Meet our people

Tell us what it’s like working at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

The department covers a really broad range of high-profile policy areas, but it also includes really important research branches, like the Bureau of Communications, Arts and Regional Research. The research areas inform the policy development, but they also produce a lot of really informative, accessible public resources for understanding regional data. Working at the department is really enjoyable because the work culture is really supportive and collaborative and you get to learn about so many different topics facing regional Australians. 

How does the department support you to be your best and do your best work?

It’s a really supportive, collaborate environment. My colleagues are really enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge and skills. Development is really encouraged, both for technical skills like using analytical software, as well as broader professional skills like project management.

The department’s flexible working arrangements have also made it possible for me to finish my Master of Analytics degree. I’m able to access the study assistance scheme which provides both financial support and time off for study leave as my degree is directly related to my work. This allows me to upgrade my skills and bring new ideas and techniques back to my team to improve our work practices. 

In what ways do you feel your expertise is valued?

In my experience, the department has been an inclusive environment to work in where diverse point of views are valued. It’s acknowledged and respected that everyone has different ways of working and different ways of communicating and this is seen as a strength rather than a challenge. This is really important to me in a workplace because it means I feel comfortable to speak up and ask questions and introduce new ideas. 

How have you developed your career since joining the department?

In my role, I’m able to do what I enjoy the most, which is interpreting and presenting data in a way that tells a story that is relevant and understandable to a wide audience. Often this aligns with my background in economics, but I’ve also gained experience in a variety of other subject matters, like population and demography. 

Since starting at the department, my career development has really benefited from the level of responsibility I have over my work. I’ve also been able to build my professional networks both across the department and with external stakeholders who also have a particular interest in regional issues and research. 

Tell us what it’s like working at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

The culture in the department is one of little ego. The friendly, helpful colleagues I worked with over the years certainly influenced my decision to join the department on a 3 month secondment – these relationships grew stronger and were a key part of why I stayed on.

Before joining the department I could see there was a lot of complexity that was hard to unpack. Now I’m in the thick of it I am really enjoying influencing and learning to continue our progress on transport emissions reduction policy.

We also work on such a breadth of portfolio that there's so many different perspectives.

In what ways do you feel your expertise is valued?

My expertise is valued by the department. I bring in understanding from an energy and climate change perspective to this department, where transport is coupling with the energy sector in a way that we've never seen before. People really value that expertise, and I really value getting to learn their expertise, particularly in the infrastructure sector

How does your work make a difference to the lives of Australians?

My role is to align objectives across the department to improve the wellbeing of Australians in a way that gets us on a path to economy wide net zero by tweaking and designing policy to reduce emissions from the transport and infrastructure sectors. This will ensure that future generations, and current generations of Australians, will have improved transport, that is low emissions.

Tell us what it’s like working at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

The department is a great place to work and I do recommend it to my friends if they want to make a move to the APS.

I would describe it as friendly and welcoming workplace to all levels of the APS. I have been shown patience as a new starter and person who has made a huge career change to be here. I previously worked as a certified mechanic and this has been a massive shift, the people and work offered makes me want to continue my journey here.

This is a very collaborative department, everyone likes to make an effort to learn from each other. 

How does the department support you to be your best and do your best work?

I would describe the department as inclusive. I myself have a disability and the department is very accepting. My managers have shown great support by being understanding with my personal circumstance and giving me the time I need to take care of myself. 

The department also supports me by having networks that mentor and support me as well. I am in the First Nation Network. Having an inclusive culture helps me with my work and development—not having any fear that I am an outsider and having internal mentors to assist me helps me to do my best.

In what ways do you feel your expertise is valued?

I am still in my learning journey, My team appreciates my “outside the box” thinking and the perspective I bring to the table. I feel that my contributions are respected and I add to the team goals.

Tell us what it’s like working at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

There are a lot of incredibly smart and really fantastic people working hard for the betterment of our society. We all work incredibly hard in the background to keep Australia moving forward.

Our department is a policy agency, and touches on so many things that people are unaware of, including:

• keeping our planes in the air
• funding our arts programs including theatre, film and artists
• investing in telecommunications infrastructure, policies and online content controls
• helping move freight in and around the country
• funding road’s and rail projects
• regional and community revitalisation from small to multi-billion-dollar scale projects.

There isn’t a lot we don’t do and if we don’t do it, there is another department that does.

How does the department support you to be your best and do your best work?

I have had some incredible opportunities to attend leadership conferences to build my capacity as a future leader, not only building my confidence but helping me develop tools to support my teams.

I have also attended training and workshops specific to my work, such as wildlife workshops for airport safeguarding, aviation conferences, speaking events about lessons learnt on international city deals, and professional development to further my skills and experience in urban planning.

How do you use your unique skills and experiences in your role?

I am one of a dozen or so urban planners in the department. We do a lot of policy and program development that has direct input on what gets delivered on the ground in our communities.

I provide my views on land use planning for project delivery, insight and advice in the development of urban policies and an understanding of project delivery and its complexities.

I feel heard by leadership in my promotion of mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, by being invited to provide comment or insight into approaches the department is considering.

How have you developed your career since joining the department?

I previously worked at local government and a lot of the work I was doing there was a result of policies and processes developed by the Australian Government, namely this department.

We all know that implementation can often be confusing, with councils, states and industry taking different approaches. I wanted to make the process better, easier, and better align with the objectives, and I felt that the best place for me was to be here contributing to the development of and implementation of national policy.

