The New South Wales Ministry of Health, branded NSW Health, is a ministerial department of the New South Wales Government. NSW Health supports the executive and statutory roles of the Ministers for

Health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...

, Regional Health,

Mental Health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...

, and

Medical Research Medical research (or biomedical research), also known as health research, refers to the process of using scientific methods with the aim to produce knowledge about human diseases, the prevention and treatment of illness, and the promotion of ...

. The Ministry also monitors the performance of the state-wide health organisations that collectively make up NSW Health.
Administrative Arrangements (Public Service agencies and Ministers) Order 2023
' ( NSW) sch 1 cl 1. It is primarily responsible for the

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

system in

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, particularly through

public hospital A public hospital, or government hospital, is a hospital which is government owned and is predominantly funded by the government and operates predominantly off the money that is collected from taxpayers to fund healthcare initiatives. In almost al ...

s as well as associated agencies and statutory authorities, such as the NSW Ambulance service. The provision of health services within the state is assigned to fifteen local health districts, who operate based on area, and two specialist networks, who operate based on other criteria. Together, these public health organisations provide services in a wide range of settings, from major metropolitan hospitals to primary care posts in the remote outback, as well as specialist custodial health services or children and paediatric services.
Health Services Act 1997
' ( NSW).

Leadership

The Ministry is led by its

Secretary A secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant, personal secretary, or other similar titles is an individual whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, program evalu ...

. Susan Pearce was appointed Secretary of NSW Health in March 2022. The Secretary reports to the following Ministers, who are responsible for the administration of the laws: * Minister for Health * Minister for Regional Health * Minister for Mental Health * Minister for Medical Research

Divisions

The Ministry is the executive department for the public health system within the state of NSW. The system consists of fifteen local health districts, which operate based on area, six statutory health corporations, including two specialty networks which operate based on patient criteria, and thirteen affiliated health organisations.

Local Health Districts

Local health districts are led by a board, members of which are appointed by the Ministers, and a

chief executive A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

, who is a member of the board appointed to the position with the consent of the Secretary. Local health districts operate based on geographical region, typically consisting of multiple

local government areas A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory. The ph ...

, and are responsible for all of the public hospitals and other public health services within their region. They are responsible for the coordination and governance of these health services, the planning, investigation and assessment of local health needs, their workforce (despite not being permitted to employ staff in their own right), and other operational and clinical aspects of public health. The areas which local health districts serve is defined by reference to local government areas, and for two districts an area not governed by a local government area. The 2016 local government amalgamations had a minor effect on the boundaries of the South Western Sydney and Sydney local health districts, due to the merger of the cities of Bankstown and

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

, however as the

legislation Legislation is the process or result of enrolling, enacting, or promulgating laws by a legislature, parliament, or analogous governing body. Before an item of legislation becomes law it may be known as a bill, and may be broadly referred ...

defining the boundaries of the districts was not changed, these two districts continue to administer the areas which were formerly councils. , the local health districts and their corresponding local government areas were: *Central Coast Local Health District, consisting of the Central Coast Council (previously the City of Gosford and Wyong Shire). *Far West Local Health District, consisting of Balranald Shire, the City of Broken Hill, Central Darling Shire, Wentworth Shire, and the Unincorporated Far West Region. *Hunter New England Local Health District, consisting of: **the cities of Cessnock, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, and Newcastle; **the councils of Glen Innes Severn, the Mid-Coast (previously the Gloucester Shire and the Councils of the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...

and the City of Greater Taree), Port Stephens, and Singleton; **the regional councils of Armidale (previously the Shires of Armidale Dumaresq and Guyra) and Tamworth; **the shires of Dungog, Gunnedah, Gwydir, Inverell, Liverpool Plains, Moree Plains, Muswellbrook, Narrabri, the Upper Hunter, Uralla, and Walcha; and **part of Tenterfield Shire. *Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, consisting of Municipality of Kiama, and the Cities of Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, and

Wollongong Wollongong ( ; Dharawal: ''Woolyungah'') is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near water' or 'sound ...

