2020–21 Corporate Plan

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2020–21 Corporate Plan
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Previous Corporate Plans

Secretary's introduction

This is the first Corporate Plan of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, created in February 2020.

The scope of the department's work touches the lives of every Australian. From the transport networks we use, communications networks connecting our phones and computers, to safety on our roads, to the celebration of Australian stories. We underpin the economic and social activity of Australians, every day.

Australia faces a period of recovery following the unprecedented effects of COVID-19. Nobody could have predicted the devastating impact it would have on our economy and society—through health impacts, restrictions on the movement of people, supply chain disruption, challenges for our creative industries, or the importance it has placed on staying connected with our workplaces, communities and essential information.

The challenge for this portfolio is significant and ensuring our critical sectors remain efficient, safe, secure, sustainable and accessible will be an important focus of this department going forward.

The Australian Government's commitment to a staged, safe, socially-distanced reopening of the economy has increasingly shifted the focus of our work from crisis response to recovery, in addition to our normal delivery work.

Air travel, airfreight and shipping operate in a challenging environment of uncertainty as Australia's borders operate both as a first line of defence for containment and vital passageways. The department will be working on the ground, in partnership with states and territories, to find practical solutions that keep industries viable and our supply chains open.

In aviation, activity has fallen by up to 98 per cent. We are working with industry to maintain essential connectivity on regional and major routes and preserve critical capacity so that a competitive aviation market can restart post-COVID. In the longer-term, the objective is to restore the aviation sector to a normal commercial basis and supporting Australians resuming travel for business and tourism in a COVID-safe way.

The decline in domestic aviation has been mirrored in international markets, and as over 80 per cent of international airfreight travelled on passenger planes, supply chains have been severely disrupted. The department will continue to work with Austrade to connect the very fragile airfreight supply chains to import essential medicines and personal protective equipment while helping our exporters to get their goods to established markets.

The department will be supporting the Government to implement the $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund to support regions, communities and industry sectors that have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 crisis. We are also working with our non self-governing territories to ensure each community is informed, well prepared to respond, and has access to measures.

Over the next four years our investment in transport infrastructure, regulation and research will be more important than ever. With over $100 billion in the infrastructure pipeline, the department will be supporting the creation of jobs while building and improving Australia's networks.

The national broadband network has played a significant role connecting people to each other, to work, to news and media, and to essential services. Our involvement in the communications industry will ensure Australia continues to embrace the growing digital economy and supporting new and innovative technological services. With the physical distancing measures still in place across much of the country, a strong and reliable communications network is more important now than ever before. The department's work will keep Australians connected to each other, including helping to sustain media businesses to continue their vital work of keeping the community informed.

Our support of Australia's arts and culture helps to celebrate what makes us uniquely Australian and brings us together through a shared experience. The arts and cultural sector has been one of the most significantly impacted areas of our economy. Through the department's work and delivery of the government's targeted measures, including support for workers and organisations in the sector, Australia will maintain a thriving cultural and creative industry.

I am immensely proud of the work already done by the department to respond to COVID-19, in addition to the ongoing work related to the drought and last summer's bushfires. By collaborating with industry, leveraging significant government investment and capitalising on our deep policy expertise, our people will continue to manage programs, which support affected communities through local infrastructure and community-building projects.

Over the next four years, the department's activities outlined in this plan will continue to connect people across remote and regional Australia, in our territories, our cities and across the world. We will continue to support the growth of Australia's economy, and a business environment that creates and maintains jobs.

This corporate plan reflects the reality of what COVID-19 means for the sectors that we support and work with. We have amended our performance measures and targets for this year to reflect this reality. The extent of COVID-19 impacts is still uncertain, and performance measures related to these impacts will be further developed over the next four years.

As the Accountable Authority of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications I am pleased to present the 2020–21 Corporate Plan, which covers the period of 2020–2024, as required under paragraph 35(1)(b) of the Public, Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.

Simon Atkinson
Secretary

Our role

Our work touches every Australian community and underpins our economy and society. We provide policy and strategic advice to government, and deliver programs, services and fit-for-purpose regulation for infrastructure, communications, the arts, transport our regions, our cities and our territories.

Our purposes

Transport connectivity
Supporting an efficient, sustainable, safe and accessible transport system

Regional development
Improving living standards and facilitating economic growth in cities and regions across Australia

Territories
Providing governance frameworks and services in the territories

Communications connectivity
Enabling all Australians to connect to effective communications services and technologies, for inclusiveness and sustainable economic growth

Creativity and culture
Supporting sustainable and inclusive creative and cultural sectors, and protecting and promoting Australian content and culture

Features of our operating environment

We monitor and report on trends so that our policies, programs and regulations are fit for the future. Key trends influencing our operating environment are:

Responding to and recovering from COVID-19
We will continue our focus on maintaining major and regional aviation routes, keeping our freight and supply chains open, carrying on preparedness activities in non-self governing territories and connecting Australians as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. As we move into the recovery phase, we will look for ways to support our most affected industries and regions.

Disaster planning, response and recovery
The extreme bushfire season in 2019–20, severe drought and floods, have profoundly affected communities across Australia. With the prospect of longer, hotter drier seasons and severe weather events, we are helping communities better prepare, respond and recover from natural disasters. For example, by ensuring the resilience of our communications, cultural, transport and water infrastructure.

Embracing technology
Advances in technology are pervasive, affecting how we deliver programs and services. Individuals and businesses are consuming media and content and connecting with others in new ways. Consumer expectations will continue to change. We are developing policies, programs and regulatory approaches to foster new technologies and manage associated risks and market disruptions.

Meeting the demands of a changing and growing population
Australia's population is now over 25 million. It has increased nearly fivefold over the last century, and is more culturally diverse. While COVID-19 means growth may taper for a period, our focus is on forward planning for timely investment in infrastructure and services to support economic growth, better standards of living and more liveable cities and regions.

How we deliver our purposes and measure our performance

Delivering our purposes

Delivering our purposes is not solely our responsibility. We collaborate with others—portfolio entities, other governments, industry and the community as well as international organisations—to get results. We realise our purposes through:

Providing policy and strategic advice:
We provide government with high quality options and policy advice on issues relating to infrastructure, transport, regional development, cities, territories, communications, arts and culture. Our advice is evidence-based and informed by research, consultation, analysis and broader government objectives. We identify trends and emerging issues in markets and society to provide high quality strategy and policy advice.

Delivering programs and services:
We deliver efficient and effective programs, and services to achieve the government's policy outcomes. We adhere to the highest standards of public administration.

Fit for purpose regulation:
We administer portfolio legislation efficiently and effectively. We review and shape regulatory frameworks to ensure that they are fit for purpose and not acting as an impediment to investment.

Measuring our performance

We have performance measures relating to each of our purposes. We will use these to assess our performance over the next four years and to prepare our annual performance statements.

Since our 2019–20 corporate plans, we have improved our performance measures, so they:

are appropriate for our new department, created in February 2020 from the merger of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development and the Department of Communications and the Arts
meet more rigorous performance reporting requirements introduced in February 2020 as amendments to the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014. This includes comprising a mix of types, bases and timeframes to provide holistic information on the achievement of our purposes, as shown below

Due to COVID-19 impacts, 2020–21 will be a special reporting year and some effectiveness measures will yield unusual results. We have omitted targets against these measures and, in forward years, we will adjust targets to exclude COVID-19-impacted data from historical comparisons.

Performance information

Transport connectivity

Supporting an efficient, sustainable, safe and accessible transport system

Environment

Australia's transport system is the lifeblood of our economy and way of life, and investing in transport infrastructure assists national, regional economic and social development. Working with state and territory governments, we're delivering a $100 billion infrastructure pipeline which includes funds for major projects like Inland Rail and the Western Sydney Airport. In these examples, the Australian Government is the major investor.

From 2020–21, we are accelerating our road and rail investment program to support economic recovery from the impacts of COVID-19. In aviation, flight numbers have fallen dramatically as a result of the virus, so we will also continue to provide assistance to industry operators through our major relief package. Meanwhile, our work under the Airports Act 1996 ensures long-term strategic plans are in place for our federally leased airports.

We work in partnership with state and territory governments to develop transport policies and regulations. Together, we're working towards a more integrated national market for efficient, productive and safe transport services Australia-wide. These policies, which include the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy, Heavy Vehicle Road Reform and the National Road Safety Strategy, set an agenda for coordinated and well-planned government and industry action. A key part of Australia's road safety strategy is the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018, through which we regulate for the supply of safe vehicles to the Australian market.

Technology is also key to connectivity and growth. New aircraft, including drones, provide opportunities to access new markets, while new passenger aircraft are capable of extended range. Increased uptake of electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles enables reductions in emissions intensity. On the national rail network, the implementation of new train management systems is increasing productivity and safety.

Contributors

Australian Government	State, territory and local governments	Industry/community	International

Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment Department of Finance Department of Home Affairs Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Department of the Treasury Services Australia Airservices Australia Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Australian Transport Safety Bureau Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Director of National Parks Infrastructure Australia Infrastructure Projects Financing Agency National Faster Rail Agency National Transport Commission	State, territory and local governments Austroads Transport and Infrastructure Ministers (former COAG) National Heavy Vehicle Regulator Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator	Relevant industry organisations and companies	International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) International Maritime Organization (IMO)

Key activities: land transport

Activity		20–21	21–22	22–23	23–24
1.	Manage the Infrastructure Investment Program	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
2.	Oversee delivery of Inland Rail and other major rail and intermodal projects, including overseeing governance and performance of Australian Rail Track Corporation and Moorebank Intermodal Company	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
3.	Lead development and implementation of the national road safety strategy and deliver national road safety programs	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
4.	Implement the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 and continue to provide advice to the government on the regulatory framework for supply of safe vehicles to the Australian market	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
5.	Implement the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy and Action Plan, including establishing the freight data hub	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
6.	Progress modernisation of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
7.	Lead development and implementation of heavy vehicle road reform and investigate pathways towards full market reform	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
8.	Provide advice to the government on regulation of Australia's heavy vehicle and rail sectors including through the review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law, the Productivity Commission review of the National Transport Regulatory Reforms and the National Rail Action Plan	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
9.	Implement the Land Transport Technology Action Plan and provide advice to the government on future transport technologies	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Key activities: aviation

Activity		20–21	21–22	22–23	23–24
10.	Oversee delivery of Western Sydney International (Nancy Bird-Walton) Airport by end 2026, including overseeing governance and performance of the Western Sydney Airport Corporation	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
11.	Implement COVID-19 response programs such as Regional Airline Network Support, Regional Airlines Funding Assistance, Domestic Aviation Network Support and Aviation Industry Relief Package	Yes	Yes
12.	Deliver the Regional Airports Program	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
13.	Oversee the regulatory framework for aviation, including governance and performance of CASA and Airservices Australia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
14.	Provide advice to the government on the aviation sector, including reform opportunities and progressing Australia's interests at ICAO	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
15.	Coordinate the development of a whole-of-government framework to manage drones and other emerging aviation technologies	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
16.	Contribute to whole-of-government activities to address per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination, and support management of PFAS at federally-leased airports and other sites	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Key activities: maritime

Activity		20–21	21–22	22–23	23–24
17.	Oversee the regulatory framework for safety and environmental protection for international shipping and safety for domestic commercial vessels, including by overseeing governance and performance of AMSA	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
18.	Deliver the coastal trading regime for shipping of cargo, and consider reforms to reduce regulatory burden and allow better use of shipping	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
19.	Deliver Tasmanian shipping support programs	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
20.	Progress Australia's interests in safety and environmental protection for international shipping at the IMO	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Performance measures

* In cases where COVID-19 impacts are likely to lead to unusual results, targets have been omitted.

What will be measured?		Target
What will be measured?		2020–21	2021–22 to 2023–24
Effectiveness measures: Supporting an efficient, sustainable transport system
1–2	Transport costs for: 1) road freight 2) rail freight	No target due to COVD-19 impacts*	Decreased over time
1–2	Methodology: Analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics producer price indexes for Road Freight Transport and Rail Freight Transport, relative to the Consumer Price Index
3	Aviation network connections	In 2020–21, maintain minimum connections	Forward targets to be set in future years
3	Methodology: Analysis of departmental records, including on the number of airports connected by domestic and international regular public transport flights, and on the maintenance of airfreight
4	Number of projects over $100 million that deliver travel time savings	In 2020–21, 100% of projects for which travel time savings are a significant planned benefit	100% of projects for which travel time savings are a significant planned benefit
4	Methodology: For projects where travel time savings are a significant planned benefit, analysis of business cases and documentation submitted in compliance with the National Partnership Agreement on Land Transport Infrastructure Projects
5–8	Domestic CO₂ emissions and rate of emissions per kilometre: 5) road 6) rail 7) maritime 8) aviation	No target due to COVD-19 impacts*	Decreased over time
5–8	Methodology: Analysis of data from the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. 2019–20 information is expected to be the most current available for 2020–21 reporting
Effectiveness measures: Supporting a safe, accessible transport system
9	Number of remote communities that receive support from the department for air services under the Remote Air Services Subsidy program	Maintained or increased in 2020–21 compared to 2019–20	Maintained or increased compared to previous year
9	Methodology: Analysis of monthly reports from each airline contracted to provide services to remote communities under the Remote Air Services Subsidy program
10–13	Number of fatalities and fatality rate per 100,000 population: 10) road 11) maritime 12) aviation 13) rail	10, 11, 12) No target due to COVID-19 impacts* 13) In 2020, rail fatalities reduce compared to average annual number from 2017 to 2019 Note: Rail fatalities data became available for the first time in 2017. For rail, maritime and aviation fatalities, 2020 information is expected to be the most current available for 2020–21 reporting.	Fatalities decrease over time
10–13	Methodology: Analysis of: 10) road fatality data in the BITRE Australian Road Deaths database 11) maritime fatality data from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau Maritime Occurrence Database 12) aviation fatality data from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau Aviation Occurrence Statistics Report 13) rail fatality data from the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator
14	Serious injuries due to road crashes and rate of serious injuries due to road crashes per 100,000 population	Target to be set as part of the new National Road Safety Strategy Rationale: A national definition for serious injuries will be developed as part of the strategy	Early in 2021 a new target for serious injuries due to road crashes will be released with the National Road Safety Strategy 2021–2030
14	Methodology: Analysis of data from unique admitted hospital cases
Output measures
15	Estimated number of jobs supported over the life of the projects, from infrastructure investment projects underway during the financial year	No target Rationale: Investments support a work plan in which work requirements fluctuate. While it is appropriate to monitor employment impacts, it is not appropriate to set annual targets	No target
15	Methodology: Analysis of project proponents' proposal reports and estimates from our land transport infrastructure investment employment calculator
16–17	Progress of land transport infrastructure investment projects: 16) up to $100 million 17) over $100 million	By June 2021, projects progressed in accordance with agreed timeframes	By June 2022: 16) 100% of projects announced up to and including the 2019 election have planning commenced; more than 70% under construction; more than 50% completed. 17) 100% of projects announced up to and including the 2019 election have business cases commenced; more than 20% have construction completed.
16–17	Methodology: Analysis of departmental records on project progress
18	COVID-19 safe travel zones established	By 30 June 2021, at least one safe zone established	Forward targets to be set in future years
18	Methodology: Analysis of departmental records
19–21	Implementation of: 19) Western Sydney International Airport 20) Inland Rail 21) Moorebank Precinct Intermodal Terminal	2020–21 milestones met	Financial year milestones met
19–21	Methodology: Analysis of: 19) the Western Sydney Airport Plan, Western Sydney Airport Statement of Expectations, the project deed, governance arrangements and reports 20) the Inland Rail Project Development Agreement, Inland Rail ARTC Statement of Expectations, equity financing agreement, governance arrangements and reports 21) the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal Precinct equity financing agreement, governance arrangements and reports
22–23	Implementation of reforms to: 22) the disability standards for accessible public transport 23) regulation of the heavy vehicle and rail sectors	2020–21 milestones set by the former COAG Transport and Infrastructure Council are met	Financial year milestones met
22–23	Methodology: Analysis of departmental records
Efficiency measures
24–25	Average time taken to: 24) process monthly progress reports for infrastructure investment Infrastructure project's monthly progress reports 25) produce the Infrastructure Investment Monthly Program of Works report	At the end of 2020–21, after the introduction of a new Reporting and Program Management System, 5% reduction in average time taken to prepare reports	Reduction in average time take over financial year: 24) 7% 25) 10%
24–25	Methodology: Analysis of average time taken to process and produce reports

Note: We are considering broader efficiency measurement options for the transport purpose. If appropriate, we will add new efficiency measures in future years.

Regional development

Improving living standards and facilitating economic growth in cities and regions across Australia

Environment

We deliver grants to assist regional communities and local government to help farmers and others cope with drought, build infrastructure and provide community services. We are also supporting regions, sectors and communities hit hard from the impacts of COVID-19 through the $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund.

Our National Water Grid Authority will help build resilience and prosperity in regional Australia. We use science and work with state and territory governments to identify, plan and invest in water infrastructure projects. Our projects support thriving regions and primary industry by increasing water security.

City Deals and the deals we are piloting in regions are one avenue to improve productivity and lift living standards in our cities and regions. Agreed in partnership with state, territory and local governments, these deals work to align planning, investment and governance for better outcomes.

Our Smart Cities and Suburbs program is providing technology solutions to urban challenges such as reducing traffic congestion, improving sustainability, and delivering better planning.

Contributors

Australian Government	State, territory and local governments	Industry/community

Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment Department of Finance Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources Department of the Treasury Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder Commonwealth science agencies CSIRO, Bureau of Meteorology, and Geoscience Murray Darling Basin Authority National Bushfire Recovery Agency National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency National Indigenous Australians Agency North Queensland Water Infrastructure Authority National Water Grid Authority Advisory Body	State and territory governments Local government bodies Australian Local Government Association	Regional Development Australia (RDA) Committees Cities Reference Group Peak regional development bodies

Key activities

Activity		20–21	21–22	22–23	23–24
21.	Deliver and review City Deals and pilot Regional Deals, for example implementing commitments as part of the Western Sydney City Deal, including Sydney Metro Greater West and implementing the Barkly Regional Deal	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
22.	Implement the Cities' Agenda, including planning and contributing to relevant whole-of-government activities	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
23.	Deliver annual regional ministerial budget statements	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
24.	Deliver regional grants programs	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
25.	Deliver the Financial Assistance Grants program in accordance with the Local Government (Financial Assistance) Act 1995	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
26.	Oversee the Regional Development Australia Committees network	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
27.	Contribute to whole-of-government drought assistance efforts, including delivery of our drought related programs	Yes	Yes
28.	Develop a regional policy framework supporting regions to recover from the effects of COVID-19, provide advice to government on the $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund and advise on the regional impacts of proposals across government	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
29.	Deliver the government's water infrastructure commitments, including the $1.5 billion National Water Infrastructure Development Fund, National Water Grid Authority's science program and projects funded through the $2 billion National Water Infrastructure Loan Facility	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Measures

