The term ‘machinery of government’ refers to the allocation of functions between departments and ministers, and how these are structured across the public sector.
For authoritative information, readers are encouraged to refer to the Public Administration Act 2004 and the current General Order.
This page has been updated to reflect changes that came into effect on 1 January 2023.
Victorian Public Service employers
Departments
Departments are established and abolished through an Order in Council made under section 10 of the Public Administration Act 2004.
These are the current departments as of 1 November 2024:
- Department of Education
- Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
- Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
- Department of Government Services
- Department of Health
- Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions
- Department of Justice and Community Safety
- Department of Premier and Cabinet
- Department of Transport and Planning
- Department of Treasury and Finance.
Administrative Offices
Administrative Offices are established and abolished through an Order in Council under section 11 of the Public Administration Act 2004 and each is established in relation to a department.
The following are the current administrative offices as of 1 November 2024:
- Latrobe Valley Authority
- Local Government Inspectorate
- Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel
- Office of the Governor
- Public Record Office Victoria
- Safer Care Victoria
- Vic Grid
- Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office
- Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority
- Victorian Skills Authority.
Persons with Functions of Public Service Body Head
Persons other than heads of departments and administrative offices with the functions of a public service body head in relation to employees are listed in section 16 of the Public Administration Act 2004. This function allows heads of organisations who aren’t defined as Victorian public service bodies to have the power to employ VPS staff.
This list may be supplemented by orders made under section 16(3) and published in the orders section of this register, or by reference in other establishing legislation.
The following are the offices and authorities led by a person designated to have the functions of a public service body head that employ staff as of 1 November 2024:
- CenITex
- Cladding Safety Victoria
- Commission for Children and Young People
- Court Services Victoria
- Emergency Services Superannuation Board
- Environment Protection Authority
- Essential Services Commission
- Family Violence Prevention Agency (Respect Victoria)
- Game Management Authority
- Independent Broad-based Anti Corruption Commission (IBAC)
- Infrastructure Victoria
- Labour Hire Licensing Authority
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission
- Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability
- Office of Public Prosecutions
- Office of the Victorian Legal Services Commissioner
- Office of the Ombudsman Victoria
- Office of the Road Safety Camera Commissioner
- Office of the Social Services Regulator
- Office of the Victorian Electoral Commission
- Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner
- Office of the Victorian Inspectorate
- Portable Long Service Leave Benefits Authority
- Safe Transport Victoria
- Suburban Rail Loop Authority
- Victoria Police (for Public Service staff)
- Victorian Auditor General’s Office
- Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Victorian Disability Worker Commission
- Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission
- Victorian Environmental Water Holder
- Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission
- Victorian Fisheries Authority
- Wage Inspectorate Victoria.
Victorian Public Sector Commission
Section 37(1) of the Public Administration Act 2004 establishes the Victorian Public Sector Commission (VPSC) and section 4 defines VPSC as a public service body.
For further information about the Victorian Public Sector Commission, see Part 4 of the Public Administration Act 2004.
Other public sector employers
Public entities
Public entities are defined in section 5 of the Public Administration Act 2004. An Order in Council under section 5(2) or (3) may determine application of that definition in relation to a particular body or class of body.
Public entities include statutory authorities, state owned enterprises, state owned corporations and formally constituted advisory bodies. There are over 3000 public entities. Some public entities have employees and some don’t.
For further information on public entity boards and their membership visit Join a public board or see a list of public sector agencies.
Special Bodies
Special Bodies are defined in section 6 of the Public Administration Act 2004 and created under separate legislation. To date, no instruments have been made under section 6 of the Public Administration Act 2004 to amend the number of special bodies.
The Public Administration Act allows exemptions or alternative conditions to apply to special bodies. For example, some public sector values don’t apply to special body employees and special bodies have their own Code of Conduct for their employees.
Special bodies aren’t public entities as defined under the Public Administration Act. They may employ VPS employees as shown above.
Section 6 lists the following bodies as Special Bodies:
- A department of the Parliament of Victoria
- Commission for Children and Young People
- Electoral Boundaries Commission
- Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission
- Mental Health Tribunal
- Office of the Health Complaints Commissioner
- Office of the Ombudsman
- Office of the Victims of Crime Commissioner
- Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner
- Victoria Police
- Victorian Auditor-General’s Office
- Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT)
- Victorian Disability Worker Commissioner
- Victorian Electoral Commission
- Victorian Independent Remuneration Tribunal (the Tribunal)
- Victorian Inspectorate.
For further information about special bodies, see section 6 of the Public Administration Act 2004.