. *Mid North Coast Local Health District, consisting of Bellingen Shire, the City of Coffs Harbour, the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council (previously the Hastings Council), Kempsey Shire, and the Nambucca Valley Council. *Murrumbidgee Local Health District, consisting of: **the cities of Albury, Griffith, and Wagga Wagga; **the councils of the Edward River (previously the Conargo Shire and Deniliquin Council),

Federation A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...

(previously the

Corowa Corowa is a town in the state of New South Wales in Australia. It is on the bank of the Murray River, the border between New South Wales and Victoria, opposite the Victorian town of Wahgunyah. It is the largest town in the Federation Counci ...

and

Urana Urana is a small town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is in the Federation Council, New South Wales, Federation Council local government area. Urana is located between Lockhart, New South Wales, Lockhart and Jeril ...

Shires), Hilltops (previously the shires of

Boorowa Boorowa () is a farming village in the Hilltops Council, Hilltops Region in the South West Slopes, south west slopes of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in a valley southwest of Sydney around above sea-level. The town is in Hilltops C ...

, Harden, and

Young Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one's age is low, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an America ...

), the

Murray River The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray; Ngarrindjeri language, Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta language, Yorta Yorta: ''Dhungala'' or ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is List of rivers of Australia, Aust ...

(previously the shires of Murray and Wakool), Murrumbidgee (previously the shires of the namesake and

Jerilderie Jerilderie is a small, rural town in the central Riverina region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Murrumbidgee Council Local government areas of New South Wales, Local Government Area. At the , Jerilderie had a pop ...

), and the Snowy Valleys (previously the shires of

Tumbarumba Tumbarumba ( ) is a town in New South Wales, Australia, about southwest of the state capital, Sydney. Tumbarumba is located in the South West Slopes (New South Wales), South West Slopes region at the western edge of the Snowy Mountains. The s ...

and

Tumut Tumut () is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, situated on the banks of the Tumut River. Tumut sits on the north-west foothills of the Snowy Mountains and is located on the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri, Wolgalu ...

); **the regional council of Cootamundra–Gundagai Regional Council (previously the name-sake shires); **the shires of Berrigan, Bland, Carrathool, Coolamon, the Greater Hume,

Hay Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticate ...

Junee Junee () is a medium-sized town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The town's prosperity and mixed services economy is based on a combination of agriculture, rail transport, light industry and government services, and in par ...

, Leeton, Lockhart,

Narrandera Narrandera ( ), until around 1949 also spelled "Narandera", is a town located in the central Riverina region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The town lies on the junction of the Newell Highway, Newell and Sturt Highway, Sturt highwa ...

, and Temora; and **part of

Lachlan Shire Lachlan Shire is a local government area in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire is located adjacent to the Lachlan River, the Lachlan Valley Way and the Broken Hill railway line. The largest town and council sea ...

. *Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, consisting of the cities of Blue Mountains, Lithgow, Hawkesbury, and Penrith. *Northern NSW Local Health District, consisting of

Ballina Shire Ballina Shire is a local government area in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire was formed on 1 January 1977 by the amalgamation of the Municipality of Ballina and Tintenbar Shire. The Shire is located adjacent ...

Byron Shire Byron Shire is a Local government areas of New South Wales, local government area located in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. The shire is located adjacent to the ''Coral Sea'' about south of the Queensland border. The ...

, the

Clarence Valley Council Clarence Valley Council is a local government area in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. The council services an area of and draws its name from the Clarence River, which flows through most of the council area. The area ...

Kyogle Council Kyogle Council is a Local government in Australia, local government area in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. The council services an area of and is located adjacent to the Summerland Way and the North Coast railway line ...

City of Lismore The City of Lismore is a Local government in Australia, local government area in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. The seat of the local government area is Lismore, New South Wales, Lismore, a major regional centre of th ...