What will be measured?		Target
What will be measured?		2020–21	2021–22 to 2023–24
Effectiveness measures: Improving living standards and facilitating economic growth in cities and regions
26	Improved liveability, productivity growth, access to jobs and reduced congestion in City Deal locations	Improvement in relevant indicators in City Deal locations from the baseline (prior to City Deal signing) to the relevant three-year City Deal review point Rationale: City Deals are a long-term partnership between government and the community towards a shared vision for productive, liveable cities. All City Deals include reviews after three years	Improvement in relevant indicators in City Deal locations from the baseline (prior to City Deal signing) to the relevant three-year City Deal review point
26	Methodology: Analysis of information provided through the National Cities Performance Framework and information from City Deals progress reporting
27	Estimated number of jobs supported over the life of projects, from regional development projects underway during the financial year (based on proponent reported data)	In 2020–21, provide data for the first time, to demonstrate the impact of funded regional projects	Forward targets to be set in forward years
27	Methodology: Analysis of applicant information about expected and actual job impacts of funded projects
28	Partnerships with all levels of government and the private sector to deliver regional development outcomes	In 2020–21, partnerships developed and maintained to support regional development programs and policies	In financial year, partnerships developed and maintained to support regional development programs and policies
28	Methodology: Analysis of annual business plans and performance reports from Regional Development Australia committees; committee plans and reports; action plans to address under-performance; stakeholder feedback; the extent to which partnerships are used in the Barkly, Hinkler and Albury-Wodonga Regional Deals
Output measures
29	Investment in projects that improve the availability and/or reliability of water for agriculture through new or enhanced extraction, storage and distribution infrastructure	In 2020–21, increased availability and/or reliability of water	In financial year, Increased availability and/or reliability of water
29	Methodology: Analysis of departmental records on the number of projects funded and payments made through the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund, National Water Infrastructure Loan Facility, or National Water Grid Authority's science program to deliver or progress new or enhanced water infrastructure. Positive change in planned water entitlements and/or increase in water: volume/capacity/reliability/security
30–36	Projects contracted, completed and funds expended through administered regional and drought programs: 30) Building Better Regions Fund 31) Stronger Communities Program 32) Community Development Grants Program 33) National Stronger Regions Fund 34) Regional Jobs and Investment Packages 35) Regional Growth Fund 36) Drought Communities Program Extension	By June 2021, delivery of projects to meet agreed timeframes Rationale: The target is based on agreed timeframes to deliver community grants and local projects in the identified regional programs	Based on the 2019–20 Budget and 2019 election commitments, by June 2022, more than 90% of projects contracted and more than 70% of 2019 commitments completed
30–36	Methodology: Analysis of departmental records on projects contracted, completed and funds expended in regional programs
37	Financial assistance is provided to support equitable levels of services by local government bodies	In 2020–21, payments are provided in accordance with the Local Government (Financial Assistance) Act 1995	In financial year, payments are provided in accordance with the Local Government (Financial Assistance) Act
37	Methodology: Analysis of departmental records, audited by the Australian National Audit Office
Efficiency measures
38	Projects funded through the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund and Science Program are delivered within agreed milestones and budgets	In 2020–21, 100% of project milestones met, within budget, and payments made on time Rationale: Performing to this standard would demonstrate we are meeting the government's expectations for efficiency	In financial year, 100% of project milestones met, within budget, and payments made on time
38	Methodology: Analysis of departmental records tracking project milestones, project budgets, and payment dates

Territories

Providing governance frameworks and services in the territories

Environment

Across Australia's territories, we provide essential infrastructure, and fund and deliver national and state level services to residents of Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and the Jervis Bay Territory. We also administer the Ashmore and Cartier Islands and the Coral Sea Islands territories, and manage national interests in the ACT and NT.

Australia's territories are geographically, economically and socially diverse. We are committed to delivering equitable base-level services to all territories. We work with communities to do this. For example, in Norfolk Island we work with the regional council and private providers to deliver services to the community.

We review our processes regularly to support effective governance and services. Arrangements in the territories are unique and at different stages of maturity. For example, the framework in Indian Ocean Territories has been in operation for some decades and reflects a settled and stable status, however the framework in Norfolk Island is new and still evolving.

Our work in the territories supports economic growth. For example, a strategic environmental assessment on Christmas Island will facilitate future development opportunities. Along with experiencing impacts to the tourist sector due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Christmas Island is also undergoing economic transition following the wind-down of immigration detention activity and uncertainty about phosphate mining in the medium to long term.

Communications infrastructure is integral to the continued prosperity of our territories. We are working in Norfolk Island to upgrade mobile communications from 2G to 4G, while in Jervis Bay, we are considering options to improve cellular connectivity and rollout of the NBN.

Contributors

Australian Government	State, territory and local governments	Industry/community

Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment Australian Border Force Parks Australia All Australian Government portfolios, for service delivery	Norfolk Island Regional Council Shire of Christmas Island and Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council NSW, WA, ACT and NT governments	Service delivery partners and territory communities

Key activities

Activity		20–21	21–22	22–23	23–24
30..	Deliver the Christmas Island Strategic Assessment, including heritage management plans	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
31.	Deliver an asset management system for an adequate and well maintained asset base, which supports essential services in the external territories and the Jervis Bay Territory	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
32.	Oversee ongoing delivery of services, economic growth and diversity in the external territories and the Jervis Bay Territory	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
33.	Oversee the delivery of high quality health services to the Norfolk Island community by assisting the improvement of Norfolk Island Health and Residential Aged Care Service's corporate and clinical governance	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
34.	Implement long-term service delivery arrangements with the Norfolk Island community and service delivery partners	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
35.	Provide advice to government on improving legislation governing areas of state-type functions for Norfolk Island	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
36.	Provide advice to government on remaking legislative instruments relating to its responsibilities in the ACT, prior to the sunsetting deadline	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Measures

What will be measured?		Target
What will be measured?		2020–21	2021–22 to 2023–24
Effectiveness measures: Providing governance frameworks and services in the territories
39	Communities in the external territories and Jervis Bay Territory have comparable services and essential infrastructure to mainland Australia	Service delivery arrangements and contracts in 2020–21 deliver comparable services and essential infrastructure to mainland Australia	Service delivery arrangements and contracts in financial year deliver comparable services and essential infrastructure to mainland Australia
39	Methodology: Analysis of contracts in place with service providers
40	Commonwealth legal and governance frameworks in Australia's territories are appropriate for the protection and wellbeing of the communities	Legal and governance frameworks operating in 2020–21 are comparable to other Australian jurisdictions, with territory specific modifications as necessary	Legal and governance frameworks operating in financial year are comparable to other Australian jurisdictions, with territory specific modifications as necessary
40	Methodology: Analysis of state-type frameworks and advice from state service providers
Output and efficiency measures
Due to the nature of the services provided in the territories, we are not able to provide output or efficiency measures that provide meaningful information or data that effectively measures performance across the territories.

Communications and connectivity

Enabling people in Australia to connect to effective communications services and technologies, for inclusiveness and sustainable economic growth

Environment

Access to communications services is integral to an inclusive and cohesive society—from the satellites that deliver educational services, to the water management systems that build resilience and prosperity. We support the market to deliver inclusive communications services in a safe and prosperous industry. Demand for communications is growing rapidly and is serviced by a large number of providers in a competitive market.

