Department of Industry and Science
The Department of Industry and Science was a department of the Australian Government responsible for consolidating the Government’s efforts to drive economic growth, productivity and competitiveness by bringing together industry, energy, resources and science. History. The department was established on 23 December 2014, taking on most of the functions of the previous Department of Industry; but transferring skills responsibilities to the Department of Education and Training. The Department's creation, and the associated swearing in of Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane when he added 'Science' to his official title, was seen by several media outlets  as an admission from the Abbott Government that it had been a mistake to not have a dedicated Science minister in 2014. The Department was abolished and replaced with the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science in September 2015, to create a new federal government focus on innovation. Scope. As outlined in the December 2014 Administrative Arrangements Orders, the department was responsible for a wide range of functions including: