Our Corporate plan 2025–29 explains who we are, what we do and where we are going.
It outlines our:
Our department recognises the First Peoples of this Nation and their ongoing cultural and spiritual connections to the lands, waters, seas, skies, and communities.
We Acknowledge First Nations Peoples as the Traditional Custodians and Lore Keepers of the oldest living culture and pay respects to their Elders past and present. We extend that respect to all First Nations Peoples.
Artwork by Chern’ee Sutton, 2024
DISR Journey
This artwork represents all elements of the department. In particular, the rings represent Science, Resources and Industry and the U symbols are the people who work within. The large yellow ring represents the sun, symbolising the bright future the department is creating through their work and Reconciliation Action Plan.
The Department of Industry, Science and Resources and our broader portfolio are integral to the Australian Government’s agenda for a Future Made in Australia.
Our purpose is to help the government build a better future for all Australians through enabling a productive, resilient and sustainable economy, enriched by science and technology.
We do this by:
Across our department’s areas of responsibility, we will be working to maximise opportunities as we move towards a net zero future and to secure Australia’s place in a changing global environment. We support the science, research and critical technologies that will deliver economic and social benefits into the future.
We will do this within a complex and interconnected operating environment by working with Australian government agencies, states and territories, international counterparts and other diverse stakeholders. Our support for businesses and industries seeks to reduce barriers to productivity improvement, establish appropriate regulatory frameworks and provide targeted investment and services.
People and businesses are at the centre of our policy and program design, and delivery. We commit to strengthening relationships with First Nations Peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse communities and organisations.
We will be able to deliver our purpose thanks to our people, systems and services. Through annual business and workforce planning and capability programs, we will maintain our capability, and we will look to adopt new technologies and ways of working. We will maintain a culture of being curious, connected, collaborative and caring, allowing people to feel valued and perform at their best.
This corporate plan is for the reporting period 2025–26 to 2028–29. It is our primary planning document and sets out how we will support our ministers and deliver on the government’s agenda.
I am pleased to present the corporate plan as required under paragraph 35(1)(b) of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act).
I look forward to reporting on progress in our annual report.
Our purpose: Building a better future for all Australians through enabling a productive, resilient and sustainable economy, enriched by science and technology.
Our key activities, which fall under under Industry and Science and Resources, are:
Key activity 1.1: Growing innovative and competitive businesses, industries and regions.
Key activity 1.2: Investing in science and technology.
Key activity 1.3: Supporting a strong resources sector.
We will meet our responsibilities under the Administrative Arrangements Order, support the government’s agenda for a Future Made in Australia and achieve our purpose through the following key activities and strategic priorities.
Troy Sloan at the bottom of the blast furnace at Whyalla Steelworks
We are building and supporting a flexible and resilient economy for Australia that identifies and adapts to new markets and emerging opportunities. Strategic priorities under this activity include:
NAIC held the latest AI Industry Connection event in Melbourne in March in partnership with Australian Industry Group (Ai Group)
Science and technology are important for economic growth and underpin the competitiveness of businesses and the adaptability of society. Strategic priorities under this activity include:
Staff in Adelaide State Office reading the Future Gas Strategy
A sustainable Australian resources sector attracts private sector investment, encourages the use of innovative technologies and meets community expectations. Strategic priorities under this activity include:
DISR’s overseas counsellors attending an all-staff event and panel discussion in June 2025
The Australian economy is resilient but faces an increasingly complex and uncertain operating environment. While inflation is easing and business investment and the labour market are strong, continued low productivity growth will make economic growth harder.
Changes to the global landscape are testing the outlook for global growth and will continue to pose risks to our economic security. Ongoing geopolitical tensions, including conflicts and heightened geopolitical competition and fragmentation continue to affect Australia’s trading environment and economic outlook. The unpredictability of current tariff policy and reciprocal trade measures are making global trade flows volatile, challenging supply chains and posing risks of trade diversion. This coincides with structural changes occurring across the global economy, including through the energy transition.
In this time of global uncertainty and transformation, it is more important than ever to ensure that we leverage our strengths. Australia’s strategic strengths include access to renewable energy sources, resources, R&D excellence, human capital and strong international partnerships. Now is also the time to identify new pathways for growth, including by adopting advanced technologies such as AI and technologies relevant to the net zero transition.
We improve Australian businesses access to timely and effective remedies against unfair trade practices. We will implement the government’s commitment to strengthen Australia’s anti-dumping system to uphold a level playing field. By fostering a fair and competitive environment, we aim to protect local industry and encourage continued investment in Australia’s economic future.
The Industry Growth Program inducted the first of 2 groups of its new advisers. These advisers work with small to medium enterprises to develop commercialisation and growth strategies. The engagement of the new advisers will reduce waiting times for companies seeking access to the advisory service
We will need to manage the impact of structural adjustment on Australian industries and business, while supporting opportunities to broaden our industrial base and strengthen our sovereign capabilities. We are working to support industry transitions through targeted government support, including stabilising and securing the future of the Whyalla Steelworks in partnership with the South Australian Government. We have designed our policies and programs to stimulate high-growth industries and support the commercialisation of Australian research and ideas into high-value, in-demand products and services.
We are supporting the decarbonisation and growth of our green metals sector by backing early mover green iron manufacturers with the capital costs of establishing commercial-scale facilities. We are also establishing targeted funding to support aluminium producers to use more renewable energy. Alongside this, we are working with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to deliver the Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund. This supports green metals and clean energy technology manufacturers to accelerate advancements in technology.