We use legislation and regulations extensively to achieve our communications connectivity purpose. Our proposed new Online Safety Act will support Australians to engage confidently and safely in an online world. Other pieces of key legislation include the Telecommunications Act 1997, which works with parts of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to provide a framework for sustainable investment in telecommunications. It also protects the privacy and security of communications and enables the use of telecommunications information for public interest purposes. We also manage the NBN regulatory framework, which provides for oversight and effective use of the NBN, and the Radiocommunications Act 1992, which provides for the efficient allocation and use of spectrum.

Spectrum is a valuable input to enabling the digital economy, and efficient allocation is essential to move spectrum to its highest value use. Our policies for spectrum are enabling the roll out of 5G services and support machine-to-machine communications, the internet of things and smart city applications.

Our work ensures that all Australians are able to access affordable, safe and quality telecommunications and postal services. This includes policies and regulations to promote online safety. It also includes programs that provide access to telephone, payphone and broadband services nationally. For example, mobile connectivity is expanded under the Mobile Black Spot Program and other place-based communications solutions such as the Regional Connectivity Program. There are also safeguards to protect vulnerable members of the community, such as the Universal Service Guarantee, the National Relay Service and the Digital Tech Hub. Australia Post has obligations to provide accessible services across Australia.

Digital transformation is providing new opportunities and challenges globally. Investments in productivity, such as automation, are critical to protecting and supporting grow in the future.

Contributors

Australian Government	State, territory and local governments	International/industry/community

Department of Finance Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) Department of the Treasury NBN Co Department of Home Affairs eSafety Commissioner Australia Post	State, territory and local governments	International, regional and multilateral communications organisations including the International Telecommunications Union, the Asia Pacific Telecommunity and the Universal Postal Union Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Telecommunications industry, including retail service providers .au Domain Administrator Digital platforms Australian consumer groups

Key activities

Activity		20–21	21–22	22–23	23–24
37.	Deliver appropriate telecommunications market structures for modern fixed line and mobile markets, investment and competition and provide advice to the government on telecommunications infrastructure deployment, including carrier powers and immunities	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
38.	Deliver a targeted public communications program to provide accessible information on electromagnetic energy and safety	Yes	Yes	Yes
39.	Oversee governance and performance of ACMA	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
40.	Oversee delivery of key contracts for the Universal Service Obligation (USO) and the Triple Zero Emergency Call Service, and transition from USO to the Universal Service Guarantee (USG)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
41.	Deliver accessibility of services, including for those with a disability, such as by managing contracts for the National Relay Service	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
42.	Provide advice to the government on telecommunications policy and programs in regional and remote Australia and implement regional and remote telecommunications programs	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
43.	Oversee governance and performance of NBN Co, including to support the effective migration of services to the NBN, service continuity and a positive NBN consumer experience	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
44.	Provide advice to the government on telecommunications resilience and security	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
45.	Provide advice to the government the development of legislation to strengthen consumers' data privacy	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
46.	Modernise telecommunications consumer safeguards	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
47.	Provide advice to the government on online safety and gambling, including setting expectations for digital platforms, regulation of harmful content, media literacy and research and capacity building	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
48.	Provide advice to the government on telecommunications competition policy issues, law reform and related regulatory requirements applying to the sector	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
49.	Provide advice to the government on spectrum and radio-communication allocation, management and reform, and lead international spectrum policy	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
50.	Advocate Australia's telecommunications and internet governance policy positions at international forums	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
51.	Coordinate multi-stakeholder internet governance through ICANN and auDA	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
52.	Oversee governance and performance of Australia Post	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
53.	Coordinate Australia's delegation in the Universal Postal Union and provide advice to the government on the postal industry, including treaty and regulatory frameworks	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Measures

What will be measured?		Target
What will be measured?		2020–21	2021–22 to 2023–24
Effectiveness measures: Enabling all Australians to connect to communications for inclusiveness
41–43	Percentage of: 41) Universal Service Obligation (USO) targets met by Telstra 42) Contractual arrangements for the Triple Zero Emergency Call Service delivered by Telstra 43) Community Service Obligations (CSOs) met by Australia Post	Reporting in 2020–21 shows: 41) 100% met 42) 100% delivered 43) 100% met	Reporting in financial year shows 100% met/delivered
41–43	Methodology: Analysis of reporting from Telstra and Australia Post
44	Amount of new and improved mobile coverage delivered in regional areas under the Mobile Black Spot Program	≥95% of total contracted (predictive) coverage is delivered by end 2020–21	≥95% of total contracted (predictive) coverage is delivered by end 2022–23
44	Methodology: Analysis of program contracts and asset completion reports to compare contracted coverage with delivered coverage across the program
45	Affordability of telecommunications services (mobile and fixed) on offer	Reporting in 2020–21 indicates affordability is maintained or increased	Reporting in financial year indicates affordability is maintained or increased
45	Methodology: Analysis of reporting from the ACCC and of results from affordability indexes tracked in our Bureau of Communications and the Arts Research, based on Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) data
46	Impact of our programs on improving connectivity for people with a disability	Impact maintained or increased in 2020–21	Impact maintained or increased in financial year
46	Methodology: Analysis of: National Relay Service provider reporting; ACMA reporting on compliance by free-to-air television broadcasters on captioning compliance; and reporting on audio description by the national broadcasters
47	The effectiveness of initiatives to protect Australians online	Reporting in 2020–21 shows measures to protect Australians online were effective	Reporting in financial year shows measures to protect Australians online were effective
47	Methodology: Analysis of: (a) number of cyberbullying and image-based abuse reports made to the eSafety Commissioner; (b) number of items prohibited/potential prohibited content identified by the eSafety Commissioner, (c) number of visitors to the eSafety Commissioner's website, (d) data provided in the national online safety survey, (e) information on illegal wagering operators withdrawing services from Australia
Effectiveness measures: Enabling effective communications services and technologies
48–50	48) Postal services complaints data 49) Telecommunications complaints data 50) NBN consumer experience and ACCC speed performance data	Reporting in 2020–21 shows: 47, 48) Maintained or improved services 549 Positive consumer experience and maintained or improved speed performance data	Reporting in financial year shows maintained or improved services/positive consumer experience and maintained or improved speed performance data
48–50	Methodology: Analysis of: 48) reporting from the Postal Industry Ombudsman about Australia Post, including descriptive information on trends driving complaints and supporting quantitative information on the volume of complaints made 49) reporting on telecommunications complaints from the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman and ACMA 50) reporting on consumer experience metrics by NBN Co and broadband speed measurement by ACCC through its Measuring Broadband Australia reporting
51	Minimum peak fixed broadband download speeds available to Australian premises	In 2020–21, NBN to offer at least: 25 Mbps peak wholesale speeds to every premises 50 Mbps peak wholesale speeds to 90% of premises in the fixed line footprint, except for premises still in the coexistence period	Statutory Infrastructure Providers, including NBN Co continue to provide minimum peak fixed download speeds
51	Methodology: Analysis of NBN Co and regulator reporting
Effectiveness measures: Communications services and technologies for sustainable economic growth
52–53	Percentage of: 52) ready to connect premises in fixed line areas that have taken up an NBN service 53) NBN Complex connections completed	Percentage connected and completed by 30 June 2021 meets targets set in NBN Co's next corporate plan, which will be released later in 2020 Note: The target in NBN Co's 2019–20 Corporate Plan for measure 52 is ≥71% at 30 June 2021. It may be revised in light of the company's next corporate plan later in 2020	Target to reflect NBN Co's next corporate plan
52–53	Methodology: Analysis of NBN Co reporting
54	Investment as a proportion of output in the communications sector¹	>33% in 2019–20	>33%
54	Methodology: Analysis of ABS National Accounts. 2019–20 data is expected to be the most current available for 2020–21 reporting
55	GDP contribution enabled by the communications sector	GDP contribution is maintained or increased between 2017–18 and 2018–19	GDP contribution is maintained or increased over time
55	Methodology: Analysis of ABS Input-Output data . 2018–19 data is expected to be the most current available for 2020–21 reporting
Output measures
56	The effectiveness of the department's international engagement on communications outcomes	Effective engagement in 2020–21	Effective engagement in financial year
56	Methodology: Analysis of departmental records, include descriptive information about the outcomes of our treaty-level international engagement and the impact of this engagement on promoting communications connectivity
57	The effectiveness of the department's oversight of NBN Co, Australia Post and ACMA	Effective oversight in 2020–21	Effective oversight in financial year
57	Methodology: Analysis of oversight actions required and performed
Efficiency measures
58	Whether digital technologies and communications services administered items are delivered efficiently	Administered items are delivered on time and on budget in 2020–21, indicating efficient delivery Rationale: Performing to this standard would demonstrate we are meeting the government's expectations for efficiency	Administered items are delivered on time and on budget in financial year, indicating efficient delivery
58	Methodology: For each administered item, analysis and comparison between projected and actual milestones and budget

