Australian Government Organisations Register - Types of Bodies

Australian Government bodies are diverse, which means classification is not always straightforward. The following table provides guidance on the main types of Australian Government bodies included on the Australian Government Organisations Register (AGOR). Bodies may possess some, but not all, of the features listed. Where a government body could be classified under more than one body type, the most relevant classification should be chosen.

Please note that updates were made in July 2024 to align the AGOR Types of Bodies with the governance structures outlined by the Commonwealth Governance Structures Policy. For further information and questions relating to these changes or feedback on the following guidance, please contact OAR@finance.gov.au.

Scope of AGOR

There are 13 main types of bodies which are listed on AGOR, separated into 4 broad classifications:

Primary bodies
- A. Non-corporate Commonwealth entity
- B. Corporate Commonwealth entity
- C. Commonwealth company
Secondary statutory structures
- D. Statutory advisory structure
- E. Statutory office holder, offices and committees
Secondary non-statutory structures
- F. Non-statutory advisory structure
- G. Non-statutory function with separate branding
Other governance relationships
- H. Ministerial Councils and related bodies
- I. National law bodies
- J. Inter-jurisdictional and international bodies
- K. Structures linked to the Australian Government through statutory contracts, agreements and delegations
- L. Joint ventures, partnerships and interests in other companies
- M. Subsidiaries of corporate Commonwealth entities and Commonwealth companies

Portfolios are responsible for collecting and updating information about the bodies listed on AGOR.

Details on bodies excluded from AGOR are included below.

