Department of Defence (Australia)
| Department of Defence | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Agency overview | |
| Jurisdiction | Commonwealth of Australia |
| Headquarters | Canberra |
| Employees | 65,647 |
| Annual budget | A$26.35 billion (08/09) A$42 billion (11/12) |
| Ministers responsible | Stephen Smith, Minister for Defence Warren Snowdon, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel Senator Kim Carr, Minister for Defence Materiel Mike Kelly, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Senator David Feeney, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence |
| Agency executive | MAJGEN Duncan Lewis, AO, DSC, CSC (Ret'd), Secretary of Defence (SECDEF) |
| Parent agency | Australian Defence Organisation |
| Child agencies | Defence Materiel Organisation Defence Science and Technology Organisation Defence Signals Directorate Defence Intelligence Group Defence Housing Australia Frontline Defence Services Army Amenities Fund[1] |
| Website | |
| www.defence.gov.au | |
The Australian Department of Defence is a Federal Government Department. It forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) along with the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The Defence mission is to defend Australia and its national interests. It is accountable to the Commonwealth Parliament, on behalf of the Australian people, for the efficiency and effectiveness with which it carries out the Government's defence policy.
Contents |
[edit] Organisational groups
The Department of Defence consists of 11 major organisational groups:
- Capability Development Group
- Chief Finance Officer Group
- Chief Information Officer Group
- Defence Materiel Organisation
- Defence Science and Technology Organisation
- Defence Support Group
- Intelligence and Security Group[2]
- People Strategies and Policy
- Strategy, Coordination and Governance
The Australian Defence Force consists of:
- Royal Australian Navy
- Australian Army
- Royal Australian Air Force
- Joint Operations Command
- Vice Chief of the Defence Force Group
The Defence Materiel Organisation is a prescribed agency responsible for acquisition, sustainment and disposal of Defence equipment. Although the DMO forms part of the Department of Defence, it is also separately accountable to the Minister for its budget and performance.
[edit] Diarchy
The Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) and the Secretary for the Department of Defence jointly manage the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) under a "diarchy", a term used to describe the relationship between the Chief of the Defence Force and Secretary, who both report directly to the Minister for Defence. The ADO diarchy is a governance structure unique in the Australian Commonwealth public service.
[edit] Secretary of Defence
| Name | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sir Robert Henry Muirhead Collins | 1901–1906 | |
| Brig Gen Sir Samuel Pethebridge | ||
| Thomas Trumble CMG | 1918–1927 | |
| Sir Frederick Shedden, KCMG, OBE | 1937–1956 | |
| Arthur Tange | c.1970 | |
| Tony Ayers AC | ||
| Alan Woods AC | ||
| Paul Barratt AO | ||
| Allan Hawke | 1999–2002 | |
| Richard C Smith AO PSM | 2002–2006 | |
| Nick Warner, PSM | 2006–2009 | |
| Dr Ian Watt, AO | 2009–2011 | |
| MAJGEN Duncan Lewis, AO, DSC, CSC (Ret'd) | 2011 – Incumbent |
[edit] See also
- Australian Defence Organisation
- Current senior Australian Defence Organisation personnel
- Minister for Defence
- Minister for Defence Science and Personnel
- Minister for Veterans' Affairs
- List of Australian Commonwealth Government entities
[edit] References
- ^ Flipchart of FMA Act Agencies, finance.gov.au
- ^ [1] Australian Government Directory
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2010) |
[edit] External links
- Department of Defence Website
- Department of Defence leaders
- Secretary of Defence
- Department of Defence Organisational Structure
- Department of Defence Senior Management
