NSW Administrative Arrangements for Planning and Natural Resources

New administrative arrangements for the Department of Planning and the Department of
Natural Resources

Premier Morris Iemma has moved forward with plans to reshape the former Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources (DIPNR). This week, the two agencies replacing DIPNR – the Department of Planning and the Department of Natural Resources – formally came into existence.

This Hawker Britton Occasional Paper outlines the new administrative arrangements for the two new Departments.

The Department of Planning is responsible to the Minister for Planning, the Hon Frank Sartor. The
Department of Natural Resources is responsible to the Minister for Primary Industries, Minerals and Natural Resources, the Hon Ian Macdonald.

Jennifer Westacott is the Director General of the Department of Planning. Dr Richard Sheldrake has been appointed as Acting Director General of the Department of Natural Resources.

In general, planning staff in Head Office and Regions will report to the Director General of Planning, while those staff working in natural resources management will report to the Director General of the Department of Natural Resources.

Changes include:

  • Corporate Services and Finance Divisions will provide shared business services to the two new Agencies and will be part of the Department of Natural Resources.
  • Corporate Communications, Communications Services and the Information Centre will also become part of Shared Services and will continue to provide services to both Departments.
  • Government and Executive Coordination Branch, Corporate Counsel and the Media Unit will be distributed between the two new Departments.
  • Those staff in the Office of Major Projects who are primarily involved in major infrastructure and project coordination will be transferred to the Premier’s Department.
  • Staff in the Metropolitan Water Directorate principally involved in the administration of the
    Metropolitan Water Strategy will join The Cabinet Office.
  • Staff in the Transport Network Unit of the Transport Information Branch will move to the Ministry of Transport.
  • Staff responsible for the electricity demand management project will move to the Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainabili