Our Work
Treasury is the central department managing Western Australia’s public sector finances and formulating and implementing the annual State Budget. We develop economic and revenue forecasts, and monitor developments in the State’s economy, major revenue bases and public sector finances, to ensure Western Australia remains on track against the State Government’s budgetary objectives and policies.
Our policy advisory role covers a wide range of issues, including Commonwealth-State financial relations, revenue policy, public sector wages policy, public sector superannuation policy, and advice on alternative models of service delivery and infrastructure provision.
View Treasury's functional organisation chart.
Office of the Deputy Under Treasurer
The Office of the Deputy Under Treasurer business unit has responsibility for whole of Treasury perspectives and whole-of-Government initiatives.
- State Finances provide advice on whole of government financial management and reporting. They focus on consolidating agency financial information for presentation in whole of government statutory reporting publications, including the Budget Papers, Quarterly Financial Results, Annual Report on State Finances and the Mid year Review. The team also provides policy advice on issues such as debt management, financial targets, and corrective measures.
- The Infrastructure Strategy and Policy Directorate is the custodian of the formulation and monitoring framework for the Asset Investment Program (AIP). This includes leading and coordinating whole of government budgeting, reporting, advice, and planning in regard to the State’s AIP, including oversight and continued enhancement of the Strategic Asset Management Framework and close liaison with the Department of Finance, Department of the Premier and Cabinet, and Infrastructure WA.
- The Budget Coordination and Transport Directorate is made up of two teams. Budget Coordination manages the decision making and publication of documentation as part of the annual Budget and Mid year Review processes. The Transport team collaborates and works with the transport portfolio of agencies and offices (Department of Transport, Main Roads, Public Transport Authority, METRONET and Westport Offices) to provide solutions-focused advice to Treasury Executive and Government.
- The role of the Financial Policy and Operations (FPO) Directorate is to manage, administer and provide advice on treasury operations at a whole-of-government level, provide advice in relation to the development, review, interpretation and application of the State’s financial management and accountability framework which includes the Financial Management Act 2006 and the enabling legislation of statutory authorities, provide advice to the Treasurer on superannuation, including regulatory oversight of GESB. FPO also plays a lead role in Treasury’s functional area leadership in financial management across the sector.
State Finances, Strategic Asset Management Framework, Financial policy publications and agency advice, Public Bank Account Investments, Superannuation, Unclaimed money, Transactional Banking and Merchant Services TREAS21009
Advisory Services
Advisory Services works on key projects such as the Westport commercial framework and the Women and Babies Hospital, as well as leading Treasury’s involvement in the Market-led Proposals process. The business unit also supports other parts of Treasury through the Data Science and Special Projects team – providing assistance on other whole of government projects, as well as through oversight of the Corporate Services team.
- The Corporate Strategy and Performance Directorate’s role is to work in partnership with business areas to drive solutions and initiatives. This includes building the capability, performance and sustainability of Treasury through the delivery of effective Corporate Services. These services include Strategic and Operational Risk Services, Strategic ICT, Workforce Management, Talent Programs, Organisational Development and Financial Services. It is also their requirement to support the Chief Finance Officer and Internal Audit function in providing independent advice to the Treasury Executive and the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee.
- The Commercial Advisory Directorate’s role is to provide advice and project oversight on major Government commercial transactions and contracts with the private sector, with a particular focus on commercial, financial and risk aspects.
- The Data Science Unit leverages analytical techniques to model, project, validate, and evaluate a range of issues with direct impact on the State Budget. This involves managing Cost and Demand Models of a variety of agencies, assisting with other models across Treasury, assessing recurrent and capital budget submissions and policy proposals, stewarding and accessing whole of government data linkage, and advising on evaluations.
- The Special Projects Unit manages a set of time limited and whole-of-government/ cross agency projects. Currently this involves work on funding and commission reforms in the WA Health system, the Digital Capability Fund, and the public sector workforce Temporary Regional Incentive initiative. The team also provides ad hoc advice on other projects or topics as directed by Treasury Executive.
