Department of Housing and Regional Development

Department of Housing and Regional Development

Department overview
Formed	25 March 1994[1]
Preceding Department	Department of Industry, Technology and Regional Development - for the regional development function Department of Human Services and Health - for the housing and local government functions[2]
Dissolved	11 March 1996[1]
Superseding agency	Department of Transport and Regional Development - for the regional development function Department of Industry, Science and Tourism - for industry aspects of the housing function Department of Social Security - for the Housing and Special Payments Division
Jurisdiction	Commonwealth of Australia
Headquarters	Canberra
Minister responsible	Brian Howe
Department executive	Andrew Podger, Secretary

The Department of Housing and Regional Development was an Australian government department that existed between March 1994 and March 1996.

History

The department was created by the Keating Government on 25 March 1994, dividing the Department of Human Services and Health.^[3]

After the Howard Government was elected at the 1996 federal election, Prime Minister John Howard dismantled the department, assigning its welfare housing functions to the Department of Social Security and its industry functions to the newly created Department of Industry, Science and Tourism.^[4]

Scope

Information about the department's functions and/or government funding allocation could be found in the Administrative Arrangements Orders, the annual Portfolio Budget Statements and in the Department's annual reports.

According to the Administrative Arrangements Order (AAO) made on 25 March 1994, the Department dealt with:^[5]

• Housing
• Matters relating to local government
• Planning and land management in the Australian Capital Territory
• Regional development

It produced numerous reports, all of which are held in the National Library of Australia. Below is a list, by no means exhaustive.

Papers produced as part of the development of a National Housing Strategy included:

The housing needs of people with disabilities

The housing needs of women and children

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing

Urban form and development strategies: equity, environmental and economic implications

National housing strategy: summary of papers

National housing strategy: agenda for action

Australian housing: the demographic, economic and social environment

Financing Australian housing: the issues

The efficient supply of affordable land and housing: the urban challenge

Housing location and access to services

Housing choice: reducing the barriers

Framework for reform

Housing for older Australians: affordability, adjustments and care

Over-investment in Australian housing?

The role of home ownership

Housing and services in rural and remote Australia

The findings of the housing and location choice survey: an overview

The supply side of the private rental market

Housing affordability: an international context

Financing urban infrastructure: equity and efficiency considerations

Taxation and housing

Local government and housing

The affordability of Australian housing

Structure, organisation and skill formation in the Australian housing industry

Housing, transport and urban form

Housing information study

Papers produced as part of the Australian Urban & Regional Development Review included:

Creating jobs	Discussion paper 3
Metropolitan planning in Australia	Workshop paper 3
Places for everyone	Research report 1
New homes for old	Workshop paper 1
New homes for old	Strategy paper 1
Financing the fringe	Discussion paper 4
Smart planning not sprawl	Discussion paper 5
Urban public transport futures	Workshop paper 4
Timetabling for tomorrow	Strategy paper 2
Urban Australia: trends and prospects	Research report 2
Investing in infrastructure	Workshop paper 5
Green cities	Strategy paper 3
Transport and urban development	Workshop paper 2
Financing local government	Discussion paper 1
Local government funding methodologies	Discussion paper 2

Papers produced as part of the Urban Futures Research Program included:

The economic role of cities: economic change and city development, Australia 1971-1991

The economic role of cities: Australia in the global economy

Crime, safety and urban form

Residents' responses to medium density developments

Beyond the capitals

Reforming the urban landscape

Other papers included:

Cities and the new global economy: conference proceedings, Vols 1, 2 & 3

Cities and the new global economy: implications of the conference, a paper by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute

Urban design in Australia, a paper by the Urban Design Task Force

Patterns of urban settlement: consolidating the future?

Developing Australia: a regional perspective, Vols 1, 2 plus a supplement

Structure

The Department was administered by Australian public servants who were responsible to the Minister for Housing and Regional Development, Brian Howe.

The Secretary of the Department was Andrew Podger.^[1]

References

1. CA 7901: Department of Housing and Regional Development, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 18 November 2013
2. Department of Health, History of the Department, Department of Health, archived from the original on 9 November 2013
3. Keating, Paul (25 March 1994). "Statement by the Prime Minister" (Press release). Archived from the original on 22 April 2014.
4. Howard, John (8 March 1996). "Statement by the Prime Minister Designate" (Press release). Archived from the original on 10 November 2013.
5. Administrative Arrangements Order issued 25 March 1994 (PDF), National Archives of Australia, 25 March 1994, p. 22, archived from the original (PDF) on 5 April 2013