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The Department of Environment and Conservation was an Australian government department that existed between December 1972 and April 1975.

History

The Department was one of several new Departments established by the Whitlam government, a wide restructuring that revealed some of the new government's program.

The Department was abolished in April 1975, to be replaced by the Department of the Environment. At the time, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam said that the reason for the re‑badging was that the name "Department of Environment and Conservation" suggested that conservation was a separate matter from the environment, whereas it was in fact a major component of the Government's total environment program.

The renaming was requested by environment minister Moss Cass, who said the title was too long and redundant.

Scope

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.

According to the Administrative Arrangements Order issued 19 December 1972, at its creation, the Department was responsible for activities related to:

• Environment and conservation—
  • Water, including the protection and use of water resources
  • National Parks

Structure

The Department was an Australian Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for Environment and Conservation.

References

1. ^ CA 1479: Department of Environment and Conservation, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 9 February 2021
2. National Archives of Australia, Gough Whitlam: In Office, National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 19 April 2013
3. CA 1869: Department of the Environment [I], Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 29 December 2013
4. Whitlam, Gough (21 April 1975). "Department of Environment" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013.
5. "The Week". The Canberra Times. 26 April 1975.
6. Administrative Arrangements Order of 19 December 1972 (PDF), National Archives of Australia, 19 December 1972, archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2013

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