Types of bodies

Type of Australian Government Body	Key Characteristics	Examples
A: Primary body - Non-Corporate Commonwealth entity	Defined in section 11(b) of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act) as “a Commonwealth entity that is not a body corporate”. Includes Parliamentary departments, Departments of State and listed entities (section 10(1) of the PGPA Act).	Department of Finance Department of Parliamentary Services Australian Bureau of Statistics National Blood Authority
B: Primary body - Corporate Commonwealth entity	Defined in section 11(a) of the PGPA Act as “a Commonwealth entity that is a body corporate”.	Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) National Gallery of Australia Reserve Bank of Australia
C: Primary body - Commonwealth company	Defined in section 89 of the PGPA Act as “a Corporations Act company that the Commonwealth controls”. Commonwealth control may be through controlling the composition of the board; through casting/control of more than 50% of the votes at a general meeting; or holding more than 50% of the share capital of the entity. Limited by shares or guarantee, and independent from Ministers and Portfolio departments. Governed by a board of directors appointed by the Secretary/a senior official in a Commonwealth entity, the Minister or the Governor-General	Aboriginal Hostels Limited Bundanon Trust NBN Co Limited RAAF Welfare Recreational Company
D: Secondary statutory structure - Statutory advisory structure*	These are bodies established in legislation to provide advice to government. They may assist with policy development, regulation, and assurance activities. Includes bodies established to promote international relations. These bodies may report to the Commonwealth entity, the Secretary of the Portfolio department or to the Minister directly. Members are often appointed by the Minister but may also be appointed by the Commonwealth entity. Majority of members are likely to be external to the Australian Government. Members may be paid or unpaid. Usually includes a representative of the Commonwealth entity as an ex officio member. These bodies do not usually employ staff but may be supported by public servants. They do not usually incur expenditure on their own account nor prepare separate accounts. Instead, where expenditure is incurred, it is accounted for through the accounts of a parent body. Does not include Parliamentary Committees such as Senate Committees, House of Representatives Committees and Joint Committees.	Cancer Australia Advisory Council National Housing Supply and Affordability Council National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Advisory Council
E: Secondary statutory structure - Statutory office holders, offices and committees	The functions of the office, office holder or committee are recognised in legislation. The head of the office is usually appointed under legislation by Ministers, the Governor-General, or may hold the role ex officio. Can include corporations established under legislation other than the PGPA Act and Corporations Act 2001, such as the Repatriation Commission. Can also include selection committees/panels established under legislation to appoint members to the board/council of a Commonwealth entity. Can form part of a Commonwealth entity, supported by staff from that entity. They do not usually incur expenditure on their own account nor prepare separate accounts. Instead, where expenditure is incurred, it is accounted for through the accounts of a parent body. May employ branding/marketing separate from the parent entity for the purposes of engaging with stakeholders (mostly external).	Cotton Research and Development Corporation Selection Committee Director of Human Biosecurity Gene Technology Regulator Chief of the Defence Force National Measurement Institute Repatriation Commission Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Regulator
F: Secondary non-statutory structure - Non-statutory advisory structure*	They are bodies which provide advice to government but are not established in legislation. They may assist with policy development, regulation, and assurance activities. Includes bodies established to promote international relations. These bodies may report to the Commonwealth entity, the Secretary of the Portfolio department or to the Minister directly. Members are often appointed by the Minister but may also be appointed by the Commonwealth entity. Majority of members are likely to be external to the Australian Government. Members may be paid or unpaid. Usually includes a representative of the Commonwealth entity as an ex officio member. These bodies do not usually employ staff but may be supported by public servants. They do not usually incur expenditure on their own account nor prepare separate accounts. Instead, where expenditure is incurred, it is accounted for through the accounts of a parent body. Does not include Parliamentary Committees such as Senate Committees, House of Representatives Committees and Joint Committees.	Australia-Japan Foundation Australian Space Agency Advisory Board National Immunisation Committee
G: Secondary non-statutory structure - Non-statutory function with separate branding	An activity within a Commonwealth entity, supported by staff from that body. Employs branding/marketing separate from the department/executive agency for the purposes of engaging with stakeholders (mostly external). May provide support to a statutory office holder. This can include bodies referred to in legislation but not created by legislation. Often responsible for the delivery of services to the public and/or to government. Any expenditure is recorded in the parent Commonwealth entity’s accounts.	Australian Cyber Security Centre Australian Government Actuary Comcar Comcover Defence Intelligence Organisation Scamwatch Stay Smart Online Tourism Research Australia
H: Other governance relationship - Ministerial Councils and related bodies*	Established to provide a forum for Australian Government, State and Territory Ministers to discuss national policy issues. Related bodies include sub-committees and working groups of the Ministerial Councils (and sub-committees and working groups of these bodies)* established to discuss policy issues and implement programs across Australia. May be time-limited and meet only when needed. May be ongoing and meet regularly. Secretariat services are typically provided by portfolio departments, but may be provided by State/Territory departments. Please also see Other Relationships – National Law Bodies for other bodies which have been established under State/Territory laws to coordinate national activities.	Health Ministers' Meeting Forum National Cybercrime Working Group Early Childhood Policy Group Infrastructure and Transport Senior Officials’ Committee Heads of Treasuries A complete and updated list of Ministerial Councils is maintained by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet at Federation.gov.au .
I: Other governance relationship - National law bodies*	These bodies are established under consistent laws enacted in every State and Territory and are usually the result of some form of intergovernmental agreement. They may be incorporated under State/Territory corporations law. They are usually funded jointly by the Australian Government and the States/Territories, with the Commonwealth usually contributing the largest portion. They typically undertake a national regulatory role, for example, licensing, regulation or compliance. May report to and may be funded through a Commonwealth entity, typically a portfolio department. Members may be appointed by the Commonwealth entity, by the relevant Ministerial body, by the States and Territories and/or by industry.	Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia National Heavy Vehicle Regulator Occupational Therapy Board of Australia
J: Other governance relationship - Inter-jurisdictional and international bodies*	Bodies established by the Australian Government as a result of treaty obligations or negotiated agreements with individual or a number of governments (State, Territory or international). The functions of these bodies can vary from ensuring compliance with international commitments or policy commitments to administering grant programs. Members may be appointed by each jurisdiction, and may be ex officio appointees or from the private sector or community. External members are usually paid. Support staff may be employed directly by the organisation (if incorporated), or be provided by the relevant Commonwealth entity or the other jurisdiction.	Australian National Commission for UNESCO Australia-Netherlands Committee on Old Dutch Shipwrecks Australia-New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee Northern Territory Fisheries Joint Authority State / Territory Consultation Forum
K: Other governance relationship - Structures linked to the Australian Government through statutory contracts, agreements and delegations*	These bodies are owned and operated by the private sector but have been recognised in legislation or a legislative instrument, or are party to a statutory contract/funding agreement to deliver services on the Government’s behalf. These bodies may conduct research on behalf of their industry, or manage registrations/licensing. They are predominantly funded via grants from the Australian Government. These grants may represent levies/fees collected on the industry’s behalf. Statutory contracts, agreements and delegations may be tabled in Parliament.	Airport Environment Officers Australian Housing & Urban Research Institute Australian Pork Limited Maritime Security Identification Card Issuing Bodies Sydney Airport Slot Manager
L: Other governance relationship - Joint ventures, partnerships and interests in other companies	Bodies where the Australian Government (through a Minister and/or a Commonwealth entity) owns 50% or more of the equity, either directly or indirectly. Where there is an interest less than 50%, but the value of equity is material, the Department of Finance should be consulted on the potential need to list the body on AGOR. Established to carry out certain business operations or hold assets on a commercial/independent basis from the parent entity through an agreement. Joint ventures and partnerships are usually run in conjunction with a private sector or academic partner. Report directly to each parent body. Staff may be employed by the body directly, or depending on the governance arrangements, be provided by the Commonwealth entity and/or private sector partner.	Crace Developments - Investments in Associates Freeview Australia Limited Law Courts Ltd Parliamentary Retiring Allowances Trust Wildman River Lodge Trust
M: Other governance relationship - Subsidiaries of corporate Commonwealth entities and Commonwealth companies	Defined in section 8 of the PGPA Act as “an entity that is controlled by a corporate Commonwealth entity or Commonwealth company”. Subsidiaries for the purposes of AGOR are considered controlled where the parent entity owns 50% or more of the equity of the subsidiary, either directly or indirectly. Established to carry out certain business operations on a commercial/independent basis from the parent body. Established under the Corporations Act 2001, State or international legislation. May carry out business in Australian and/or overseas. Financials are consolidated as part of the parent body’s accounts, but they may produce separate annual reports for management. Report to the parent body but may not report directly to the Minister. Staff are usually employed by the subsidiary directly.	Darwin Hotel Holdings Pty Limited Fundaciόn CSIRO Chile Research Star Track Express Pty Limited Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia Pty Ltd