Under the National Battery Strategy, we will work with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to deliver the Battery Breakthrough Initiative. This provides targeted funding to support battery manufacturers to make high-value products and build scale across the value chain in Australia. The strategy sets out the government’s plan for building a diverse and competitive battery industry to improve Australia’s economic resilience and security. It complements cross-government priorities including the NRF Corporation, the National Electric Vehicle Strategy, Rewiring the Nation, the Critical Minerals Strategy, and Commonwealth procurement reforms.
We are working towards net zero. This includes working across government, industry, business, researchers and communities on industry and resources sector decarbonisation to identify emission reduction pathways while boosting growth and competitiveness for industries.
We are delivering the Industry Growth Program in line with the government’s commitment to help build Australia’s manufacturing capability. The program supports innovative start-ups and small and medium enterprises with high-growth potential in priority areas consistent with the NRF. With the program’s help, these enterprises can commercialise their ideas and significantly scale their businesses with innovative projects.
Our delivery of the R&D Tax Incentive program continues to support business investment in R&D. This is helping drive innovation that provides economic and social benefits for all Australians. We are also supporting job creation and retention through our administration of the Australian Jobs Act 2013 (Jobs Act). This ensures eligible Australian businesses can tender for the supply of goods or services for projects.
We recognise the importance of regions in Australia’s economic prosperity and security. Working with our portfolio agency, the Net Zero Economy Authority, we are supporting the economic transition of industries in our regions to net zero while ensuring communities share in the benefits from Future Made in Australia investments through our implementation of the Community Benefits Principles. Additionally, our Business Outreach Network works across Australia to connect local regions, communities and businesses to government initiatives and help inform policy development.
To support ongoing procurement reforms, we are working with industry and government to leverage government purchasing power and improve procurement processes. Through the Australian Industry Participation Authority, we are regulating proponents of major projects to give Australian entities full, fair and reasonable opportunity to participate in supply chains. This helps to build industry capability and strengthen domestic supply chains. We will continue supporting the government’s supply chain work with domestic and international partners. We will also continue to identify and monitor vulnerabilities in supply chains to improve resilience, ensuring Australia’s industries and economy can access the critical goods and services they need.
Questacon marked a milestone celebrating its 13 millionth visitor to the centre. Over 100 students from Seaforth Public School were greeted by Senator the Hon Tim Ayres, Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science, Secretary Meghan Quinn and Questacon Director Jo White. Questacon’s Excited Particles performed a science demonstration with liquid nitrogen alongside whizzing balloons and confetti
Science and technology underpin the development of new businesses and industries and enable those existing to innovate and grow.
The opportunities to boost productivity, grow wages and uplift living standards by accelerating the adoption of AI are significant. We will support the government and industry to capture the opportunities of AI, support sensible transitions and appropriately mitigate risks where possible. Our National AI Centre (NAIC) guides and supports industry to adopt AI that is fit-for-purpose and collaboratively designed in partnership with stakeholders. NAIC’s goal is to build Australia’s confidence and leadership in AI adoption and innovation.
The National Science Statement and the National Science and Research Priorities provide a long-term vision for Australian science. They will support First Nations Peoples’ knowledge together with broader science systems and help to align effort and investment to deliver greater benefits to Australia. We are also seeking, through a strategic examination of the research and development (R&D) system, to maximise the impact of R&D on Australia’s long-term productivity and prosperity. Led by an independent expert panel, the examination will explore how Australia can strengthen the R&D system and reignite further investment to reverse the decline in business R&D investment.
Safeguarding Australia’s scientific and technological advancement to maintain our competitive edge continues to be a priority. We will support the government to create an environment that develops Australian know-how and harnesses investments in science and technology to improve the lives of Australians and grow technology-related jobs to 1.2 million by 2030.
Through the Cooperative Research Centres Program we are supporting collaborative research partnerships between industry and research organisations to address industry research and development needs. The program harnesses industry-research collaboration to develop, translate and commercialise industry innovations (particularly for small and medium-sized businesses) in line with government priorities.
Critical technologies like AI, quantum and robotics will shape the future economic and geopolitical landscape. We are providing targeted support to technologies that make the most of Australia’s potential and deliver solutions to real-world problems for commercial and societal gain.
We are implementing the National Quantum Strategy to build on and extend Australia’s strengths in quantum technologies, including by supporting the government’s investments in PsiQuantum and Silicon Quantum Computing. We are supporting the government’s investment to establish Quantum Australia, a national centre to foster collaboration and raise awareness of quantum technology. We continue to administer the Critical Technologies Challenge Program, which provides grant funding to projects using quantum technology to solve national challenges.
We are engaging all Australians in STEM, to grow a thriving, skilled and diverse STEM workforce. Programs that attract and retain women and other under-represented cohorts in STEM education and jobs help to break down systemic barriers to participation. In this way, we can help build the pipeline of STEM skills and the workforce our economy needs.
We are encouraging STEM education and career pathways for Australians through Questacon, the National Science and Technology Centre. Questacon delivers inclusive and diverse national programs, digital activities, interactive exhibits and facilities relating to Australian science, technology and innovation.
We support Australia’s Chief Scientist and the National Science and Technology Council to provide authoritative, independent advice on whole-of-government science, research, technology and innovation priorities. To do so, we work with the science and research community to promote and enable Australia’s world-leading scientific research.
Our international engagement is building partnerships that showcase Australian knowledge and increase access to international science and technology developments. We are working with Australian and international organisations to establish trusted technology frameworks and shape the global standards and ethics that will guide the development of safe and trusted technologies.
To support Australia’s high-tech future, we are ensuring there is a regulatory framework for the Australian space sector. This framework will mean that space services, capability and investment are responsible and support the broader economy. We are implementing the Technology Safeguards Agreement with the United States that will create the potential for new space-related commercial opportunities. The ‘Roo-ver’ lunar rover mission is progressing in collaboration with Australian research and industry partners, supporting the growth of Australian critical technology and science capabilities. Construction is also progressing on the Square Kilometre Array, a global project that will expand our understanding of the universe.
We continue to maintain Australia’s sovereign measurement science capabilities through the National Measurement Institute (NMI). NMI’s measurement services and regulation strengthen the international competitiveness of Australian businesses and underpin Australians’ confidence in products and services.
The WA State Office welcomed the Hon Madeleine King MP, Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia. The Minister met with staff to express her appreciation for the work being done in Western Australia to support the government’s priorities
A strong, competitive and sustainable resources sector is crucial to Australia’s economic prosperity and resilience. We are supporting the resources sector to improve productivity, adapt to changing markets, and provide employment opportunities well into the future, particularly in regional Australia.
In doing this, we are reinforcing whole-of-government priorities, including engagement and partnership with First Nations Peoples and promoting gender equality and onsite safety. We want to ensure the development of Australia’s resources happens safely and benefits all Australians.
The resources sector has an important role to play in the transition to net zero. The production of raw and processed critical minerals will need to scale up significantly as will the commercial scale deployment of carbon capture and storage. The International Energy Agency forecasts that global demand for minerals needed for developing clean energy technologies could double or even quadruple by 2040.
To meet net zero whole-of-economy emissions by 2050, Australia needs a pathway to decarbonise. Australia’s energy exports will support our trading partners as they implement decarbonisation initiatives to achieve net zero. Australia’s minerals and resources will play an increasingly important role supporting our partners’ energy security and net zero transitions.
We need to carefully manage our domestic energy security with the needs of trading partners. These partners invest in the resources sector and rely on Australian commodities for their own energy security. Australian gas will play an important role in an orderly domestic and global energy transformation. The Future Gas Strategy will guide our policy making on gas, including the Gas Market Review into the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism, the Heads of Agreement with the east coast LNG producers, and the Gas Market Code, to support Australia’s energy system to reach net zero in Australia by 2050.
We are continuing to implement the Critical Minerals Strategy. The strategy recognises that the Australian Government cannot deliver the objectives on its own. The government will need to work closely with industry, First Nations communities, the research community, state and territory governments and international partners. Grant programs, R&D investment and specialist investment vehicles such as the Critical Minerals Facility support the growth of the critical minerals sector.
Together with the Treasury, we will implement the Critical Minerals Production Tax Incentive to help offset the costs of processing critical minerals in Australia. These policy actions and collaboration intend to attract international investment and help Australia’s critical minerals sector build, scale and grow downstream processing capabilities. This helps to build secure, resilient and diversified critical minerals supply chains and bolster national security.
The Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve will maximise the strategic value of Australia’s mineral resources and respond to trade and market disruptions from a position of strength. The reserve will focus on a subset of critical minerals, including rare earths, that are most important for national security, critical technologies and the strategic purposes of Australia and our likeminded partners. It will explore this through National Offtake Agreements acquired voluntarily from commercial projects and held under security, and through selective stockpiling. We will contribute to, and work with, a dedicated taskforce in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to establish the Strategic Reserve by the second half of 2026.
Managing offshore oil, gas, and greenhouse gas storage activities, radioactive waste and mine rehabilitation requires an environmentally responsible approach. We will continue working with the offshore petroleum industry and regulators to advance proactive planning for decommissioning and growth of domestic decommissioning capability. Reforms for financial assurance of offshore decommissioning activities will ensure that industry meets all costs and liabilities over the life of offshore projects. We are continuing to decommission the Northern Endeavour facility and are overseeing rehabilitation of the Ranger and Rum Jungle former uranium mine sites in the Northern Territory.
Our aim is that Australia’s offshore regime remains world-leading in the protection of the safety of workers and the environment. Along with reviewing the offshore environmental management regime, we are supporting the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) as it reviews its funding and cost recovery model to address the increasing complexity of the operating environment.
Through the work of ARWA, we are leading the government’s approach to the safe and secure long-term management and disposal of Australia’s radioactive waste. ARWA is progressing proposals for the storage and disposal of the Commonwealth’s radioactive waste to protect people and the environment for generations to come.
We are committed to equipping our people to effectively support the government, industry and the community. Our structure aligns our functions with our key activities and strengthens excellence across policy, program, regulatory and enabling areas.
National Reconciliation Week 2025 water ceremony
Our people are our greatest asset, and we remain focused on investing in their capability and providing the tools that support their success.
Over the next 4 years, we will continue to ensure we have the right capabilities in place, and that we carry out our work in the most effective way. We will look to harness the benefits of new technologies, such as AI, to improve the way we deliver our work and boost productivity.
Our key focus areas for investing in our people and workplaces include:
Our approach is supported through our:
We continue to strengthen our internal capability and progressively reduce our reliance on outsourced roles in accordance with the APS Strategic Commissioning Framework. In 2025–26, we will look at areas such as ICT, administration and procurement. We will access the expertise of an external workforce (labour hire, contractors and consultants) for roles that are highly technical, specialised or require independence. We may also use them for genuine periods of high demand or where recruitment efforts have been unsuccessful.