¹ ‘Output in the communications sector’ refers to the value added by the Information, Media and Telecommunications Industry (as defined under the Australian and New Zealand industry classification). The value added refers to the total value of goods and services produced by an industry, after deducting the cost of goods and services used in the process of production.

Creativity and culture

Supporting sustainable and inclusive creative and cultural sectors, and protecting and promoting Australian content and culture

Environment

Our creative and cultural sectors enrich the lives of Australians and support a strong economy. Our focus is on contributing to the broader Australian Government agenda of encouraging productivity, growth, inclusiveness and innovation. Our policies support a future where Australian arts and culture can continue to delight, challenge and inspire audiences locally and internationally. In the shorter-term, we will help support artists and organisations significantly impacted by COVID-19 by implementing the Australian Government's $250 million COVID-19 Creative Economy Support Package.

Our content regulatory framework for classification, Australian content and copyright is integral to protecting and promoting Australian content. We seek to ensure an appropriate balance between supporting industry sustainability and providing protections for the community.

The media industry is undergoing an economic, technological and social transition. To consume content, more than half of all Australians have already taken up streaming. In this environment, Australian media companies are being forced to adapt, and this is a challenge amplified by COVID-19, especially in regional areas. To support media businesses keeping communities informed and connected, we are providing regulatory relief and new funding for regional and public interest journalism, and to support Australian stories on our screens.

Our creative and cultural sectors are essential to our national identity and foster social cohesion. One aspect of our work is supporting, preserving and celebrating Australian culture, including Indigenous languages and arts. We maintain an ongoing commitment to repatriation, which supports healing and reconciliation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Digital transformation has created new opportunities for Australian creativity and culture. Emerging technologies and platforms have created new means of production, collaboration, tailoring and delivery of creative content. We continue to monitor new trends and facilitate opportunities, benefiting consumers and helping businesses find new markets. We will also continue to support the protection of Australian intellectual property rights and content, including by administering the Copyright Act 1968.

Contributors

Australian Government	State, territory and local governments	Industry/community

National arts and cultural institutions National Indigenous Australians Agency Department Foreign Affairs and Trade eSafety Commissioner and Australian Communications and Media Authority Department of Home Affairs National Broadcasters ABC/SBS	State, territory and local governments	Indigenous language and art centres, arts and cultural organisations Commercial free to air broadcasters News organisations Digital platforms Copyright organisations International organisations and global communities including UNESCO

Key activities

Activity		20–21	21–22	22–23	23–24
54.	Deliver activities that support Australia's screen and contemporary music industries	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
55.	Deliver the lending rights schemes and the Prime Minister's Literary Awards	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
56.	Deliver the Indigenous Languages and Arts program to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural expression and prepare for the United Nations International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022–2032	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
57.	Deliver programs to promote arts access and participation in regional areas, including the Regional Arts Fund and Festivals Australia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
58.	Oversee the national collecting institutions	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
59.	Coordinate with the Australia Council and Creative Partnerships Australia to promote investment and sustainability in the arts	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
60.	Provide policy advice, including reform options, across copyright, classification and Australian content requirements	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
61.	Provide advice to the government on the national broadcasters	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
62.	Provide advice to the government on the sustainability, growth and recovery of the creative and cultural sectors following COVID-19	Yes	Yes	Yes
63.	Provide advice to the government on Indigenous visual arts and sustainable commercial opportunities and deliver the Resale Royalty Scheme, Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support program and Artbank	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
64.	Provide advice to the government on the arts disability strategy	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
65.	Provide advice to the government on touring and support outreach assistance programs and access to national and international collections	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
66.	Provide advice to government on Indigenous repatriation and administer the Indigenous Repatriation Program	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
67.	Undertake regulatory activities through the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
68.	Support the Classification Board and Classification Review Board	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
69.	Deliver programs to support community broadcasting, public interest journalism and broadcasting of women's and underrepresented sport	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Measures

* In cases where COVID-19 impacts are likely to lead to unusual results, targets have been omitted

