The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is an agency of the New South Wales Government, responsible for the administration and development for agriculture, fisheries,

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...

, forestry, and

biosecurity Biosecurity refers to measures aimed at preventing the introduction and/or spread of harmful organisms (e.g. viruses, bacteria, etc.) to animals and plants in order to minimize the risk of transmission of infectious disease. In agriculture, thes ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. The DPI works to drive innovation in primary industries to improve resilience, productivity and sustainability, and to ensure risks are managed for natural resources, farming and food. Despite the name, the DPI is no longer and is not a department of the New South Wales government. The DPI is part of the Department of Regional NSW, and was previously part of the

Department of Planning, Industry and Environment The New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) is a department of the New South Wales Government, responsible for effective and sustainable planning to support the growth in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It makes plan ...

until April 2020. The DPI headquarters is located in Orange.

Structure

Leadership

The DPI is led by its director-general, currently Scott Hansen, who reports to the

Minister for Agriculture and Western New South Wales The New South Wales Minister for Agriculture is responsible for the administration and development of agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, state forests, biosecurity, and crown lands in New South Wales, Australia. The current minister, who also ...

, presently the Honourable

Adam Marshall Adam John Marshall (born 4 September 1984), an Australian politician, is the New South Wales Minister for Agriculture and Western New South Wales in the second Berejiklian ministry since April 2019. Marshall is a member of the New South Wales ...

. The DPI sits within the wider portfolio of the Department of Regional NSW, led by its secretary, currently Gary Barnes.

Divisions

, the DPI consists of the following divisions: *DPI Agriculture *DPI Biosecurity and Food Security *DPI Fisheries *DPI Investment and Business Development *DPI Engagement and Industry Assistance *DPI Research Excellence

Legislation

The DPIs powers are principally drawn from a range of legislation including the ''Biosecurity Act (2015)'' (NSW), ''Agricultural Industry Services Act (1998)'', ''Biological Control Act (1985)'', ''Forestry Act (1916)'', and ''Fisheries Management Act (1994)'', ''Fisheries Act (1935)'' plus over sixty other acts.

History

The first predecessor of the Department of Primary Industries was the Department of Mines and Agriculture, established on 3 November 1890. The first Department of Primary Industries was formed as a government department on 1 July 2004, with the amalgamation of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Mineral Resources, NSW Fisheries, Forestry Commission and State Forests. Barry Buffier was the inaugural director-general of the department. In 2009, it was abolished and amalgamated into the Department of Industry and Investment. On 4 April 2011, the Department of Primary Industries was re-established as a Division of the Government Service following the 2011 state election. Three months later, on 1 July 2011, the Department of Primary Services ceased to be a Division of the Government Service and became a departmental office under the Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure, which later became

Department of Industry Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

. The Department of Industry became the

(DPIE) in 2019. On 2 April 2020, the Department of Regional NSW was established and the Department of Primary Industries became part of the new department. On 3 November 2020, the DPI celebrated 130 years of its founding. On the same day, it moved its Orange office.

Headquarters

In 1992, the DPI headquarters moved from

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

to 161 Kite Street, Orange by the NSW Minister for Agriculture and Rural Affairs Ian Armstrong, as part of the state government's decentralisation plan. Armstrong would later be the Deputy Premier of New South Wales from 1993 to 1995. On 3 November 2020, the DPI headquarters moved to the newly opened Ian Armstrong Building, named after Armstrong, located on 105 Prince Street, Orange at the site of the former

Orange Base Hospital The Orange Health Service is a public hospital located on the Bloomfield Health Campus, approximately south of the city , New South Wales in Australia and is operated by Western NSW Local Health District. Orange Health Service was opened in 20 ...

. The building also houses offices of the Departments of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE), Regional NSW, Premier and Cabinet, and