Across the country, staff celebrated the Lunar New Year by attending events organised by our Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (CALD) Network. In Canberra, staff gathered to watch a colourful and joyous lion dance
Supported by staff located across Australia, our Business Grants Hub works with policy partners to deliver grant administration services for us and 10 other Australian Government agencies.
Additionally, we use our payroll processing and Aurion systems expertise to provide payroll services to 15 Australian Government agencies, with more agencies to onboard during 2025–26.
Over the next 4 years, we will adapt our systems and processes to maximise the benefits of emerging technologies, enabling more efficient service delivery and enhanced insights. This approach will assist client agencies in supporting their policy development and workforce management.
Through our Single Business Service (business.gov.au and business contact centre), we provide cross-government support for businesses. This support collates information and resources from all levels of government into a single service, so that Australia’s business community have what they need, when they need it.
We are adopting AI responsibly, guided by strong governance frameworks including:
Implementing Copilot for Microsoft 365 is helping us build an AI-literate workforce and maximise the benefits of emerging technologies. We are also developing custom AI solutions to mitigate program risks, ensure compliance, and enhance our knowledge management and organisational productivity. As we deploy these solutions, we will work closely with our staff to ensure seamless integration across our systems and processes, thereby delivering greater value.
We are strengthening our technology and data capabilities to deliver better outcomes for government and the Australian people. Our focus is on improving the tools our staff use, enhancing customer experiences and fostering innovation through secure and efficient ICT platforms.
Our integrated Data and Digital Strategy 2025–2027 will ensure we remain a data-driven and digitally enabled department that delivers simple, secure and connected services and evidence-based policies and programs. It will maximise our Data Science Platform and Data Management and Analytics Platform, which enables us to deliver scalable solutions that improve efficiency and value. Digital tools will be embedded across our policies and programs.
Over the next 4 years, we will continue to invest in digital infrastructure that supports collaboration and aligns with the 2023–2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy. This contributes to the government’s vision of becoming a world leader in cyber security by 2030.
We are building our cultural and partnering capabilities to carry out the Data and Digital Government Strategy and implement the Framework for the Governance of Indigenous Data. Our Evaluation Strategy 2024–28 also complements this work in supporting evidence-based policy decisions and continuous improvements.
Our growing capabilities empower staff to:
A behind the scenes look at managing the audio-visual logistics of the All Staff Event Post Budget May 2025
We work closely with the other entities in our portfolio to provide advice and deliver services to business, the community and other Australian Government portfolios.
Beyond our portfolio, we also connect and work with a diverse range of stakeholders and partners. Best practice engagement approaches are a core part of our policy making, program delivery and customer outreach. This aligns with our commitment to APS reform and the Charter of Partnerships and Engagement. This includes our engagement with the National Indigenous Australians Agency and fostering purpose-driven relationships with First Nations communities, businesses and organisations.
We engage across government on cross-cutting policy issues, including leading whole-of-government coordination and advice on critical technologies, the digital economy and supply chain resilience.
The department does not have any subsidiaries.
The department and its portfolio entities use these tools to support sectors and stakeholders and achieve our purpose.
Our strong governance arrangements help us to achieve our purpose and comply with legislative, regulatory, financial and other obligations. Arrangements support the Secretary to discharge duties under the PGPA Act and Public Service Act 1999.
Our governance committee structure provides assurance and oversight of management responsibilities and compliance. The structure includes the Executive Board and sub-committees that cover:
Other committees and working groups across the department oversee topical strategic and operational matters, such as AI and digital adoption.
Our accountable authority is the DISR Secretary, Meghan Quinn PSM.
The department’s key governance committees are the Executive Board and the board’s 3 subcommittees. The subcommittees are:
Other departmental committees and working groups contribute to our governance as well.
The department also has an independent Audit and Risk Committee, which is accountable directly to the secretary. The Audit and Risk Committee has a Financial Statements Subcommittee with an independent chair.
We have embedded risk management in our governance structure, policies and processes. Our risk management framework supports us to meet obligations under section 16 of the PGPA Act and reflects the Commonwealth Risk Management Policy. It guides how we respond to evolving opportunities and threats in line with our risk appetite.
Our risk management activities include:
We are committed to uplifting our risk management capability and culture across the department. The Chief Risk Officer, together with our leadership team, is driving our activities to ensure staff feel comfortable discussing risk, understand their responsibilities, have access to support and receive clear risk messaging from leaders.
In managing enterprise risk, integrity is at the core of the advice we give, decisions we make, information we hold and ways our people behave. We are focusing on building a ‘safe to speak up’ culture, where our people have support to engage with emerging risks and make decisions based on sound judgement.
We are committed to managing climate risks and opportunities in support of the government’s net zero targets and climate adaptation goals. We recognise our responsibility to be more prepared and responsive to the increasing impact of climate change on the environment, society and the economy.
Over the next 4 years, we will continue refining our framework and suite of tools and guidance to reflect contemporary risk management practices.
We embrace and promote a healthy attitude to risk. This means we accept risks that help us meet our obligations, seize opportunities, promote efficiencies and support innovation in our dynamic and diverse portfolio. We try to achieve the right balance between engaging with risk and being accountable. This maintains the confidence and trust of the government, industry and public, and sustains our influence. We consider our appetite for taking risk in the context of the type and nature of each risk we take, including potential consequences.
| Enterprise strategic risk | Risk management approach |
|---|---|
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Confidence and trust We maintain the confidence and trust of government, industry and the public. Responsible committee: Performance and Risk Committee |
We engage, consult and collaborate with stakeholders to maintain confidence in our ability to deliver strategic initiatives and programs that support government policy and the Australian public.
