Wine Industry Newsletter

Department amalgamation

The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) will become part of the new Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development from 1 July 2017.

This new department will bring agriculture together with the staff and functions of the departments of Fisheries and Regional Development and nine Regional Development Commissions.

Leading the amalgamated department will be Ralph Addis, Director General of the Department of Regional Development.  Ralph will be working closely with DAFWA’s Acting Director General Mark Sweetingham to ensure the vision for agriculture stays at the forefront of this new agency.

This will be a staged and smooth transition and there should be minimal disruption to DAFWA’s day-to-day operations and services. Legislative and regulatory requirements will continue to be met throughout this process.

This public sector renewal process represents a very significant structural change across government and for the individual agencies forming this new department.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development will provide a stronger, more focused and unified service of Western Australia’s vital primary industries and regions.

DAFWA will continue to work closely with the WA wine industry and will keep our stakeholders and clients updated as we form the new department.