable to the international system, and for disseminating measurement standards through calibration services and chemical and biological reference materials. NMI also provides a wide range of testing services, including analytical services for the Australian Sports Drug Administration and the Australian Federal Police. NMI is preparing for a national system of trade measurement to be introduced on 1 July 2010.
Invest Australia (www.investaustralia.gov.au) is the Australian Government's inward investment agency. It is responsible for attracting productive foreign investment into Australia. It provides promotion and facilitation services through its global network. Invest Australia has offices in Australia as well as 14 investment offices around the world, including New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Singapore, Tokyo, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Dubai, New Delhi, Mumbai and Seoul.
The Ionospheric Prediction Service (IPS) (www.ips.gov.au) acts as the Australian Space Weather Agency, providing the Australian national radio propagation and space weather services.
Biotechnology Australia (www.biotechnology.gov.au) is responsible for coordinating non-regulatory biotechnology issues for the Australian Government. It reports to five Australian Government partner departments – Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources; Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; Department of Environment and Water Resources; Department of Health and Ageing; and Department of Education, Science and Training.
The Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources has its headquarters in Canberra and state offices located in Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, as well as territory, regional offices and export hubs across Australia managed through AusIndustry (www.ausindustry.gov.au). The organisational structure of the Department is available on the Department’s website.
The Department and its employees are committed to modelling the APS Values and Code of Conduct, promoting ethical standards of behaviour in the workplace.
The Department values the well being of its employees and the contribution they make to the workplace. Initiatives are provided to employees who wish to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. It provides a framework for learning and development that ensures employees are skilled and enabled to perform in an efficient and productive way.
Maintaining a close relationship with our stakeholders and achieving stakeholder satisfaction and confidence in our professional work is an essential outcome for the Department. We pride ourselves on regular consultation and engagement with our stakeholders, and seek their feedback through the annual Stakeholder Satisfaction Survey.
Return to DITR Strategic Plan 2007-2010