Richmond Valley Council Richmond Valley Council (RVC) is a local government area on the Northern Rivers region of north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. RVC services an area of and draws its name from the Richmond River, which flows through most of the council are ...

, the remainder of Tenterfield Shire, and

Tweed Shire Tweed Shire is a local government area located in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. It is adjacent to the border with Queensland, where that meets the Coral Sea. Administered from the town of Murwillumbah, Tweed Shire ...

. *Northern Sydney Local Health District, consisting of: **the cities of

Ryde Ryde is an English seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The built-up area had a population of 24,096 according to the 2021 Census. Its growth as a seaside resort came after the villages of Upper Ryde and ...

and Willoughby; **the councils of Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove,

Mosman Mosman is a suburb on the Lower North Shore region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mosman is located 8 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local governm ...

North Sydney North Sydney is a suburb and commercial district on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. And is the administrative centre for the local government area of North Sydney Council. History The Indigenous people on the s ...

, the

Northern Beaches The Northern Beaches is a region within Northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, near the Pacific coast. This area extends south to the entrance of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), west to Middle Harbour and north to the ...

(previously the Manly,

Pittwater Pittwater is a semi-mature tide dominated Ria, drowned valley estuary, located about north of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia; being one of the bodies of water that separate greater Metropolitan Sydney from th ...

and

Warringah Warringah ( ) is a name taken from the local Aboriginal word for Middle Harbour, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It may refer to: * Division of Warringah, an electoral division of the Australian House of Representatives created in 1922 * E ...

councils); **

Hornsby Shire Hornsby Shire is a local government area situated on the Upper North Shore as well as parts of the Hills District, of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The shire stretches from the M2 Hills Motorway in the south to the Hawkesb ...

; and **the

Municipality of Hunter's Hill The Municipality of Hunter's Hill or Hunter's Hill Council is a local government area on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The municipality was first proclaimed in 1861, which includes the suburbs of H ...

. *South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, consisting of: **the

City of Randwick The City of Randwick is a local government area in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1859, Randwick is the second-oldest local government area in New South Wales, after the City of Sydney. It comprises an ...

; **the councils of Bayside (previously

City of Botany Bay The City of Botany Bay was a local government area in the Eastern Suburbs region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The area encompassed the suburbs to the north of Botany Bay, such as Botany. First proclaimed in 1888 as the ...

City of Rockdale The City of Rockdale was a local government area in southern and St George regions of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The city centre was located south-west of the Sydney central business district, on the western shores of ...

Georges River The Georges River, also known as Tucoerah River, is an intermediate tide-dominated Ria, drowned valley estuary, that is located in Sydney, Australia. The Georges River is located south and south-west from the Sydney central business district, w ...

(previously

City of Hurstville The City of Hurstville was a local government area in the St George and southern region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The city seat of Hurstville was located southwest of Sydney and west of Botany Bay. Hurstville was incorporated as ...

and City of Kogarah), and Waverley; **the

Municipality of Woollahra Woollahra Municipal Council (or Woollahra Council) is a Local government in Australia, local government area in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), eastern suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woollahra is bounded by Port J ...

; **

Sutherland Shire Sutherland Shire is a local government area (LGA) in the southern region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sutherland Shire is located approximately south-southwest of the Sydney CBD, and comprises an area of . As at the ...

; and **part of the

City of Sydney The City of Sydney is the Local government in Australia, local government area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established by Act of Parliament ...

, along with

Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland Port ...

. *South Western Sydney Local Health District, consisting of: **the cities of Bankstown (as a part of the

City of Canterbury-Bankstown Canterbury-Bankstown Council, trading as the City of Canterbury Bankstown and stylised as CBCity, is a Local government areas of New South Wales, local government area in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Th ...

), Campbelltown, Fairfield, and

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

; **the council of Camden; and **the shires of Wingecarribee and

Wollondilly Wollondilly Shire is a periurban local government area that is located on the far southwest fringe of the Greater Sydney area in New South Wales, Australia. The local government area is part of the Macarthur and Blue Mountains regions. The Wol ...