Careers at Treasury, Graduates at Treasury
Economic
Economic assists the Government of the day through expert economic and financial policy advice that promotes the public interest. This includes advice on economic conditions and forecasts, tax and royalty changes, the distribution of GST grants, best practice regulation, wages policy, and microeconomic reforms.
- The Economic and Revenue Forecasting team prepares economic and revenue forecasts as input to government financial projections statements through using best practice modelling and forecasting tools. The team also provides regular reports on key economic data as they are released.
- The Economic Policy Policy team supports the government's economic strategy reforms, supports better regulation across the State's public sector, provides economic impact and wages policy advice.
- Streamline WA is a whole-of-government initiative announced in December 2018 to make it easier to do business in Western Australia by improving regulation and regulatory practice. The initiative is led by a Steering Committee, which is chaired by the Directors General of the Department of Mines and Industry Regulation and Safety, and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, and is supported by working groups.
- Economic Diversification collaborate with the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation to progress the Government’s economic diversification agenda.
- The Revenue and Intergovernmental Relations team provides analysis and advice on State taxes, mineral royalties and intergovernmental financial and Commonwealth relations. The area also provides forecasting and monitoring of GST revenue and advice on the reform of the GST distribution. .
WA economic data, Economic research papers, Forecasts, Economic policy, Economic modelling, Regulatory Impact Assessment, Wages policy, Competitive neutrality policy, State taxes, Streamline WA, Submissions, Rail Access Review
Agency Budgeting and Governance
Agency Budgeting and Governance work closely with many government agencies, providing evidence-based analysis and advice on service delivery to inform Government decision making. The team also provides oversight, governance and financial support to the State’s Government Trading Enterprises (GTEs).
- Agency Policy and Budget Analysis (APBA) has significant involvement in Budget, mid-year review and other Treasury processes including the preparation of material for inclusion in Budget Paper No. 3. APBA also contributes to budget outcomes through the provision of policy, financial and budget analysis advice, building and maintaining effective relationships with agencies, and the co-ordination of the Royalties for Regions program.
- Governance and Enterprise Resourcing (GER) –The role of GER is to provide financial advice to GTEs and general government agencies through monitoring and advising on Budget, Cabinet and Parliamentary related matters, advising on and influencing major projects and policy relating to the markets in which the agencies operate, and providing advice and support for the consideration of assets for sale/alternative funding. GER also provide policy advice on the Government’s Energy Transformation Strategy and the budget, performance and major transactions of the electricity corporations to the Treasurer and the Minister for Energy through Energy Policy WA.
- Utilities, Ports and Climate (UPC) – UPC represents Treasury in its interactions with GTEs at the strategic level, provides oversight of GTE performance against strategic objectives, and whole of government objectives and policies, and provides advice and support to Portfolio Ministers who are accountable for GTEs – including the assessment of major initiatives and material transactions in consultation with relevant policy agencies and their Treasury Budget Analyst.
Strategic Policy and Evaluation
Strategic Policy and Evaluation is a highly collaborative team working closely with health, mental health, education and training, communities, and law and order agencies/sectors to achieve value for money outcomes through financial and social policy advice.The business unit comprises three key Performance and Evaluation Groups (PEG):
- PEG 1: Health; Mental Health
- PEG 2: Social Services; Aboriginal Affairs Coordination Unit
- PEG 3: Justice; Education and Training
The PEG teams collaborate and work in partnership with key service delivery agencies to provide solutions-focused advice to Treasury Executive and Government. This includes financial analysis to support investment decisions, policy advice on key strategic issues, and analysis and evaluation of risks and identification of mitigation strategies to support effective and value for money outcomes for the State. The teams also provide financial resource management oversight of agencies, including significant input and analysis into the development of the State Budget.
Core business activities include:
- building workforce capability – specifically in areas such as quantitative skills, data visualisation, cultural diversity and best practice evaluation
- policy development, evaluation and advice
- advice to Government for the development of State Budget
- stakeholder engagement and risk management across key service delivery sectors
- leading Government reform priorities.