Other information

Sub-bodies (*)

Sub-bodies of committees, working groups and advisory bodies, etc. are generally listed as separate entries on AGOR where:

at least half of their memberships are drawn from outside the parent bodies’ membership, and/or
the sub-body has its own separate terms of reference.

Exclusions

The following types of bodies are generally excluded from AGOR:

Internal management, advisory and administration bodies (including Commonwealth officials-only working groups and inter-departmental committees). Many of these are time-limited and their primary purpose is to assist departments and other government entities with their internal management, administration, and policy development/co-ordination.
The High Court of Australia, as it is not a Commonwealth entity due to its status under its enabling legislation.
Parliamentary Committees, as their creation is controlled by the Parliament rather than the Government.
Bodies that have been announced by the Government, but which are not yet established or substantially operational.

For queries on the types of bodies captured on AGOR, please email OAR@finance.gov.au

Inactive Bodies

‘Inactive’ bodies are dormant bodies, which meet for a specific purpose from time-to-time but are not considered to have ceased in the interim. In some instances, they may lay dormant for a prolonged period (years even) until a specific event triggers the members to meet to consider matters in order to provide advice and/or make decisions.

Time Limited Bodies

Some bodies are considered ‘time limited’ where they exist for only a set period. Only bodies that continue in existence for 3 months or longer should be reported on AGOR.

