The New South Wales Government (NSW Government) is made up of a number of departments, state-owned corporations and other agencies. The NSW Public Service is organised under the Government Sector Employment Act 2013, with public bodies organised under various legislation. In 2009, most of the 100+ government organisations were restructured into 13 'super agencies' or clusters. This number was subsequently reduced to ten clusters in 2013; and in July 2019 following the 2019 state election, it was further reduced to eight clusters. A new cluster for Regional NSW was created in April 2020, increasing to nine clusters; and a further cluster, Enterprise, Investment and Trade, established on 21 December 2021, in the second Perrottet ministry.
Agency types
The executive government is made up of:
ministerial departments, which are the lead agencies in each cluster executive agencies, which are agencies related to departments separate agencies, which operate independently of departments but can still be within clusters statutory authorities, which are established under legislation but sit outside clusters state-owned corporations subsidiaries of the NSW Government established under the Corporations Act councils under the Local Government Act universities.
There are also a number of advisory boards and committees, though these are not agencies in their own right.
Departments As of October 2024, the departments and their ministers are: + Department Office title(s) Officeholder(s) Premier's Department Cabinet Office Education Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Treasury Planning, Housing and Infrastructure Health Transport Primary Industries and Regional Development Communities and Justice Customer Service
List of agencies
Departments +Agency Type Cluster Employees NotesPremier's DepartmentDepartmentPremier and Cabinet 834 The Cabinet OfficeDepartmentDepartment of Regional NSWDepartmentRegional NSW 3,067 Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade Department Enterprise, Investment and Trade TreasuryDepartmentTreasury 784Ministry of HealthDepartmentHealth 127,156Department of EducationDepartmentEducation 99,702Department of Communities and JusticeDepartmentStronger Communities 22,903Department of TransportDepartmentTransport 11,875Department of Customer ServiceDepartmentCustomer Service 5,345Department of Planning and EnvironmentDepartmentPlanning and Environment
Executive agencies This is a list of executive agencies of the NSW Government, as listed in Schedule 4 of the Administrative Arrangements (Second Perrottet Ministry—Transitional) Order 2021, containing Amendment No. 40 to the Government Sector Employment Act 2013: +Agency Cluster Employees NotesArt Gallery of New South Wales TrustEnterprise, Investment and Trade 266 Australian Museum TrustEnterprise, Investment and Trade 346 Create NSW Enterprise, Investment and TradeCrown Solicitor's OfficeStronger Communities 443Destination NSWEnterprise, Investment and Trade 199Fire & Rescue NSWStronger Communities 15,589Greater Sydney CommissionTransport 82Health Professional Councils AuthorityHealth 186Infrastructure NSWTransport 158Library Council of New South WalesEnterprise, Investment and Trade 297Local Land ServicesRegional NSW 956Mental Health CommissionHealth 303Multicultural NSWStronger Communities 67Natural Resources CommissionPlanning and Environment 33NSW Institute of SportEnterprise, Investment and Trade 90NSW Rural Fire ServiceStronger Communities 936NSW State Emergency ServiceStronger Communities 365Office of SportEnterprise, Investment and Trade 368Parliamentary Counsel's OfficePremier and Cabinet 74Museum of Applied Arts and SciencesPremier and Cabinet 281 Resilience NSWStronger Communities 105SAS Trustee CorporationTreasury 32Service NSWCustomer Service 3433 State Archives and Records Authority Enterprise, Investment and Trade Sydney Opera House TrustEnterprise, Investment and Trade 499Transport Asset Manager of New South WalesTransport Venues NSW Enterprise, Investment and Trade Western Parkland City AuthorityEnterprise, Investment and Trade 29
Separate agencies This is a list of separate agencies of the NSW Government, as listed in Schedule 1 of the Government Sector Employment Act 2013: +Agency Cluster Employees NotesEnvironment Protection AuthorityPlanning and Environment 586Greyhound Welfare and Integrity CommissionPlanning and Environment 84Health Care Complaints CommissionHealth 125Independent Liquor and Gaming AuthorityEnterprise, Investment and Trade Independent Pricing and Regulatory TribunalPremier and Cabinet Information and Privacy CommissionCustomer Service 34Inspector of the Law Enforcement Conduct CommissionPremier and Cabinet 1Law Enforcement Conduct CommissionStronger Communities 2Legal Aid Commission of New South WalesStronger Communities 1440New South Wales Crime CommissionStronger Communities 121New South Wales Electoral CommissionPremier and Cabinet 165NSW Education Standards AuthorityEducation 437Office of the Children's GuardianStronger Communities 219Office of the Director of Public ProsecutionsStronger Communities 141Office of the Independent Planning CommissionPlanning and Environment 15OmbudsmanPremier and Cabinet 122Public Service CommissionPremier and Cabinet 144Technical & Further Education Commission Education 10,599
Statutory State-owned corporations This is a list of statutory State-owned corporations of the NSW Government, as listed in Schedule 5 of the State Owned Corporations Act 1989: +Agency Cluster Employees NotesEssential EnergyPlanning and Environment 3,044Forestry CorporationRegional NSW 549Hunter WaterPlanning and Environment 485LandcomPlanning and Environment Port Authority of New South WalesTransport 361Sydney WaterPlanning and Environment 2,939WaterNSWPlanning and Environment 958
Other agencies +Agency Type Cluster Employees NotesAudit Office of NSWEntity external to governmentn/a 284Health ServiceServiceHealth 127,156Independent Commission Against CorruptionEntity external to governmentn/a 118Judicial CommissionEntity external to governmentn/a 32Parliament of New South WalesEntity external to governmentn/a 51NSW Police ForceServiceStronger Communities 21,879Teaching ServiceServiceEducation 99,702Transport ServiceServiceTransport 13,645
Universities +Agency Type Employees NotesCharles Sturt University University 2,190Macquarie University 3,737University of New England 1,408University of New South Wales 7,230University of Newcastle 2,859Southern Cross University 914University of Sydney 8,531University of Technology, Sydney 3,888Western Sydney University 3,510University of Wollongong 2,971
Independent statutory bodies
The Law and Justice Foundation of NSW is an independent statutory body, established by the Law and Justice Foundation Act 2000. It is a justice research organisation, with an explicit mandate to focus on the legal needs of the community, its aim being "to contribute to the development of a fair and equitable justice system that addresses the legal needs of the community and improves access to justice by the community, particularly by socially and economically disadvantaged people". It creates, analyses, and provides data, supports planning of legal assistance in the state, and manages a grants program. It gave the Aboriginal Justice Award from 2002 until 2017, after which funding for the award was withdrawn.
References