What will be measured?		Target
What will be measured?		2020–21	2021–22 to 2023–24
Effectiveness measures: Supporting sustainable creative and cultural sectors
59	Contribution of creative and cultural sectors to the economy	Maintain or grow 10 year rolling average (to 2018–19)	Maintain or grow over time
59	Methodology: Analysis of ABS Input-Output data, using the methodology outlined in the Cultural and Creativity Activity in Australia 2008–09 to 2016–17 Working Paper. Sectors include activity such as broadcasting, film, music composition and music publishing. 2018–19 information is expected to be the most current available for 2020–21 reporting
60	Value of private sector investment and philanthropic funding to the creative and cultural sector	No target due to COVID-19 impacts*	Maintain or grow over time
60	Methodology: Analysis of ABS National Accounts to calculate estimated private sector investment to the arts (using the methodology announced in the arts in Australia background statistical paper); analysis of reporting by Register of Cultural Organisations-listed organisations and information on donations to the Cultural Gifts Program. 2019–20 information is expected to be the most current available for 2020–21 reporting
61	The impact of our activity in supporting and promoting Australian literature	Positive impact and reach achieved in 2020–21	Positive impact and reach achieved in financial year
61	Methodology: Analysis of departmental records, including information gathered through delivery of the Lending Right Schemes and Prime Minister Literary Awards
62	Number of students successfully completing courses at national elite performing arts training organisations	≥800 in 2020	≥800 in forward years
62	Methodology: Analysis of reporting by the arts training organisations, including on course completions and demand (number of students auditioning versus enrolments)
Effectiveness measures: Supporting inclusive creative and cultural sectors
63	Engagement with the national cultural institutions, indicated through: (a) number of in-person visits to engage with national collecting institutions (including on and off-site visits) (b) percentage of objects in national collections accessible online (c) number of web visits to the national cultural institutions	Based on 2020–21 figures reported by institutions to the department in August 2021: (a) no target* (b, c) maintain or increase annual engagement results compared to annual averages since 2012–13 (when the engagement indicators were established)	Maintain or increase annual engagement over time
63	Methodology: Analysis of reporting from the national cultural institutions
64–66	The impact of our arts and cultural activities to support: 64) inclusion of people with disability 65) inclusion of regional and remote Australians 66) preserving and celebrating Indigenous languages, arts and culture	Positive impact achieved in 2020–21	Positive impact achieved in financial year
64–66	Methodology : Analysis of departmental records, including: 64) information gathered through regional grant program roll out 65) information gathered through delivery of the National Arts and Disability Strategy 66) grant funding recipient reports, departmental records on activities, and information on the number of Arts Centres, arts workers and art sales supported through the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support program
67	Artbank operations, number of: (a) artworks purchased (b) artworks leased (c) clients	No target Rationale: It is not appropriate to set a target as purchases must be responsive to market conditions; and client interactions are market driven	No target
67	Methodology: Analysis of departmental records
Effectiveness measures: Protecting and promoting Australian content and culture
68	Effectiveness of the Australian content, classification and copyright regulatory frameworks	Reporting in 2020–21 shows frameworks are effective	Reporting in financial year shows frameworks are effective
68	Methodology: Analysis of reporting on decisions by the Classification Board and the Classification Review Board; analysis of ACMA reporting on content compliance; analysis of reporting by copyright collecting societies and Australian Copyright Council; analysis of data from the annual Consumer Survey on Online Copyright Infringement; analysis of reporting by ABC and SBS on audience metrics
Output measures
69	Regulatory activities undertaken under the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986	No target Rationale: It is not appropriate to set a target as actions are taken in response to applications for permits received and objects identified for investigation	No target
69	Methodology: Analysis of departmental records
70	The effectiveness of the department's oversight of ABC and SBS	Effective in 2020–21	Effective in financial year
70	Methodology: Analysis of oversight actions required and performed
Efficiency measures
71	Whether arts and cultural development administered items are delivered efficiently	Administered items are delivered on time and on budget in 2020–21, indicating efficient delivery Rationale: Performing to this standard would demonstrate we are meeting the government's expectations for efficiency	Administered items are delivered on time and on budget in financial year, indicating efficient delivery
71	Methodology: For each administered item, analysis and comparison between projected and actual milestones and budget

Building capability

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications is a new entity created by bringing the communications and the arts, and infrastructure portfolios together.

We have inherited significant capability through the integration. It will allow us all to build on the strengths of two highly capable entities, combining our considerable knowledge and expertise on matters that impact the lives of Australians every day.

Our roadmap2021 is the strategy put in place to ensure we meet our overarching goal to continue building a high performing, integrated department that is a great place to work, and which:

positively impacts the lives of all Australians
continues to deliver the portfolio's priorities
provides authentic and collaborative leadership at all levels
demonstrates public service professionalism and values in all that we do
draws on our collective skills and capabilities to build relationships and communities of practice, to help us do our jobs better

As a new entity, our development will align with these goals as we continue to identify and address our development needs.

roadmap2021 is driven through a series of workstreams that cover people-focused issues through to enabling-focused streams:

People, culture and vision (including innovation and collaboration)
Diversity and inclusion
Governance, assurance, risk, performance and reporting
Operating model (for the enabling group, communities of practice and organisation)
Financials (including program financial management)
Accommodation
IT (including systems and services)

Our governance committees oversee key areas of our strategy and operations, and support the Secretary in his role as the Accountable Authority. Our committees address matters of strategic importance including direction setting, achievement of priorities and management of risks, and stakeholder relationships, as well as daily departmental business, oversight of roadmap 2021 and operational matters. Together they focus on building organisational capability and culture.

People capability

In 2020–21, we will develop and implement a departmental workforce plan supported by strategies to attract and retain the right people, ensure our learning opportunities are focused on developing the capability and attributes we value and to promote a culture of diversity and inclusion.

We will refine and promote our performance framework with a focus on developing and supporting a high-performance culture through ongoing and constructive conversations. Our focus will be on modernising and innovating in relation to the management of performance to ensure we enable our people to fully contribute and position the department for the future.

We recognise and value that diversity and a culture of inclusion enhances work performance and the wellbeing of all. We will enhance our capability by removing barriers in our workplace to enable our people and the department to realise our full potential. We will work towards creating impactful and sustainable cultural change that values the skills and capabilities of a diverse workforce.

We will also initiate a change in our learning approach and culture. A new learning strategy will identify the key organisational, core public service and specialist skills required to achieve business outcomes with a particular emphasis on further strengthening our leadership capability to ensure the department is well positioned to respond to future challenges and emerging opportunities.

Our workforce reporting and analytic capability will be enhanced through the transition to single human resource information management and recruitment systems. We will support managers to use the information available to facilitate effective workforce planning.

Through 2020–21 and beyond, we will continue to monitor our internal and external operating environment and adjust our capability development activities as required.

Policy capability

Our ability to deliver consistently high-quality advice to governments over time, our policy capability, is key to our effectiveness as an organisation. The department will continue to focus on building and refining our policy capability to meet the needs of government and of the Australian people.

By enhancing our subject matter expertise, engaging closely with our partners and taking an evidenced-based approach to policy development we build trust and credibility by providing the best policy advice available.

We will continue to ensure our people are making data-driven decisions, underpinned by best practice tools and processes, to facilitate timely, robust and influential policy advice.

