Australian Customs Service

Australian Customs Service

Agency overview
Formed 1 July 1985[1]
Preceding Agency Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce
Dissolved 22 May 2009
Superseding agency Australian Customs and Border Protection Service
Type Statutory authority
Jurisdiction Government of Australia
Headquarters Customs House
Canberra
35°17′1″S 149°7′55″E / 35.28361°S 149.13194°E
Employees 6,284 (at April 2008)[2]
Agency executives Michael Carmody, Chief Executive Officer (2006‑09)
Lionel Woodward, Chief Executive Officer (1994‑2005)
Frank Kelly, Comptroller‑General (1988‑1994)
Tom Hayes, Comptroller‑General (1985‑1988)

The Australian Customs Service (also known as Customs) was an Australian Government agency responsible for Australian border protection, duties and taxes between 1985 and 2009. It was dismantled in 2009 and replaced with the newly augmented, retasked and renamed Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.

History

The Australian Customs Service was created by the Hawke Government in 1985 under the Commonwealth Customs Administration Act 1985.[3]

In December 2008 then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that the Australian Government would be augmenting, re-tasking and renaming the Australian Customs Service to create the new Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.[4] Royal assent was given to the changes on 22 May 2009 and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service was established.[3]

Role and functions

The role of the Australian Customs Service was to prevent the illegal movement of people and harmful goods across Australia's border, and to apply trade measures and collect border-related duties and taxes.[5]

Structure

Customs was an Australian Public Service agency, staffed by officials who were responsible to the agency's Minister (the Minister from Home Affairs from 3 December 2007 to 22 May 2009, the Minister for Justice and Customs from 1998 to 2007, and the Attorney-General between 1985 and 1998).

Between 1 January 2006 and 22 May 2009, the Chief Executive Officer of the agency was Michael Carmody. Lionel Woodward was Chief Executive Officer between 1994 and 2005.[6] Frank Kelly was Comptroller-General of Customs (and head of the agency) between 1988 and 1994.[7] Prior to Kelly, Tom Hayes headed the agency from its establishment to 1988.[8]

References

  1. ↑ CA 4416: Australian Customs Service, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 17 February 2015
  2. ↑ Australian Public Service Commission (2008), State of the Service 2007–08 (PDF), Australian Government, p. 305
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 CA 9259: Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 17 February 2015
  4. ↑ Rudd, Kevin (4 December 2008), The First National Security Statement to the Parliament Address by the Prime Minister of Australia The Hon. Kevin Rudd MP, archived from the original on 30 December 2013
  5. ↑ Australian Customs Service (2008), Australian Customs Service Annual Report 2007–08 (PDF), Australian Government, p. 2
  6. ↑ "Carmody moves from Taxation to Customs". PS News. 25 November 2005.
  7. ↑ Hobbs, Philip (9 September 1988). "A career officer is appointed new head of customs". The Canberra Times. p. 12.
  8. ↑ "Head of reorganised department". The Canberra Times. 28 August 1985. p. 24.