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Delivery We deliver key activities to achieve the department’s strategic priorities. Responsible committee: Performance and Risk Committee |
We assess our delivery portfolio outcomes against performance measures that are monitored regularly and published in our annual report. We test the complexity of our delivery outputs to ensure they are adequately resourced, supported and receive the correct level of oversight. |
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Relationship and influence We are influential, including with our complex and extensive stakeholder networks. Responsible committee: Performance and Risk Committee |
We keep the government, public and our ministers informed and well prepared through accurate and timely advice. |
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Staff capability We attract, develop and retain the people capability we need. Responsible committee: People, Safety and Culture Committee |
We use agile approaches to attract, recruit and retain staff and monitor the status of our critical roles. We invest in our people through training and leadership opportunities to maximise personal development. We are future focused, harnessing adaptable skills in a new technology landscape. We continue to mature our diversity and inclusion through new workplace strategies and an environment where continual learning is encouraged and supported at all levels. We provide all staff with leadership development opportunities in a supportive environment. |
| Enterprise operational risk | Risk management approach |
|---|---|
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Information and system security We protect our information and information systems. Responsible committee: Operations Committee |
We continue to evolve our roadmap for optimising information and communication technology opportunities in response to changing security challenges. We focus on emerging technology challenges such as AI and quantum cryptography and the ever-changing cyber security threat landscape. We strive to ensure our protective security is effective, meets the highest standards and aligns with government frameworks. |
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Safe work environment We maintain a work environment that is safe and promotes wellbeing. Responsible committee: People, Safety and Culture Committee |
We create a safe working environment for all, which is free from physical or psychological harm. We do this through governance of work health and safety practices and ongoing consultation with staff. |
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Integrity We maintain good governance and ethical standards and adhere to our legal obligations. Responsible committee: Performance and Risk Committee |
Our governance approach supports transparency in decision-making, accountability and integrity and a safe to speak up culture. Our Executive Board and its sub-committees manage enterprise risk oversight. This ensures we can manage risks appropriately and respond to evolving opportunities and threats in line with the enterprise risk appetite. We implement government priorities in line with legislation, frameworks and guidance. |
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Financial We maintain our financial sustainability. Responsible committee: Operations Committee |
We implement financial governance mechanisms to ensure efficient, effective and transparent expenditure of public monies. We have open discussions to reallocate funding where required. We follow policies and legal requirements for necessary checks and qualifications before allocating any funding, grants or subsidies. |
Our performance shows accountability to our ministers, the government, the parliament and the Australian public.
We publish performance measures through this plan and the Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS). We report performance results in our annual report through the annual performance statements that the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) audits.
Some of our strategic priorities relate to activities that are overarching in scope or too early in their development for meaningful performance measurement. We update our performance measures as these activities progress, while building on lessons learned through ANAO audits. We do this as part of regular review under our enterprise performance framework.
Support economic growth, productivity and job creation for all Australians by investing in science and technology, growing innovative and competitive businesses, industries and regions, and supporting a strong resources sector.
We provide regulatory functions to support and improve businesses and the Australian community. The Australian Government regulator stocktake sets out these functions.
We measure regulator performance drawing on 3 best practice principles in the Resource Management Guide 128: Regulator performance:
We have developed performance measures where regulatory functions reflect a key contribution to our key activities.
Our performance measures relate directly to our purpose and key activities. They do not describe everything we do, but focus on activities that make a significant contribution to achieving our purpose and key activities. We use qualitative and quantitative measures to assess our outputs, efficiency and effectiveness over time.
Performance information for each key activity is as follows:
This activity aims to support the growth of innovative and competitive businesses, industries and regions. It also aims to build a diversified, flexible, resilient and dynamic economic base that can identify and adapt to new markets and emerging opportunities. It relates to PBS 2025–26 Outcome 1, Program 1.1.
