Administration Department

Unique IDAG-0003DescriptionThe Administration Department was established by a Resolution of Council on 29 June 1970, replacing the Town Clerk's Department. On 8 March 1971 Council approved an establishment for the Administration Department, with the former Departments of Properties (CA 91), Libraries (CA 82), and Audit (CA 89), becoming branches of the new department.

On 22 November 1971 Council resolved to appoint an Executive Officer to head the Administration Department. This reorganisation released the Deputy Town Clerk from the burden of running a department. Subsequently two deputy town clerks were appointed and both, together with the Executive Officer, were delegated authority to act as Town Clerk in his absence under s. 530A of the Local Government Act 1919, (so an Acting Town Clerk need not be formally appointed).

The responsibilities of the Department were altered frequently. For example, the internal audit responsibility moved between Treasury and Administration, going in 1977, and returning in 1983. By 1977, Electronic Data Processing, the Stationery Store and Printing Works, Prosecutions and Parking Stations had been added to the Department, and in 1978, the Architect's Office (formerly with City Planning) came to the Department to support the Properties responsibility.

Responsibility for management of the parking stations and city parking meters moved to the Cleansing Department in 1979 and back again in 1981. Central Purchasing became a Branch in 1979 and responsibility for Town Hall letting was added to the properties function. The EDP function apparently returned to Treasury about the same time.

On 22 January 1980, the City of Sydney Survey Group was constituted as the Building Activity Section and attached to the Electoral Section of the Administration Department, where it shared a database with the electoral roll. By Resolution of Council on 28 May 1984, the Building Activity Section was transferred to the City Planning Department.

In the reorganisation of 5 December 1983, the Administration Department gained the Records and Archives Section from the Secretariat, while the Properties Branch was separated off to the become a Department in its own right. The Town Hall letting section remained until 12 June 1984 when it went to the newly established Civic and Public Affairs Department. The telecommunications functions had a brief sojourn in the Administration Department between 9 July 1984 and 1985 when it moved, with Records and Archives to the new Information Systems Department.

As at 10 February 1987 the Department consisted of the following sections:

Architect's Office. The Architects received instructions on building projects from the heads of Departments, with whom they consulted. The architects provided special inspections and reports, sketch plans, contract documentation, working drawings, and specifications and supervision of tenders. The majority of their work concerned activity centres, kindergartens, and repairs/renovations, mostly for the Properties Department and the Parks and Recreations Department.

Central Purchasing which issued orders for goods, works and services.

The Electoral Section which is responsible for all Council's elections. They keep a record of all people eligible to vote in Sydney City Council elections. When an election is forthcoming the Electoral office organises the printing, by ward, of the Roll, and fixes the polling booths and their staffing. The Electoral Section also administers postal votes, pre-poll votes, and failure to vote forms. It collates statistical information on election results and maintains the electoral register.

Internal Audit consists of three sections - Financial, Management and EDP Audit. The audit of the four major systems - Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Inventory and Payroll - are under the control of the Internal Audit Manager. The Manual of Standard Procedures is monitored by the management Services Auditor.

The four parking stations at the Domain, Goulburn Street, Kent Street and Kings Cross, and the more then 3,100 parking meter sites around the City.

The Prosecutions Section which recovered money owed to Council in outstanding rates and other accounts for breaches of Acts, Ordinances and By-Laws.

The Stationery and Printing Works which provided stationery for the whole of Council and printed a wide range of publications including the Annual Report, residents' newsletters, programs for cultural and entertainment events and welfare brochures.

The Director of Administration was John Bourke who was appointed to the position in October 1983. In 1989, he became the Town Clerk of the new South Sydney City Council.

In 1988 the three City Commissioners were empowered under the City of Sydney Act 1988 to prepare organisational structures for the two Councils (Sydney City and South Sydney City) established by the Act. The new structure was gazetted as Schedule 3 of the Act on 2 December 1988, to take effect on 1 January 1989.

The functions of the Administration Department were largely split between two Departments in the new structure: CA 11, Properties II, and a new department created by amalgamating the functions of the Treasury Department and the remaining areas of the Administration Department, Finance and Administration Department (later renamed the Treasury Department).CreationResolution of Council 29 June 1970AbolitionSchedule 3 of the City of Sydney Act 1988, proclaimed 2 December 1988

Agency

Revenue and Expenditure Control Sub-Committee

Insurance Sub-Committee

City Library Review Sub-Committee

Audit and Review

South Sydney City Council Finance and Administration Department

Treasury II

Secretariat

City Treasury Department I

Properties II

Parks and Recreations Department

Planning and Building Department

Information Services

Cleansing Department II

Description

Start date29th June 1970End date31st December 1988Relationship legacy dataPRECEDED BY: South Sydney Municipal Council Municipal Engineers Department AG-0017 (01/01/1982)
PRECEDED BY: South Sydney Municipal Council Deputy Town Clerks Department AG-0020 (01/01/1982)
PRECEDED BY: Properties Department I AG-0091 (08/03/1971)
PRECEDED BY: Audit Department II AG-0089 (08/03/1971)
PRECEDED BY: Secretariat AG-0015 (01/07/1984) - Telecommunications moved to Administration in July 1984
PRECEDED BY: Planning and Building Department AG-0008 (by 31/12/1978) - Architects Branch moved to Administration in 1978
PRECEDED BY: City Treasury Department I AG-0012 (by 31/12/1983) - Audit moved to Administration in 1983
PRECEDED BY: Town Clerks Department AG-0040 (29/06/1970)
PRECEDED BY: Libraries Department AG-0082 (08/03/1971)
RELATED TO: Sydney City Council OR-0001 (29/06/1970 to 31/12/1988)
RELATED TO: Council administration FN-0026 (29/06/1970 to 31/12/1988)
RELATED TO: Electoral administration FN-0017 (29/06/1970 to 31/12/1988)
RELATED TO: Community services and facilities FN-0013 (29/06/1970 to 23/07/1979)
RELATED TO: Property management FN-0006 (29/06/1970 to 05/12/1983)
SUBORDINATE AGENCY: City Solicitor AG-0074 (30/06/1970 to 31/12/1988)
SUBORDINATE AGENCY: Computerisation Steering Committee AG-0163 (29/01/1976 to 11/12/1984)
Source System ID3

Relationships

Preceding agenciesLibraries DepartmentTown Clerk's DepartmentCity Treasury Department IPlanning and Building DepartmentSecretariatAudit Department IIProperties Department IDeputy Town Clerk's Department [South Sydney Municipal Council]South Sydney Municipal Council Municipal Engineer's DepartmentSubordinate agenciesComputerisation Steering CommitteeCity SolicitorOrganisationSydney City CouncilRelated functionsProperty managementCommunity services and facilitiesElectoral administrationCouncil administration

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Administration Department