P RI M IF. MNST Press Statement No. 527
I. July 1975
ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS
The Prime Minister today announced that a revised
Administrative Arrangements Order had been approved by the
Executive Council this morning.
The order incorporates new legislation passed during
the recent sittings of Parliament and brings up to date the
citations of Acts which were amended during those sittings.
The Order also consolidates the variou s amendments
which have been approved and gazetted since the last
consolidated Order was issued on 10 February 1975.
These amendments include those made on 6 June last
concerning the minerals and solar energy research activities
of the C. S. I. R. O. The Prime Minister said that he wished to
make it clear that the fact that the Minister for Minerals
and Energy was responsible for those aspects of the C. S. I. R. O.' s
research work did not entail the transfer of the C. S. I. R. O. staff
S concerned to the Public Service. These staff would remain
employed under the Science and Industry Research Act, and
it is not proposed that they should be transferred.
S Both the Postal Commission and the Telecommunications
Commission commence full-scale operations today. These two
separate statutory commissions are . responsible to the
Postmaster-General, Senator R. Bishop, and have taken over
almost all of the functions previously exercised by the
Postmaster-General's Department, which will be responsible to
the Postmaster-General.
The consolidated Order also includes some other changes
which have been in the course of preparation for some time as
a result of decisions and actions previously taken, particularly
as a result of the abolition'' in 1974 of the Department of
Supply. A number of functions of-the Department of Manufacturing
Industry ( which absorbed many of the functions of the former
Department of Supply) have been reallocated.
As previously announced on 1 July 1974 administrative
control of the'Research and Development Division of that
Department, and the associated Government establishments concerned
with defence science, were transferred to the Minister and
Department of Defence. The transfer of control was formally
effected under the order approved today. / 2
a -2-
The Go% 7ernment has also previously announced the transfer
of the purc I and disposals function from the Department
of Manufacturing Industry. The purchasing and disposals
function has today been transferred to the Department of
Services and Property, which already has responsibility for
Australian Government purchasing policy. The Stores and
Transport function has also been transferred to the Department
of Services and Property.
The other functions of the Department of Manufacturing
Industry which the Government has decided are more
appropriately located within other departments are Defence Aid,
Defence Standardisation, the Defence Printing Establishment
and the Guided~ Weapons and Electronics Support Facility all of
which ha re bs en transferred to the Department of Defence.
The Prime Minister also said that the Patent, Trade
Marks and Designs Offices had been transferred from the
administration of the Minister for Science and Consumer Affairs
to the Attorney-General.
CANBERRA. A. C. T.