ICT capability

Information technology is one of the key facilitators of the department's performance. Information technology provides opportunities to incrementally improve achievement of our purposes, enabling faster data analysis, improved public outreach and a highly mobile workforce.

We maintain and regularly test our business continuity plans. We ensure measures are in place to keep our data safe, accessible and our people delivering for Australia.

To enable the most effective use of technology, the department regularly assesses and builds on the ICT strategic plan.

The plan is built on five core strategic directions:

Focus on business value
We will focus on creating, building and maintaining business value for the department by prioritising, defining and selecting technology services.
Leverage data and information
Making information, regardless of source, easy to discover and accessible.
Prepare for disruption
Selecting and designing IT with the understanding that the functions they support could be reengineered, removed or relocated at any time.
Deliver efficiently
Delivering better, more innovative and intuitive technology faster and cheaper than ever before.
Align to whole of government strategies
Aligning to whole of government strategies that exist across a range of IT functions and services.

Risk

The department engages with risk to deliver programs, processes and services that are innovative, efficient and effective.

Our risk framework

We regularly review our Risk Management Policy and Framework to ensure it is fit for purpose. The policy and framework provides guidance to our people on managing and engaging with risk and applies to all activities, officials and contractors. It is designed to inform decision making, governance arrangements, prioritisation of activities, resource allocation and business planning.

Our governance committees play an important role in ensuring we have effective risk management practices.

The Executive Committee determines our risk appetite and tolerance and oversees the risks which may impact our ability to achieve our purposes.
The Operations Committee supports this by overseeing our operational risks and ensuring we have an effective risk management framework.
The Audit and Risk Committee provides advice to the Secretary and senior executives on the appropriateness of the department's system of risk oversight and our strategies to manage key risks.

Our people—at every level and on every day—are responsible for identifying, assessing, reporting and managing risk.

A positive risk culture promotes an open and proactive approach to risk management and we are committed to improving our risk culture and capability. During 2020–21, we will develop face to face training to ensure risk management is part of our core skills and promote positive risk behaviours. We will develop a risk culture and awareness strategy and identify further activities to strengthen our risk culture.

Our risk appetite

We recognise it is not possible, or necessarily desirable, to eliminate all of the risks inherent in our work. Accepting some degree of risk in our business practices promotes efficiency and innovation. The department is willing to accept higher levels of risk when the potential benefits outweigh the negative consequences of risks. In doing so, we must be able to demonstrate we have made informed, evidence and risk based decisions.

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development developed risk appetite and tolerance levels to manage categories of risks. These statements are currently under review to ensure they are fit for purpose for the new department.

These statements assist us in our decision making and help us determine our approach to controlling risks and prioritising resources.

Our enterprise risks

The department's enterprise risks and the way we manage them are set out below.

Enterprise risks	Management strategies
We do not have the capability or capacity to achieve our purposes or meet emerging priorities	Our business planning and budgeting processes assist the executive to align people and resources with areas of greatest priority. We use agile work practices and deploy taskforces and short-term project teams to bring necessary expertise and resourcing to our priority areas.
Our program outcomes are not aligned with policy objectives	Our governance committees and executive monitor program alignment with government policy. Our business plans link policy objectives with program outcomes and include corresponding performance measures.
We are not influential and fail to steer and anticipate policy direction and communicate objectives, benefits and progress	We maintain close engagement with our ministers and key external stakeholders to ensure outputs align with government priorities. We monitor relevant market and sector developments, and provide early advice to government on risks, opportunities and relevant policy options.
We fail to deliver effective and efficient programs and services	We engage with our external and internal stakeholders and delivery partners. We invest in our people, our systems and our processes to ensure our programs are effective and efficient.
We fail to be an effective regulator	The department has transparent processes and documentation to inform regulated organisations of their obligations, and to monitor compliance.
Our activities, or lack of appropriate action, cause death or serious injury	Policies are regularly updated and performance plans include mandatory work health and safety deliverables. We maintain regular engagement with health and safety representatives through the department's workplace health and safety committee and address issues promptly. Work health and safety training is mandated for our people.
We fail to effectively engage with key stakeholders and consumers	We actively seek diverse views and the department engages regularly with key stakeholders—including ministers, Commonwealth, state and territory agencies and industry stakeholders—to deliver government priorities.
We fail to act with integrity and trust is reduced	Relevant policies, procedures and Accountable Authority Instructions are periodically reviewed. Our fraud control plan and fraud risk assessment are reviewed every two years, or when significant changes occur.

Planning and reporting framework

Our internal and external planning and reporting activities provide information on our resourcing, operations and performance, which support the achievement of our outcomes and purposes. The relationship between these activities is illustrated in the diagram below. The framework allows us to set out what we plan to do at the beginning of the year and what we have achieved by the end of the year, but also to think longer-term and plan for the future.

Our outcomes

Outcome 1
Improved infrastructure across Australia through investment in and coordination of transport and other infrastructure
Outcome 2
An efficien, sustainable, competitive, safe and secure transport system for all transport users through regulation, financial assitance and safety investigations
Outcome 3
Strengthening the sustainability, capacity and diversity of our cities and regional economies including through facilitating local partnerships between all levels of government and local communities; through reforms that stimulate economic growth; and providing grants and financial assitance
Outcome 4
Good governance in the Australian territories through the maintenance and improvement of the overarching legislative framework for self-governing territories, and laws and services for non-self-governing territories
Outcome 5
Promote an innovative and competitive communications sector, through policy
development, advice and program delivery, so all Australians can realise the full potential of digital technologies and communications services
Outcome 6
Participation in, and access to, Australia’s arts and culture through developing
and supporting cultural expression

Compliance with Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014

Topic	Matters to be included
Introduction	The following: a statement that the plan is prepared for paragraph 35(1)(b) of the Act; the reporting period for which the plan is prepared; the reporting periods covered by the plan.
Purposes	The purposes of the entity
Key activities	For the entire period covered by the plan, the key activities that the entity will undertake in order to achieve its purposes.
Operating context	For the entire period covered by the plan, the following: the environment in which the entity will operate; the strategies and plans the entity will implement to have the capability it needs to undertake its key activities and achieve its purposes; a summary of the risk oversight and management systems of the entity, and the key risks that the entity will manage and how those risks will be managed; details of any organisation or body that will make a significan contribution towards achieving the entity’s purposes through cooperation with the entity, including how that cooperation will help achieve those purposes; how any subsidiary of the entity will contribute to achieving the entity's purposes.
Performance	For each reporting period covered by the plan, details of how the entity's performance in achieving the entity's purposes will be measured and assessed through: specified peformance measures for the entity that meet the requirements of section 16EA; and specified tagets for each of those performance measures for which it is reasonably practicable to set a target.