Portfolio Responsibilities
The Hon Chris Bowen was appointed as the Minister for Human Services on 9 June 2009. The Minister also has responsibility for Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law.
The Department of Human Services was created on 26 October 2004, as part of the Finance Portfolio, to improve the development and delivery of Government social and health related services to the Australian people.
As a result of the Administrative Arrangements Orders (AAOs) issued on 30 January 2007, the Department of Human Services and its agencies were transferred to a newly created Human Services Portfolio.
The Department of Human Services provides a central policy and coordination role for the delivery of services across the Portfolio as well as being the delivery agency for child support and vocational rehabilitation services. The AAOs of 25 January 2008 clarified the Department’s responsibility for the development of policy or service delivery, directed at ensuring the effective, innovative, and efficient delivery of Government services. The Department works with other departments and agencies to ensure early consideration of service delivery issues in the policy development process to improve the quality and cost effectiveness of service delivery by agencies in the Human Services Portfolio.
Portfolio structure
The Portfolio Department of Human Services (DHS) consists of, the Child Support Agency (CSA) and CRS Australia:
- the Department of Human Services consists of the Central Department, the Child Support Program and CRS Australia. The Central Department’s role is to direct, coordinate and broker improvements to service delivery, provide policy advice on service delivery matters to government and ensure efficient implementation of Government service delivery;
- The Child Support Agency provides support to separated parents to provide the financial and emotional support necessary for their childrens’ wellbeing; and
- CRS Australia assists people with an injury or a disability to get a job or return to work by providing individualised vocational rehabilitation, and helping employers to keep their workplaces safe.
Human Services portfolio agencies include:
- Centrelink delivers a range of government payments and services for retirees, the unemployed, families, carers, parents, people with disabilities, indigenous people, and people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and provides services at times of major change.
- Medicare Australia looks after the health of Australians through efficient services and payments such as Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register and the Australian Organ Donor Register.
- Australian Hearing is one of the largest hearing service providers in the world and is dedicated to helping people manage their hearing impairment so they have a better quality of life. Australian Hearing provides a full range of hearing services for children and young people up to the age of 21, eligible adults and aged pensioners, and most war veterans.
Legislation administered by the Minister
The Minister is responsible for administering the following legislation for the Human Services Portfolio:
- Australian Hearing Services Act 1991, except to the extent that it is administered by the Minister for Health and Ageing;
- Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989, insofar as it relates to the exercise of the powers and functions conferred on the Registrar under the Act;
- Child Support Legislation Amendment (Reform of the Child Support Scheme—Initial Measures) Act 2006, insofar as it relates to the exercise of the powers and functions conferred on the Registrar under the Act;
- Child Support Legislation Amendment (Reform of the Child Support Scheme—New Formula and Other Measures) Act 2006, insofar as it relates to the exercise of the powers and functions conferred on the Registrar under the Act;
- Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988, insofar as it relates to the appointment of the Registrar and the exercise of the powers and functions conferred on the Registrar under the Act;
- Commonwealth Services Delivery Agency Act 1997; and
- Medicare Australia Act 1973.