List of South Australian government agencies


Government in South Australia is delivered by a number of agencies, grouped under areas of portfolio responsibility. Each portfolio is led by a government minister who is a member of the Parliament of South Australia, appointed by the Governor as the representative of the Crown.
The agencies are principally grouped around departments, each led by a secretary, director-general or similarly title executive officer and comprising a number of portfolios covering specific policy areas across the department and allocated statutory authorities, trading enterprises, boards, councils and other public bodies.
Agencies have varying levels of operational autonomy, and deliver one or more of frontline public services, administrative functions and law enforcement. Some are structured as for-profit corporations. Where there are multiple portfolios within a department, directors-general may be accountable to a number of ministers.
All agencies are identifiable by their corporate logo, which features in agency advertising, publications and correspondence, pictured right.
A list of articles on South Australian government agencies sorted alphabetically is available at Government agencies of South Australia. The South Australian government maintains a list of agencies and their contact details at its website.

Attorney-General's Department

The South Australian Attorney-General's Department brings together a diverse group of functions across justice, rights protection and public safety on behalf of the community. Agencies include:

Auditor-General's Department

The Auditor-General's Department provides the Parliament and public sector entities with independent professional opinions on matters related to financial management, compliance with legislative requirements.

Department for Human Services

The Department for Human Services brings together a range of services, funding and policy responsibilities which together support safety, equality, opportunity and justice across South Australia. The Department includes:
  • Community and Organisational Support
  • Disability SA
  • Disability Services
  • Domiciliary Care
  • Financial and Business Services
  • Housing SA
  • HomeStart Finance
  • Interpreting and Translating Centre
  • Multicultural SA
  • NDIS and Service Reform
  • Northern Connections
  • Office for Problem Gambling
  • Office for Volunteers
  • Office for Women
  • Office for Youth
  • Policy and Community Development
  • Procurement and Grants
  • Screening Unit
  • Southern Connections
  • State Recovery
  • Youth Justice

Department for Child Protection

  • Department for Child Protection

Department for Correctional Services

  • Department for Correctional Services

South Australian Country Fire Service

Courts Administration Authority

  • Courts Administration Authority

Defence SA

  • Defence SA

Electoral Commission of South Australia

Department for Education

The Department for Education delivers and coordinates children's services and schooling.

Department for Health and Wellbeing (SA Health)

SA Health is responsible for protecting and improving public health by providing leadership in health reform, policy development and planning:
Local Health Networks :
The following agencies report to a designated LHN:
  • SA Dental Service
  • Breastscreen SA
  • Donate Life
  • Prison Health
  • SA Pathology
  • SA Medical Imaging
  • SA Pharmacy
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Sterilisation
Department for Health and Ageing divisions:
  • Office for the Ageing
  • *Adelaide Aged Care Assessment Team
  • *Seniors Card
  • *retirement villages
  • Public Health and Clinical Systems
  • *public health
  • *communicable disease control
  • *emergency management
  • *health promotion
  • Health Reform
  • *delivery of the New Royal Adelaide Hospital and Glenside Campus redevelopment
  • *South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute
  • *alignment with national reform agenda
  • E-Health Systems
  • *EPAS
  • *information strategy
  • *ICT
  • Health System Development
  • *Aboriginal health
  • *media and communications, intergovernment relations
  • *service development
  • Mental Health and Substance Abuse
  • *mental health operations
  • *Drug and Alcohol Services SA
  • SA Health Workforce
  • *human resources and workforce health
  • *organisational development and learning
  • Health System Performance
  • *assets, finance, revenue, procurement
  • *records management

Legal Services Commission

  • The Legal Services Commission is a statutory authority, independent of government, "funded by both the South Australian and the Commonwealth Governments to provide legal assistance to South Australians".

South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service

Department for Infrastructure and Transport

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport has responsibilities in relation to guiding and administering the South Australian planning and development assessment system, and for transport system and services. The department also works regularly with police in regards to motor vehicle registration, enforcement of speed limits and other road matters.

Department of the Premier and Cabinet

The Department of the Premier and Cabinet provides central agency leadership on matters that affect South Australia's prosperity. It provides economic and policy advice to support the government's strategic priorities, the state's international relationships and the management of ICT Strategy, innovation and investment. DPC publishes and advances South Australia's Strategic Plan and has expressed commitments to community engagement, excellence in service delivery and good business practice.
Its responsibilities include, among others:

Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA)

Primary Industries and Regions SA, formerly the Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia, is an agency focussed on driving economic growth in the state. Its aim is to "grow primary industries and drive regional development". Its key areas of work include primary sector industries, marine aquaculture, and Biosecurity.
The South Australian Research and Development Institute is the state government's principal research institute, and forms part of PIRSA.

Department of Treasury and Finance

Department of Treasury and Finance, in the portfolio of the Treasurer of South Australia, provides economic, policy and financial advice to the Government, manages the whole of Government financial management processes, including preparation of the state budget, and provides finance-related services across Government.
, the Urban Renewal Authority, trading as Renewal SA, is within the Treasurer's portfolio.

Department of Trade and Investment

The Department for Trade and Investment exists in order to foster economic growth in the state, by attracting new foreign investment as well as increasing exports in appropriate sectors. It uses the branding "South Australia" and "I choose SA" to promote investment.
The Planning and Land Use Services division, also known as PlanSA, lies within this department, and the Office for Design and Architecture SA within that. The ODASA team is led by the South Australian Government Architect and has expertise in architecture, heritage, landscape architecture, urban design and urban planning. The Government Architect role in South Australia:
  • oversees the state's Design Review program
  • provides independent design advice on large-scale development proposals
  • supports current planning reforms and the State Planning Commission
  • provides independent design advice to Cabinet
  • supports infrastructure, planning delivery across government
  • supports government procurement

SAFECOM

The South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission oversees volunteers and employees within the fire and emergency services sector.
SAFECOM works with are:
SAFECOM submits an annual report to the Minister for Emergency Services each year.

South Australia Police

Department for Innovation and Skills

State Emergency Service

  • State Emergency Service

Unclassified