. *Southern NSW Local Health District, consisting of: **the councils of Goulburn Mulwaree and Yass Valley; **the regional councils of Queanbeyan–Palerang (previously the City of the former and the Council of the latter), and Snowy Monaro (previously the shires of

Bombala Bombala is a town in the Monaro, New South Wales, Monaro region of far southern New South Wales, Australia, in Snowy Monaro Regional Council. It is approximately south-southwest of the state capital, Sydney, and south of the town of Cooma, Ne ...

, Cooma-Monaro, and the

Snowy River The Snowy River is a major river in south-eastern Australia. It originates on the slopes of Mount Kosciuszko, Australia's highest mainland peak, draining the eastern slopes of the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, before flowing through the ...

); and **the shires of Bega Valley, Eurobodalla, and the Upper Lachlan. *Sydney Local Health District, consisting of: **the cities of Canada Bay and

(as a part of the

); **the council of the

Inner West The Inner West of Sydney is an area directly west of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia. The suburbs that make up the Inner West are predominantly located along the southern shore of Port Jackson (Parramatta River) ...

(previously the municipalities of Ashfield and Leichhardt and

Marrickville Council Marrickville Council was a Local government in Australia, local government area located in the Inner West region of Sydney, Australia. It was originally created on 1 November 1861 as the "Municipality of Marrickville". On 12 May 2016, Marrickvi ...

); **the municipalities of Burwood and

Strathfield Strathfield is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the Municipality of Strathfield. A sma ...

; and **part of the

*Western NSW Local Health District, consisting of: **the City of Orange; **the councils of Cabonne and

Oberon Oberon () is a king of the fairy, fairies in Middle Ages, medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', in which he is King of the Fairies and spouse of Titania ...

; **the regional councils of Bathurst,

Dubbo Regional Council The Dubbo Regional Council is a Local government areas of New South Wales, local government area located in the Central West (New South Wales), Central West and Orana (New South Wales), Orana regions of New South Wales, Australia. The council was ...

(including the former Wellington Council), and the Mid-Western; **the shires of Blayney,

Bogan Bogan ( ) is Australian and New Zealand slang to describe a person whose speech, clothing, behaviour, or attitudes are considered unrefined or unsophisticated. Depending on the context, the term can be used pejoratively or in a humorous, self- ...

, Bourke,

Brewarrina Brewarrina (pronounced ''bree-warren-ah''; locally known as "Bre") is a town in north-west New South Wales, Australia on the banks of the Barwon River in Brewarrina Shire. It is east of Bourke and west of Walgett on the Kamilaroi Highway, a ...

Cobar Cobar is a town in Outback New South Wales, Australia, whose economy is based mainly upon base metals and gold mining. The town is by road northwest of the state capital, Sydney. It is at the crossroads of the Kidman Way and Barrier Highwa ...

, Coonamble,

Cowra Cowra () is a town in the Central West, New South Wales, Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre and the council seat for the Cowra Shire, with a population of 8,254. Cowra is located approximate ...

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

Gilgandra Gilgandra is a country town in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia, and services the surrounding agricultural area where wheat is grown extensively together with other cereal crops, and sheep and beef cattle are raised. The town i ...

Narromine Narromine (Help:IPA/English, /næroʊmaɪn/) is a rural Australian town located approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of Dubbo in the Orana, New South Wales, Orana region of New South Wales. The town is at the centre of Narromine Shire. ...

Parkes Parkes may refer to: * Sir Henry Parkes (1815–1896), Australian politician, one of the earliest and most prominent advocates for Australian federation Named for Henry Parkes * Parkes, New South Wales, a regional town * Parkes Observatory, a radi ...

