Government to trim statutory authorities

24/10/01 The Gallop Government's drive for a leaner, more efficient public sector accelerated today with the announcement of a review into Western Australia's 165 statutory authorities.

24/10/01
The Gallop Government's drive for a leaner, more efficient public sector accelerated today with the announcement of a review into Western Australia's 165 statutory authorities.
The review comes after the Machinery of Government taskforce report in June, which resulted in moves to halve the number of Government departments from 46 to 23.
Announcing the review in State Parliament today, Premier Geoff Gallop said there was an excessive number of overlapping statutory authorities, compromising the Government's ability to deliver services effectively and efficiently.
The Premier said WA's machinery of government had grown in a haphazard way, sometimes offering no cohesive support for the delivery of Government priorities.
The MOG taskforce found that the number of statutory authorities was excessive, ballooning from 131 in 1993 to 165 today (list attached).
To check this growth, the State Government would impose stringent controls on the establishment of new statutory authorities and review the functions of all existing bodies with a view to, where appropriate, incorporating those functions into departments.
The MOG taskforce report said: "Statutory authorities are inflexible, cumbersome, and unresponsive to changing administrative needs. The greater independence of statutory authorities from Government can also compromise appropriate accountability."
"There is a proliferation of statutory authorities and many of them have been established for inappropriate reasons," Dr Gallop said.

"I believe that Government departments should be our first choice when it comes to public administration.
"It is appropriate that departments get support where necessary from advisory committees or boards but what we really need is greater flexibility, improved transparency and accountability.
"Reforming the machinery of government is not an attack on the public service - it is an attack on waste, duplication and inefficiency. We are determined to put in place a better structure of Government in order to deliver better services to the people."
The review will adopt as its basic premise that the functions of statutory authorities should be absorbed into departments - unless there are compelling reasons to the contrary.
The Premier said reviews were already underway in relation to the TAFE College network and regional hospital boards.
He said Western Power, Forest Products Commission, Water Corporation, Gold Corporation and port authorities would not be reviewed.
Media contact: Grahame Armstrong, 9222 9475


STATUTORY AUTHORITIES BY PORTFOLIO

Premier; Minister for Public Sector Management; Federal Affairs; Science; Citizenship and Multicultural Interests
Premier:
  • Anti-Corruption Commission

Deputy Premier; Treasurer; Minister for EnergyTreasurer:
  • WA Treasury Corporation
  • Anzac Day Trust

Energy:
  • Electricity Corporation (Western Power) (NOT TO BE REVIEWED)
  • Perth International Centre for Application of Solar Energy

Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; the Midwest, Wheatbelt and Great Southern
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries:
  • Agricultural Practices Board WA
  • Agricultural Produce Commission
  • Agriculture Protection Board of WA
  • Forest Products Commission (TO BE REVIEWED IN 2005)
  • Grain Pool of WA
  • Landcare Trust
  • Perth Market Authority
  • Potato Marketing Corporation of WA
  • Rural Business Development Corporation
  • WA Egg Marketing Board
  • WA Meat Industry Authority

Minister for Housing and Works; Local Government and Regional Development; the Kimberley, Pilbara and Gascoyne
Housing and Works:
  • Country Housing Authority
  • Government Employees Housing Authority
  • State Housing Commission
  • State Supply Commission
  • WA Building Management Authority

Local Government and Regional Development:
(Note: All regional Development Commissions are listed here on the basis that a common approach can be adopted when considering them)
  • Fremantle Cemetery Board
  • Gascoyne Development Commission
  • Goldfields-Esperance Development Commission
  • Great Southern Development Commission
  • Kimberley Development Commission
  • Metropolitan Cemeteries Board
  • Mid-West Development Commission
  • Peel Development Commission
  • Pilbara Development Commission
  • South West Development Commission
  • Wheatbelt Development Commission

Minister for Consumer and Employment Protection; Training
Consumer and Employment Protection:
  • Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Commission

Training:
  • Building and Construction Industry Training Board
  • C Y O'Connor College of TAFE
  • Central TAFE
  • Central West College of TAFE
  • Challenger TAFE
  • Eastern Pilbara College of TAFE
  • Great Southern TAFE
  • Kimberley College of TAFE
  • Midland College of TAFE
  • South East Metropolitan College of TAFE
  • South West Regional College of TAFE
  • West Coast College of TAFE
  • West Pilbara College of TAFE

Attorney General; Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs; Electoral Affairs; Peel and the South West
Attorney General:
  • Law Reform Commission of WA
  • Legal Aid Commission of WA
  • Public Trustee

Minister for the Environment and Heritage
Environment and Heritage:
  • Botanic Parks and Gardens Authority
  • Conservation Commission
  • Environmental Protection Authority
  • Heritage Council of WA
  • Keep Australia Beautiful Council
  • Marine Parks and Reserves Authority
  • National Trust of Australia (WA)
  • Swan River Trust
  • Water and Rivers Commission
  • Zoological Gardens Board