| Measure details | Measure description |
|---|---|
| Type | Effectiveness |
| Target 2025–26 to 2028–29 | At least $1.20 of business co-investment for every $1.00 of grant funding, in total across portfolio programs that require business co-investment. |
| Why this matters | Investment in critical sectors, including manufacturing and commercialisation, will have flow-on benefits to the broader economy. |
| Data source | The department’s internally maintained Business Grants Management System and other departmental records. |
| Methodology | We take the sum of business co-investment or co-contribution across all of the department’s grants programs and divide by the grant funding from the department. |
| Change from previous year | No change from the previous year. |
| Measure details | Measure description |
|---|---|
| Type | Output |
| Target 2025–26 to 2028–29 | 25% or more of total Business Outreach Network engagements delivered to regional businesses. |
| Why this matters | Regions are a significant contributor to Australia’s economy. Helping to unlock their economic potential through supporting regional businesses to enable job creation is key to helping Australia’s long-term growth and sustainability. |
| Data source | The departmental Customer Relationship Management System. Data on regional businesses sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). |
| Methodology | We calculate the number of regional manager engagements (appointments, phone calls, and emails) with regional businesses as a proportion of their engagements with all businesses. |
| Change from previous year | No change from the previous year. |
| Measure details | Measure description |
|---|---|
| Type | Efficiency |
| Target 2025–26 to 2028–29 |
Year-on-year maintenance of, or increase in, the percentage of key grant activities achieved within agreed timeframes, comprised of the percentage of:
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| Why this matters | As part of growing innovative and competitive businesses, the department aims to ensure businesses can easily access the help they need. We do this by ensuring grant recipients experience timely action from the department in entering into grant agreements and receiving milestone payments. |
| Data source | The department’s internally maintained Business Grants Management System. |
| Methodology | We look at the proportion of key activities (comprised of agreements executed and progress payments made) achieved within target timeframes. |
| Change from previous year | New measure. |
| Measure details | Measure description |
|---|---|
| Type | Effectiveness |
| Target 2025–26 to 2028–29 |
Maintain or increase:
Baseline set in 2024–25. |
| Why this matters |
The AIP Authority is the regulator of the Jobs Act. It assists proponents of major projects to understand the obligations of the Jobs Act. It also monitors and evaluates actions undertaken by proponents as described in AIP plans and compliance reports. AIP plans describe the actions proponents will take to meet the obligations. The AIP Authority ensures AIP plans are appropriate and proponent actions comply with the plans. By doing this, it helps Australian entities to have full, fair and reasonable opportunity to supply goods and services to major projects. An increase in the percentage of new suppliers engaged from procurements undertaken indicates that new suppliers, when given the opportunity to bid for the supply of key goods and services to major Australian projects, can be competitive. In winning the award of the tender to deliver work packages, they become part of the supply chain. |
| Data source | Jobs Act database and other departmental records. |
| Methodology |
The database records decisions made by the AIP Authority, including project details, dates of submission and decisions. Queries are run in the database on the source data to extract information for the reporting period. Data includes the number of approved AIP plans, reports received, reports found to be compliant and reports found non-compliant. It also includes the report’s submission date and the number of rounds of regulatory invention. There is no weighting in the target. |
| Change from previous year | No change from the previous year. |
| Regulator performance | The measure relates to the regulatory function of the AIP Authority. The measure aligns with the best practice principle 3: collaboration and engagement. |
| Measure details | Measure description |
|---|---|
| Type | Efficiency |
| Target 2025–26 to 2028–29 | Maintenance of, or improvement in, timeframes for a majority of case types against the benchmark year. |
| Why this matters | In administering an anti-dumping system, the department seeks to support Australian industry and the economy by remedying proven instances of unfair international trade. |
| Data source | ADC’s case management system (CMS). |
| Methodology | We calculate the result using data from ADC’s CMS. Reporting will include raw volume and raw aggregate data (raw average) for cases across case types. Where reporting on hand figures at start and at end of reporting period, this will be raw numbers from CMS as at the listed date. No weighting or other treatments will be applied. |
| Change from previous year | The measure updates performance measure 5 from Corporate Plan 2024–28 with the target text updated due to an editorial oversight that set out the ADC target measuring year-on-year improvement in the majority of anti-dumping case types meeting WTO timeframes rather than against the benchmark year. |
| Regulator performance | The measure relates to the regulatory function of the ADC. The measure aligns with the best practice principle 1: continuous improvement and building trust. |
| Measure details | Measure description |
|---|---|
| Type | Efficiency |
| Target 2025–26 to 2028–29 |
95% of applications processed within:
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| Why this matters | The measure outlines how quickly the department processes R&D Tax Incentive applications, of which we receive around 14,000 per year. An efficient registration process ensures companies have certainty early. This means they can file their income tax returns with the Australian Taxation Office to get the benefit of the program quickly. |
| Data source | R&D Tax Incentive program data held by the department. |
| Methodology |
We find the difference in days between:
We use this to determine the proportion of companies processed within the allotted timeframes. |
| Change from previous year | The measure updates performance measure 6 from the Corporate Plan 2024–28 to reflect non-material editorial changes to why this matters wording. |
| Regulator performance | The measure relates to the regulatory function of the R&D Tax Incentive Branch. The measure aligns with the best practice principle 1: continuous improvement and building trust. |
This activity aims to boost our science and technology capability to facilitate the development and uptake of new ideas and technology and build a strong base for science in Australian decision-making. It relates to PBS 2025–26 Outcome 1, Program 1.2.
| Measure details | Measure description |
|---|---|
| Type | Effectiveness |
| Target 2025–26 to 2028–29 | Year-on-year maintenance of the number of businesses collaborating. |
| Why this matters | Bridging science and industry through business-research collaboration is essential to help Australia solve problems and bring new technologies, products and services to the market. To create this collaborative culture, the department runs several initiatives to support business-research collaborations. The measure will create accountability to ensure grants awarded develop research-focused collaborations. |
| Data source | The department’s internally maintained Business Grants Management System and other records held by the department. |
| Methodology | We take the sum of all project partners across the department’s relevant grant funding programs. |
| Change from previous year | No change from the previous year. |
| Measure details | Measure description |
|---|---|
| Type | Effectiveness |
| Target 2025–26 to 2028–29 | Maintain trajectory to meet 1.2 million technology-related jobs by 2030 |
| Why this matters | Australia’s technology and digital capability is vital in supporting Australian businesses’ competitiveness, scale and resilience. Technology adoption plays a pivotal role in our economy and will continue to increase productivity and improve living standards. This measure enables the department to track the growth of Australia’s direct and indirect technology sectors and to monitor progress towards the Government’s target of reaching 1.2 million technology-related jobs by 2030. |
| Data source | ABS Labour Force, Australia, detailed dataset. |
| Methodology | The calculation of the total number of technology-related jobs is based on the Tech sector taxonomy outlined on pages 17–18 of the Tech Council of Australia report Australia’s tech jobs opportunity. |
| Change from previous year | This amendment updates Performance Measure 8 from the Corporate Plan 2024–28. The annual target has been revised to reflect a change in reporting methodology—from a year-on-year approach to a trajectory based on an eight-quarter average trendline. This adjustment improves our ability to respond more effectively to evolving economic and industry conditions. |
| Measure details | Measure description |
|---|---|
| Type | Output |
| Target 2025–26 to 2028–29 | More than 50% of Questacon’s national STEM events reaching lower socio-economic communities, and more than 60% reaching regional and remote communities. |
| Why this matters |
Questacon attracts up to half a million visitors each year from the public and schools to enjoy exhibits, shows and inspirational learning experiences at our centre in Canberra. Questacon aims to make visible the value of science and technology to everyone’s lives. This includes the importance of developing STEM skills and the future that STEM careers can offer. We are committed to overcoming social disadvantage and geographic isolation as a barrier to engagement with science, technology and innovation. Those living in regional, rural, and remote areas and in lower SES deciles have less access to STEM experiences. Questacon’s national touring, educator and virtual programs let Australians engage with science, technology, and innovation wherever they are. They do this by reaching schools, educators and communities that would otherwise have limited access to a Questacon experience. These programs are free for schools, reducing cost barriers to participation. |
| Data source |
The main data source is attendance data recorded by Questacon in a custom database (Data Core) for national activities as defined by relevant departmental programs or initiatives. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), My Schools and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) remoteness data are linked to Data Core using the ACARA School ID for schools and event venue postcode for community activities. |
| Methodology |
Events reaching lower socio-economic communities are calculated by the percentage of schools engaged that have an Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage value of <1000 and the percentage of communities engaged in postcodes that have a Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas decile value of <6. Events reaching regional and remote communities are calculated by the percentage of schools and communities engaged from postcodes defined as inner regional, outer regional, remote or very remote under the ABS Remoteness Structure. |
| Change from previous year | The measure updates performance measure 9 from Corporate Plan 2024–28 to reflect non-material editorial changes to measure and target wording. |
Belinda Warner from the National Measurement Institute showcasing and interacting with the scientists, engineers, technologists, mathematicians, and researchers working within government to solve some of Australia’s biggest challenges at the Government Scientists Group STEM Expo
| Measure details | Measure description |
|---|---|
| Type | Effectiveness |
| Target 2025–26 to 2028–29 | 87% or more Australians (parents, educators and young Australians) consider STEM skills important when considering employment. |
| Why this matters |
STEM underpins a thriving scientific and technology-enabled economy. The department’s policies and programs support community-wide STEM engagement. This helps to equip Australians with the skills they need to do the jobs of the future. While the department’s performance is the focus of this measure, there are many factors outside of the department’s control that contribute to performance against the target. |
| Data source | The main data sources are the Youth in STEM research report and STEM influencer report produced by Youth Insight (the research arm of Student Edge). Data for the reports comes from a nationwide survey of a representative sample of the target population. The 2 reports are produced on alternating years. |
| Methodology |
Results for the measure are directly taken from the:
The calculation methodology for the STEM Equity Monitor and its supporting data sources can be found in the methodology chapter of the monitor. |
| Change from previous year | The measure updates performance measure 10 from the Corporate Plan 2024–28 to reflect non-material editorial changes to why this matters wording. |
| Measure details | Measure description |
|---|---|
| Type | Effectiveness |
| Target 2025–26 to 2028–29 |
Maintain:
|
| Why this matters |
Australia is a trade-oriented economy. A trusted measurement system reduces technical barriers to trade, helps Australian businesses engage in international and domestic markets, and maintains Australia’s standing with our trading partners. Our measurement system underpins effective regulation of health, safety and the environment, and allows advanced industrial production and manufacturing. It also supports the management of critical infrastructure, including for energy supply, and drives innovation and research. |
| Data source |
Data is maintained and reported through:
|
| Methodology |
Data reported through:
is compared directly against targets. |
| Change from previous year | The measure updates performance measure 11 from the Corporate Plan 2024–28 to reflect non-material editorial changes to the target and methodology wording. |
| Measure details | Measure description |
|---|---|
| Type | Effectiveness |
| Target 2025–26 to 2028–29 | The follow-up trader audit compliance rate is higher than the initial trader audit compliance rate. |
| Why this matters | Organisations trade more than $1 trillion worth of goods, services and utilities involving measurement in Australia each year. Reliable measurements help consumers and businesses make informed buying choices. More broadly, this supports efficient markets. |
| Data source | NMI’s Trade Measurement Activity Reporting System. |
| Methodology | We compare the rate of compliance with measurement regulations for follow-up trader audits against the compliance rate for initial trader audits. A higher compliance rate at follow-up confirms that NMI’s engagement with traders is increasing compliance for businesses and supporting fair measure for consumers. |
| Change from previous year | The measure updates performance measure 12 from the Corporate Plan 2024–28 to reflect non-material editorial changes to methodology wording. |
| Regulator performance | The measure relates to the regulatory function of the NMI. The measure aligns with the best practice principle 3: collaboration and engagement. |
| Measure details | Measure description |
|---|---|
| Type | Effectiveness |
| Target 2025–26 to 2028–29 | Zero fatalities, serious injuries or damage to other property as a result of authorised Australian space activities. |
| Why this matters |
Effective regulation, as set out in Space (Launches and Returns) Act 2018, aims for a reasonable balance between:
|
| Data source |
Data for the measure comes from the department’s records of authorised space activities under the Space (Launches and Returns) Act 2018 and any relevant accident or incident investigation reports during the reporting period. Post activity reports generated by the ministerially appointed launch safety officer or launch proponent will verify the number of fatalities, serious injuries or incidents of damage to other property. |
| Methodology | The measure is based on quantitative data. The measure is derived from the number of fatalities, serious injuries or damage to other property as a result of authorised Australian space activities. |
| Change from previous year | No change from the previous year. |
| Regulator performance | The measure relates to the regulatory function of the Office of the Space Regulator. The measure aligns with the best practice principle 2: risk based and data driven. |
An early prototype of Roo-ver – Australia’s first Moon rover which will be controlled from Earth and study lunar soil
This activity aims to support the sustainable development of the resources sector, attract private sector investment and encourage innovative technologies. It relates to PBS 2025–26 Outcome 1, Program 1.3.
