Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (New South Wales)

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
Department overview
Formed2 April 2020 (2020-04-02)
Preceding Department
TypeDepartment
JurisdictionNew South Wales
Headquarters1 Monaro St, Queanbeyan,
New South Wales, Australia
Department executive
Websitewww.nsw.gov.au/regional-nsw

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, previously Department of Regional NSW until June 2024, is a department of the New South Wales Government. A central focus for the department is enhancing the liveability of regional and rural communities by strengthening local workforces and attracting key workers, boosting housing, and empowering the diversification of local economies.[1]

The department is a central agency and advises across government on issues affecting the state’s regions, which are home to about one-third of the NSW population.

Key responsibilities of the department also include building stronger primary industries, driving local investment and economic development, brokering solutions to strengthen social cohesion, overseeing productive and sustainable land use and natural resources, and delivering local infrastructure and grant programs.

The department was established as Department of Regional NSW on 2 April 2020 to coordinate support for communities, businesses and farmers hit by the Black Summer bushfires and drought.[2] The department went onto support additional crises including floods and COVID-19, becoming a key voice advocating for local communities within government. It assumed the functions of the Regions, Industry, Agriculture and Resources division from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. It also brought together Department of Primary Industries (which was an agency and not a government department), Local Land Services, Resources and Geoscience and regional coordination across the government. On 1 July 2024, the Department of Primary Industries (the agency) was abolished and merged into the department and the latter was renamed to its current name.[3][4]

  1. ^ NSW, Department of Regional (21 September 2022). "Department of Regional NSW". NSW Government. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  2. ^ "New Regional NSW Department set up". Government News. 2 April 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  3. ^ "Fresh focus for our regions". NSW Government. 19 April 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Who we are". Department of Primary Industries. Retrieved 1 July 2024.