Minister for Police and Emergency Services; Minister Assisting the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure
Police and Emergency Services:
  • Fire and Emergency Services Authority
  • Police Service (NOT TO BE REVIEWED)

Assisting the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure:
  • Eastern Goldfields Transport Board

Minister for Planning and InfrastructurePlanning and Infrastructure:
  • Albany Port Authority (NOT TO BE REVIEWED)
  • Broome Port Authority (NOT TO BE REVIEWED)
  • Bunbury Port Authority (NOT TO BE REVIEWED)
  • Dampier Port Authority (NOT TO BE REVIEWED)
  • East Perth Redevelopment Authority
  • Esperance Port Authority (NOT TO BE REVIEWED)
  • Fremantle Port Authority (NOT TO BE REVIEWED)
  • Geraldton Port Authority (NOT TO BE REVIEWED)
  • Main Roads Western Australia
  • Metropolitan (Perth) Passenger Transport Trust
  • Midland Redevelopment Authority
  • Port Hedland Port Authority (NOT TO BE REVIEWED)
  • Subiaco Redevelopment Authority
  • WA Coastal Shipping Commission
  • WA Government Railways Commission
  • WA Land Authority (LandCorp)
  • WA Planning Commission

Minister for State Development; Tourism; Small Business
State Development:
  • Minerals and Energy Research Institute of WA

Tourism:
  • Rottnest Island Authority
  • WA Tourism Commission

Small Business:
  • Small Business Development Corporation
Minister for Education; Sport and Recreation; Indigenous Affairs
Education:
  • Country High School Hostels Authority
  • Curriculum Council
  • Trustees of the Public Education Endowment

Sport and Recreation:
  • Recreation Camps and Reserves Board
  • WA Boxing Commission
  • WA Sports Centre Trust

Indigenous Affairs:
  • Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority
  • Aboriginal Lands Trust

Minister for Community Development, Women's Interests, Seniors and Youth; Disability Services; Culture and the Arts
Disability Services:
  • Disability Services Commission

Culture and the Arts:
  • Art Gallery of WA
  • Library and Information Service of WA
  • Perth Theatre Trust
  • ScreenWest
  • WA Museum

Minister for Health
Health:
  • Alcohol and Drug Authority
  • Animal Resources Authority
  • Ashburton Health Service
  • Avon Health Service
  • Beverley District Health Board
  • Boddington District Health Board
  • Brookton Health Service
  • Bruce Rock Memorial Hospital Board
  • Bunbury Health Service
  • Central Great Southern Health Service Board
  • Collie Health Service
  • Corrigin District Hospital Board
  • Cunderdin District Hospital Board
  • Dongara Eneabba Mingenew Health Service Board
  • Donnybrook/Balingup Health Service
  • Dundas Health Service
  • Esperance Health Service
  • Gascoyne Health Service
  • Geraldton Health Service
  • Gnowangerup District Hospital Board
  • Harvey Yarloop Health Service Board
  • Kalgoorlie-Boulder Health Service
  • Katanning Health Service
  • Kellerberrin Health Services Board of Management
  • Kojonup District Hospital Board
  • Kununoppin and Districts Health Service
  • Laverton and Leonora Health Service
  • Lower Great Southern Health Service Board
  • Merredin Health Service
  • Metropolitan Health Services Board
  • Morawa and Districts Health Service
  • Mukinbudin Health Service
  • Mullewa Health Services Board of Management
  • Murchison Health Service
  • Narembeen Health Services Board
  • North Midlands Health Service
  • Northampton/Kalbarri Health Services
  • Nurses Board of Western Australia
  • Pathcentre
  • Physiotherapists Registration Board
  • Podiatrists Registration Board
  • Psychologists Board
  • Osteopaths Registration Board
  • Quadriplegic Centre Board
  • Quairading District Hospital Board
  • Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre Trust
  • Ravensthorpe Health Service
  • Southern Cross District Health Service
  • Tambellup Hospital Board
  • Upper Great Southern Health Service
  • Vasse Leeuwin Health Board
  • Warren Blackwood Health Service Board
  • WA Centre for Pathology and Medical Research
  • WA Health Promotion Foundation
  • Wellington Health Service Board
  • Western Health Service
  • Wyalkatchem-Koorda and Districts Hospital Board
  • Yalgoo Health Services

Minister for Racing and Gaming; Government Enterprises; Goldfields-EsperanceRacing and Gaming:
  • Betting Control Board
  • Burswood Park Board
  • Gaming Commission of WA
  • Racecourse Development Trust
  • Totalisator Agency Board
  • WA Greyhound Racing Authority

Government Enterprises:
  • Bunbury Water Board
  • Busselton Water Board
  • Gold Corporation (NOT TO BE REVIEWED)
  • Government Employees Superannuation Board
  • Insurance Commission of WA
  • Lotteries Commission
  • Water Corporation (NOT TO BE REVIEWED)