Walgett Walgett is a town in northern New South Wales, Australia, and the seat of Walgett Shire. It is near the junctions of the Barwon and Namoi Rivers and the Kamilaroi and Castlereagh Highways. In 2021, Walgett had a population of 1,377. In the ...

, Warrumbungle, and Weddin; and **the remainder of

. *Western Sydney Local Health District, consisting of

Cumberland City Council Cumberland Council, trading as Cumberland City Council, is a local government area located in the western suburbs of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Council was formed on 12 May 2016 from the merger of parts of the Citie ...

(incorporating parts of the former cities of Auburn and Holroyd),

The Hills Shire The Hills Shire (known until 2008 as Baulkham Hills Shire) is a Local government in Australia, local government area in the Greater Western Sydney, Greater Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The area is north-west of the Sydney ...

(formerly Baulkham Hills Shire),

Blacktown City Council Blacktown City Council is a Local government in Australia, local government area in Western Sydney, situated on the Cumberland Plain, approximately west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Esta ...

, and the

City of Parramatta The City of Parramatta, also known as Parramatta Council, is a Local government in Australia, local government area located to the west and north-west of Sydney CBD in the Greater Western Sydney region. Parramatta Council is situated between th ...

Specialty Networks

The purpose of the specialty networks (also called 'statutory health corporations') is to provide services to target populations regardless of their area. These networks are as follows. *The Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network, responsible for providing health services to

inmates A prisoner, also known as an inmate or detainee, is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement or captivity in a prison or physical restraint. The term usually applies to one serving a Sentence (law), se ...

, adult or juvenile, held in

prisons in New South Wales Punishment in Australia arises when an individual has been accused or convicted of breaking the law through the Australian criminal justice system. Australia uses prisons, as well as community corrections (various non-custodial punishments suc ...

, as well as to forensic mental health patients, who have been

involuntarily committed Involuntary commitment, civil commitment, or involuntary hospitalization/hospitalisation, or informally in Britain sectioning, being sectioned, commitment, or being committed, is a legal process through which an individual who is deemed by a qual ...

after committing a

criminal offence In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Ca ...

as a result of a

plea of insanity The insanity defense, also known as the mental disorder defense, is an affirmative defense by excuse in a criminal case, arguing that the defendant is not responsible for their actions due to a psychiatric disease at the time of the criminal act ...

. This is contrast to those patients who are

by the

civil Civil may refer to: *Civility, orderly behavior and politeness *Civic virtue, the cultivation of habits important for the success of a society *Civil (journalism) ''The Colorado Sun'' is an online news outlet based in Denver, Colorado. It lau ...

courts, without having committed a crime, which are the responsibility of the local health districts, under the Mental Health Act 2007 (NSW).
Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020
' (

NSW New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a state on the east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south, and South Australia to the west. Its coast borders the Coral and Tasman Seas to the east. T ...

). *The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network (

Randwick Randwick is a suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Randwick is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government ar ...

and Westmead), with the specialised focus of children and paediatrics.

State-wide Health Services

* NSW Ambulance * NSW Health Pathology * Health Protection NSW * NSW Organ & Tissue Donation Service * Cancer Institute NSW

Other Statutory Health Corporations

* Agency for Clinical Innovation * Bureau of Health Information * Clinical Excellence Commission * Health Education and Training Institute NSW (HETI)

Shared Services

* HealthShare NSW * eHealth NSW * Health Infrastructure

Health Professional Councils

* Chinese Medicine Council of New South Wales * Chiropractic Council of New South Wales * Dental Council of New South Wales * Medical Council of New South Wales * Medical Radiation Practice Council of New South Wales * Nursing and Midwifery Council of New South Wales * Occupational Therapy Council of New South Wales * Optometry Council of New South Wales * Osteopathy Council of New South Wales * Pharmacy Council of New South Wales * Physiotherapy Council of New South Wales * Podiatry Council of New South Wales * Psychology Council of New South Wales

References

External links

* {{Authority control

Medical and health organisations based in New South Wales 1914 establishments in Australia Health policy in Australia