Where the ‘life’ of the body is shorter than 3 months, they should be excluded from reporting except where there is a need to report the appointees to meet Senate Order 15 reporting requirements.

Abolitions and Cessations

A body created through statutory means can only cease once its enabling legislation has been successfully repealed. Even though a decision has been made to abolish the body by the Government, legally it still exists until its underlying authority is repealed.

Subsidiaries of corporate Commonwealth entities and Commonwealth companies can only be abolished once sold (or when the Government's material component is sold) or when they are wound-up and deregistered on ASIC's Organisation and Business Names Register (or another similar register for those bodies registered in an overseas jurisdiction).

In general, for all other bodies, they can only cease when the underlying authority is no longer relevant.

Reporting of Creation Dates

Primary bodies

A Department of State’s or entity’s creation date will always be based on the authority that establishes it, for example:

A department’s creation date will be based on the date the Administrative Arrangement Order (AAO) was issued. This includes those changes where existing departments are renamed by an AAO.
For a PGPA Act entity, the creation date will be based on the commencement date as specified by its enabling legislation or through listing in Schedule 1 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014.

Where a secondary body is replaced by a department or PGPA Act entity, its creation date will be based on the commencement date as specified by the authority establishing the new department or PGPA Act entity.

Similarly, where a PGPA Act entity is merged into an existing department or entity and continues to exist as a secondary body with an identical name, the creation date will be based on the commencement date establishing the secondary body under the new authority (this could be through legislative or non-statutory means, that is, the date of effect for when the non-statutory function with a separate branding commenced operations).

This approach ensures the creation dates are tied to the relevant authority and overarching governance arrangements.

Secondary structures (statutory and non-statutory) and Other governance relationships

The creation date for secondary structures will usually be based on the authority for when they were established. Sometimes that authority may mean when the Government assumed control of the entity. Some more specific examples are provided below:

Where they are established by legislative means, their creation date will be based on the commencement provisions as specified by the Act. Usually applies to Secondary statutory structures (Type of Body D and E), National law bodies (Type of Body I) and Structures linked to the Australian Government through statutory contracts, agreements and delegations (Type of Body K) when they are considered to be established by the existence of a statutory contract.
The creation date of Secondary non-statutory structures (Types of Body F and G) is based on:
- the body’s terms of reference
- a Ministerial announcement proclaiming its commencement
- when it commenced operations
- when it first meets, and/or
- when the first chairman is appointed and has commenced in the role.
For Ministerial Councils and related bodies (Type of Body H) and Inter-jurisdictional and international bodies (Type of Body J), these would be based on the effective commencement date as specified within the agreement/treaty obligation. For smaller Ministerial Council sub-committees and working groups, their creation date could be determined by referring to their terms of reference where one exists.
For Subsidiaries of corporate Commonwealth entities and Commonwealth companies (Type of Body M) their creation date should be based on when the Government assumed control of the entity which can vary depending on the circumstances:
- where the Government establishes the subsidiary from the beginning, the creation date will match the registration date reported by ASIC’s Organisations and Business Names Register, or
- where a corporate Commonwealth entity assumes control of an existing subsidiary (that is, purchases an existing entity), the creation date will need to reflect when the controlling interest was assumed to have taken effect, that is, the date for when the shares were transferred to the parent entity.
For Joint ventures, partnerships and interests in other companies (Type of Body L) their creation date needs to reflect when a controlling interest was assumed to have taken effect.

Where a body existed prior to the 2014-15 financial year and its exact creation date is unknown, but the year in which it was created is, the creation date is to be defaulted to the start of the financial year (that is, 1 July XXXX). Where the month is known, but the exact day is not, then refer to the first day of the month.

The above covers the most common examples for determining a body’s creation date. Where a body exists that is not captured by one of the above examples, the principals of referring to when the underlying authority came into effect and/or when control was assumed continue to apply.