| Measure details | Measure description |
|---|---|
| Type | Effectiveness |
| Target 2025–26 to 2028–29 | Year-on-year increase in the number, progress and total capital expenditure of critical minerals projects. |
| Why this matters |
Australia has significant reserves of critical minerals and the potential to process them. These minerals are vital to the economic security of global economies. Markets for these minerals and processed products tend to have concentrated global supply chains, leading to price and supply risk for sectors like defence, transport, energy generation and telecommunications. Growing the critical minerals sector in Australia will create economic benefits for Australians, including through increased trade and job creation. This will also contribute to diversifying global supply chains and position Australia as an ethical, reliable and secure supplier of critical minerals. While the department’s performance is the focus of this measure, there are factors outside of the department’s control, such as market movements, that contribute to performance against the target. |
| Data source | The department’s annual Resources and energy major projects report. |
| Methodology |
We compare the number, stage and investment in mining and processing operations from current year and previous year (for example, X lithium mining operations in 2023, subtracted from Y lithium mining operations in 2022). A positive or negative result indicates growth or lack of growth. Commentary notes the likely impact of market dynamics. Changes to the Critical Minerals List occur over time. To support the assessment of performance over time, previous results are re-calculated and presented in the annual performance statements for the current reporting period, where required. |
| Change from previous year | No change from the previous year. |
| Measure details | Measure description |
|---|---|
| Type | Output |
| Target 2025–26 to 2028–29 | Reframe any future Commonwealth offshore petroleum exploration acreage releases consistent with the government’s Future Gas Strategy. |
| Why this matters | As part of Action 1: Prevent Gas Shortfalls of the Future Gas Strategy, the government has committed to reframe Commonwealth offshore petroleum exploration acreage release arrangements to focus on optimising existing discoveries and infrastructure in producing basins, prioritise energy security, and align with net zero emissions targets. |
| Data source | Published material regarding Commonwealth offshore exploration acreage release arrangements and other records held by the department. |
| Methodology | The result is based on the delivery of advice to government by the department to reframe future releases, consistent with the Future Gas Strategy and within agreed timeframes. |
| Change from previous year | No change from the previous year. |
| Measure details | Measure description |
|---|---|
| Type | Efficiency |
| Target 2025–26 to 2028–29 | 90% of assessment timeframes met. |
| Why this matters | Efficiently processing applications supports a strong offshore resources sector by creating business certainty and reducing project timelines. |
| Data source | NOPTA’s National Electronic Approvals Tracking System and departmental records. |
| Methodology | A reporting tool in an internal database automatically calculates the percentage of applications that have met the assessment timeframes under the OPGGS Act. These are hardcoded in the database. |
| Change from previous year | No change from the previous year. |
| Regulator performance | This performance measure relates to the activities of NOPTA. The measure aligns with the best practice principle 1: continuous improvement and building trust. |
| Measure details | Measure description |
|---|---|
| Type | Effectiveness |
| Target 2025–26 to 2028–29 | Progress towards decommissioning the Northern Endeavour while ensuring safety and protection of the environment. This includes completing Phase 1 decommissioning works by the expected vessel disconnection and towing window of 1 July 2025 to 30 September 2025 and delivering the floating production, storage and offtake (FPSO) vessel to a recycling facility in the window of 1 March 2026 to 30 June 2026. Phase 2 will begin in 2025–26 by procuring and entering into a contract with a lead contractor and commencing engineering works. |
| Why this matters |
Following the liquidation of the former owner, the Commonwealth is overseeing the decommissioning of the Northern Endeavour facility and remediation of Laminaria-Corallina oil fields. Decommissioning is progressing in stages with the department currently delivering Phase 1. This entails temporarily suspending the oil wells then disconnecting the FPSO from the flowlines and moorings that anchor it to the seabed to allow towing of the FPSO from the area. The FPSO will subsequently be delivered to a recycling facility. Phase 2 activities will begin following the FPSO’s removal, to permanently plug and abandon all subsea wells. This requires detailed scoping and engineering works by the lead contractor. Decommissioning must progress in compliance with relevant regulatory approvals obtained by the department and its contractors. This will ensure safety and the protection of the environment. |
| Data source |
Data is sourced from:
|
| Methodology |
Progress will be measured against meeting the expected vessel disconnection and towing window of 1 July 2025 to 30 September 2025, delivering the FPSO to a recycling facility in 2026, and successfully procuring a Phase 2 lead contractor in 2025–26. Safety will be measured based on the number and type of safety incidents and through the findings of any NOPSEMA safety inspections. Environment will be measured based on the number and type of environmental incidents and through the annual compliance report on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 approval with conditions to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. |
| Change from previous year | The measure updates performance measure 18 from the Corporate Plan 2024–28 to reflect changes to incorporate FPSO and the commencement of Phase 2. |
