Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts

Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts

Department overview
Formed	21 October 1998[1]
Preceding Department	Department of Communications and the Arts
Dissolved	3 December 2007[1]
Superseding agency	Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
Jurisdiction	Commonwealth of Australia
Ministers responsible	Richard Alston (politician), Minister (1998‑2003) Daryl Williams, Minister (2003‑04) Helen Coonan, Minister (2004‑07)
Department executives	Neville Stevens, Secretary (1998‑2001) Ian Watt, Secretary (2001) Helen Williams, Secretary (2001‑07) Patricia Scott, Secretary (2007)[2]
Website	dcita.gov.au

The Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts was an Australian government department that existed between October 1998 and December 2007. The Department was closed on December 3, 2007, and its authority was transferred to the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.^[3]

Scope

While operational, information about the department's functions and government funding allocation originally could be found in the Administrative Arrangements Orders, the annual Portfolio Budget Statements and in the Department's annual reports. At the time of its creation, the Department was responsible for:^[4]

• Australia's Postal and telecommunications services
• Management of the electromagnetic spectrum
• Broadcasting services
• Management of government records
• Centenary of federation
• Cultural affairs, including support for the arts
• National policy issues relating to the information economy
• Information and communication industries development, electronic commerce and business on-line and Year 2000 issues
• Government on-line delivery and information technology and communications management, excluding IT outsourcing

Structure

The Department was an Australian Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.^[1]

References

1. CA 8611: Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 5 December 2013
2. Scott, Patricia, "Chapter 12: Our custodial role for the quality of advisory relations at the centre of government", in Wanna, John; Vincent, Sam; Podger, Andrew, With the Benefit of Hindsight: Valedictory Reflections from Departmental Secretaries 2004-11, pp. 117–123
3. "Corporate Plan 2011-13". About us. Commonwealth of Australia. 3 October 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
4. Administrative Arrangements, 21 October 1998 (PDF), National Archives of Australia, 21 October 1998, archived from the original (PDF) on 27 April 2013