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Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Department overview
Formed	2 April 2020 (2020-04-02)
Preceding Department	Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (Regions, Industry, Agriculture and Resources)
Type	Department
Jurisdiction	New South Wales
Headquarters	1 Monaro St, Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia
Department executive	Steve Orr, Secretary
Website	www.nsw.gov.au/regional-nsw

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, previously Department of Regional NSW until June 2024, is a department of the New South Wales Government. A central focus for the department is enhancing the liveability of regional and rural communities by strengthening local workforces and attracting key workers, boosting housing, and empowering the diversification of local economies.

The department is a central agency and advises across government on issues affecting the state’s regions, which are home to about one-third of the NSW population.

Key responsibilities of the department also include building stronger primary industries, driving local investment and economic development, brokering solutions to strengthen social cohesion, overseeing productive and sustainable land use and natural resources, and delivering local infrastructure and grant programs.

The department was established as Department of Regional NSW on 2 April 2020 to coordinate support for communities, businesses and farmers hit by the Black Summer bushfires and drought. The department went onto support additional crises including floods and COVID-19, becoming a key voice advocating for local communities within government. It assumed the functions of the Regions, Industry, Agriculture and Resources division from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. It also brought together Department of Primary Industries (which was an agency and not a government department), Local Land Services, Resources and Geoscience and regional coordination across the government. On 1 July 2024, the Department of Primary Industries (the agency) was abolished and merged into the department and the latter was renamed to its current name.

Structure

The Department is the lead agency in the Regional NSW cluster, led by the Secretary Steve Orr, who reports to the following ministers:

• Minister for Regional New South Wales
• Minister for Agriculture
• Minister for Western New South Wales

Ultimately the ministers are responsible to the Parliament of New South Wales.

Agencies

The following agencies are included in the Regional NSW cluster, administered by the Department:

• Department of Primary Industries (until June 2024)
• Forestry Corporation of NSW (state-owned corporation)
• Local Land Services
• Mining, Exploration and Geoscience (MEG)
• Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation
• NSW Resources Regulator
• Office of the Cross-Border Commissioner
• Public Works
• Soil Conservation Service

Office locations

Nearly 80 per cent of the department’s staff live in the regional communities they serve. In June 2020, it was announced that the department will have four offices, located at Queanbeyan, Armidale, Dubbo and Coffs Harbour. Staff are also based in other regional centres, including Wagga Wagga and Nowra.

See also

• List of New South Wales government agencies

References

1. NSW, Department of Regional (21 September 2022). "Department of Regional NSW". NSW Government. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
2. "New Regional NSW Department set up". Government News. 2 April 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
3. ^ "Fresh focus for our regions". NSW Government. 19 April 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
4. "Who we are". Department of Primary Industries. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
5. ^ "Governance arrangements chart" (PDF). New South Wales Department of Premier & Cabinet. 3 July 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
6. "Our Ministers". Department of Regional NSW. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
7. "Our work". Department of Regional NSW. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
8. "Regional NSW, Department of". Service NSW - NSW Government Directory. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
9. NSW, Department of Regional (30 September 2022). "Our people - Department of Regional NSW". NSW Government. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
10. "Department of Regional NSW offices to boost jobs in the bush". NSW Government. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.

External links

• Regional NSW – NSW Government
• Regional NSW – NSW Government Directory

v t e Agencies of the New South Wales Government
Departments	Cabinet Office Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Communities and Justice Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Customer Service Education Health Planning, Housing and Infrastructure Premier's Department Primary Industries and Regional Development Transport Treasury
Executive agencies	Aboriginal Affairs NSW Art Gallery Australian Museum Create NSW Crown Solicitor Destination NSW Fire & Rescue Greater Sydney Infrastructure NSW Institute of Sport Library Council Multicultural NSW Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences Property NSW Resilience NSW Rural Fire Service NSW State Emergency Service Sydney Opera House Trust Venues NSW
State-owned corporations	Essential Energy Forestry Corporation Hunter Water Port Authority Sydney Water Transport Asset Holding Entity WaterNSW
State universities	Charles Sturt Macquarie New England New South Wales Newcastle Southern Cross Sydney UTS Western Sydney Wollongong
Other	Audit Office Crime Commission Education Standards Elections Environment Protection Health Care Complaints Independent Commission Against Corruption Judicial Commission Law Enforcement Conduct Police Force Pricing & Regulatory Tribunal Public Prosecutions Revenue NSW Technical & Further Education

• Government departments of New South Wales
• 2020 establishments in Australia