The Victorian public sector

The Victorian public sector is made up of:

  • the Victorian Public Service
  • special bodies
  • public entities.

What the Victorian public sector does

The departments, authorities and entities are established by the Victorian Government to administer the functions of government.

The public sector:

  • provides public services and exercises regulatory functions 
  • builds and maintains physical and social infrastructure  
  • administers state finances and assets 
  • supports Ministers to develop and implement policies and legislation. 

And helps manage and deliver services across:

  • health and community services
  • education and training
  • public safety: police, emergency services, courts, prisons and corrections
  • public finance, industry development and regulation
  • transport and transport infrastructure
  • water, land management and environment
  • arts, culture and sports.

It also includes entities that provide government oversight such as the Auditor General, Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) and the Ombudsman.

The Victorian Public Service

The Victorian Public Service (VPS) is made up of people employed by the Crown under Part 3 of the Public Administration Act 2004.

This includes employees of:

  • departments
  • administrative offices
  • the Victorian Public Sector Commission.

For a full list of Victorian public service bodies, search our list of public sector employers.

The VPS:

  • delivers programs and services
  • implements legislative and regulatory agendas
  • provides impartial and objective policy advice, also known as ‘frank and fearless advice’.

VPS employees can’t provide political advice. Political advice is given by ministerial advisers, who are not VPS employees.

If you want to know more check out our guidance for ministerial advisers.

Public service body head and department secretary

A public service body head can be the head of:

  • a department
  • an administrative office
  • the Victorian Public Sector Commission.

The Premier directly employs:

  • secretaries
  • administrative office heads.

The Governor in Council appoints the Victorian Public Sector Commissioner on the Premier’s recommendation.

Public service body heads hire their own employees. All employment decisions are made independently and based on merit.

There are some public officials other than the heads of departments and administrative offices that have the functions of a public service body head.

They are listed in section 16 of the Public Administration Act 2004. This function allows heads of organisations who aren’t defined as Victorian public service bodies to have the power to employ VPS staff.

For example:

  • the Commissioner for Children and Young People
  • the Ombudsman
  • Auditor-General
  • the Social Services Regulator
  • CEO of IBAC.

Department secretary

In a department, the public service body head is generally referred to as a department secretary.

Each secretary reports to specific ministers.

Secretaries:

  • manage their department
  • advise ministers in all matters relating to their department and administrative offices
  • advise ministers on public entities in their portfolio
  • work with public entities on their public administration and governance
  • promote the Victorian public sector values.

Read our guidance for secretaries on their responsibilities in informing and advising ministers.

Departments

Departments are the central portfolio advisers for ministers and government.

They support ministers and the government to:

  • create and implement policies
  • manage programs and services.

They’re part of the executive branch of government and don’t have a separate legal identity.

They can be created, abolished and altered by an Order in Council under Section 10 the Public Administration Act 2004.

Central agencies and line departments

Central agencies are responsible for whole of government policy.

The central agencies are:

  • Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC)
  • Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF).

Line departments are responsible for:

  • portfolio specific policy
  • planning and delivery of services.

For example, the Department of Education offers learning and development support and services for Victorians.

Portfolios

A portfolio is a Minister’s area of responsibility. Each department advises and supports ministers and their portfolios.

Machinery of government

The term ‘machinery of government’ is the allocation and reallocation of functions between departments and ministers.

Large-scale changes are done through a general order. General orders list which ministers have responsibility for each piece of current Victorian legislation.

It’s the Premier’s responsibility to allocate functions. The number of departments reflects the strategy and priorities of the government of the day.

Administrative offices

Administrative offices are a type of public service body that has a discrete function. Administrative offices are established in relation to a department but they operate with a degree of autonomy for that discrete function.
Administrative offices are established and abolished through an Order in Council under section 11 of the Public Administration Act 2004.

Like departments, they also:

  • have a public service body head who’s appointed by the Premier
  • employ people under Part 3 of the Public Administration Act 2004
  • perform activities under the direction of ministers.

Examples include:

  • Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority
  • Office of the Governor
  • Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel
  • Public Record Office Victoria.

For a full list of administrative offices, see our list of Victorian public sector employers. You can search for administrative offices by using the ‘Subsector’ filter.

Victorian Public Sector Commission

The Victorian Public Sector Commission (VPSC) is not a department or an administrative office.

It is established under section 37(1) of the Public Administration Act 2004 and reports to the Premier.

Like a department or administrative office, the Victorian Public Sector Commission is a public service body.

Find out more about the Victorian Public Sector Commission.

Victorian Secretaries’ Board

The Victorian Secretaries’ Board promotes leadership and coordinates initiatives across the public sector. It doesn’t have legal status.

Members of the board include the:

  • Secretaries of each department
  • Chief Commissioner of Police
  • Victorian Public Sector Commissioner.

The board is chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC). DPC provides secretariat support to the board. 

Public Entities

Public entities:

  • deliver government services
  • manage public assets
  • act as regulators or provide expert advice
  • promote economic development.

Victoria has over 3,000 public entities. They operate at ‘arm’s length’ from ministers.

They’re still accountable to their minister, but the functions or powers of each entity are defined by their governing legislation, constitution and activities. This is directed by the entity board or equivalent.

Public entities are defined in section 5 of the Public Administration Act 2004.

There are 3 broad categories of public entity:

  • statutory authorities – bodies established by or under legislation
  • corporations – established under the Corporations Act
  • advisory bodies – formally constituted to provide advice or report to the government.

Examples of major public entities include:

  • Ambulance Victoria
  • Melbourne Water
  • Parks Victoria
  • Transport Accident Commission
  • VicRoads.

Some public entities have employees and some don’t.

Examples of entities with employees:

  • hospitals
  • schools
  • emergency service organisations
  • water and land management bodies.

Examples of entities without employees:

  • most cemetery trusts
  • some crown land committees of management.

For more detailed information on the types of public entities, read our guidance on Legal form and governance arrangements of public entities.

Read a full list of public entities that employ staff.

Special bodies

The Victorian public sector also includes special bodies. Special bodies are public sector bodies that require a high degree of independence from government.

They are defined in section 6 of the Public Administration Act 2004 and created under separate legislation. To date, no instruments have been made under section 6 of the Public Administration Act 2004 to amend the number of special bodies.

The Public Administration Act allows exemptions or alternative conditions to apply to special bodies. For example, some public sector values don’t apply to special body employees and special bodies have their own Code of Conduct for their employees.

Special bodies aren’t public entities as defined under the Public Administration Act.

Examples include:

  • Commission for Children and Young People
  • Integrity Oversight Victoria
  • Victorian Auditor-General’s Office
  • Victoria Police.

A body can be classified as a special body through an Order in Council.

For a full list of special bodies, see our list of Victorian public sector employers. You can search for special bodies by using the ‘Public Sector Body Type’ filter.

Reviewed 6 June 2025

Published 18 December 2020