My current role has me acting as a bit of a negotiator, facilitator, and interpreter, trying to convey our policies and local or state government needs into something we can all understand and find common ground on.

By constantly pushing my boundaries and continuing to grow, I have really honed my skills and matured into my roles.

How does your work make a difference to the lives of Australians?

My current role in the South East Queensland City Deal, has 29 different initiatives that will provide benefits across, improved transport and digital connectivity, increase in jobs, generating thriving communities and a more liveable region.

We are working with state and local government to support this fast-growing region to support its future needs.

Tell us what it’s like working at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

The culture’s great, there’s a lot to keep you busy and always something new to learn.

You have to be informed to stay on top of your work, and have to be adaptive as work and priorities are always shifting. You are always collaborating with others and feel accountable for what you do.

The culture is the main reason why I’m still here. It’s friendly and very supportive.

How does the department support you to be your best and do your best work?

I have received a lot of training and guidance from my colleagues and managers throughout my time here. There is a lot to learn about the job, but my managers and colleagues have always happily given up their time for my improvement.

Throughout my time here, I have been given opportunities to try different work and teams. I genuinely feel that my managers have been looking out for me and they have really been trying to progress my professional career.

In what ways do you feel your expertise is valued?

There are times when the work I’ve done has been noticed by others and, on these occasions, my manager makes the effort to compliment and acknowledge this work.

I have also been asked to complete work that’s outside my role but, because they knew I have skills in this other area, I have been a go-to person when they need this type of work completed.

How have you developed your career since joining the department?

I was originally in a different industry but I wanted to get into IT. Honestly, I wasn’t set on a specific department but I had a friend who worked here that highly recommended me to apply to the department.

This has been my first APS [Australian Public Service] job since entering the workforce and my career has developed since by moving up the ranks. I appreciate the opportunities that have opened internally, so I didn’t have to leave the department to progress my career.

I’ve been able to move around in this department, particularly in the IT division. I originally started as a communications officer, but I wanted to learn more about the tech side of IT. Through the opportunities presented, I was able to move to different teams, and pick up different skills.

This department has given me amazing opportunities to learn and grow in this industry.

Tell us what it’s like working at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

The department does incredibly unique work across multiple different areas. It is rare that you can work on large scale infrastructure projects and arts projects within the same department.

The work done on major projects such as the Western Sydney International Airport have a real impact on the lives of Australians. People use transport infrastructure every day and a new airport will have a real benefit for the people and community of Western Sydney.

What gets me out of bed in the morning is knowing that I’m working on nationally significant projects with colleagues I enjoy spending time with.

How does the department support you to be your best and do your best work?

It is an incredibly collaborative workplace as people are always willing to help out and provide advice, which is especially helpful as a new public servant.

I have had incredible support from my managers and senior executives. As I am early in my public service career, they have always made time to discuss my career and what skills I should learn.

The work-life balance at the department has also been fantastic. As someone who recently moved to Canberra, this has allowed me to settle into the city and take up old hobbies.

In what ways do you feel your expertise is valued?

Respect is one of the key values of the department which is reflected in the culture and work. Everyone is treated with respect and everyone’s unique contributions are acknowledged and encouraged.

My supervisor and senior executives are always quick to give me positive feedback. It has been rewarding to work somewhere your hard work is seen and commended.

How have you developed your career since joining the department?

My career has developed faster than expected. I have been fortunate to gain experience in writing briefs to the Minister, engage with executive level stakeholders, and understand government processes.

Last year, I was part of the policy essentials series which the department runs with ANU [Australian National University] and this was a great opportunity to develop my understanding of policy.

There are so many opportunities to do different work - you will never run out of new skills and experience to gain.

Tell us what it’s like working at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

The department’s culture is supportive and, at its heart, about enabling each staff member to contribute to the best of their ability. I have a health condition that stops me from working in the office full time. Instead of focusing on the negatives of that condition, my managers have all focused on what I can achieve and empower me to do my best by giving me freedom to adapt the ‘how’ we go about work.

How does the department support you to be your best, and do your best work?

I have been able to access flexible work arrangements to help me manage my condition while still being able to contribute my best to the workplace. I work from home the majority of the time and can alter when I start or finish my work day if necessary.

My team is incredibly supportive. They always make sure any in-person meetings have virtual dial-in options as well. We also chat a lot on Skype – it honestly feels like I’m there in the office with them, getting the same chatter and inside jokes. The only thing I can’t be part of is the food at morning teas!

How have you developed your career since joining the department?

I decided early on that I am not interested in ‘climbing the traditional corporate ladder’.  I like the satisfaction of doing things myself and working in a small team. Even though I am not interested in being a team leader, the department has still been investing in me and my career development.

I’ve been able to work on a whole range of interesting topics, been given opportunities to develop new skills or sharpen those I already have, and feel I am respected for my contribution and experience.

Tell us what it’s like working at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

The department has a caring and vibrant culture, with an interesting and diverse workload always on hand.

How does the department support you to be your best and do your best work?

The department supports me by providing all manner of training and learning, internal and external, to help me improve my skills and knowledge in both my work and personal life.

I take advantage of flexible work arrangements by working from home one or two days a week. Having access to these and other arrangements has improved my productivity and allowed me to navigate the ever-changing needs of life and work more easily.
 
In what ways do you feel your expertise is valued?

The department goes to great lengths to ensure my expertise is utilised; I am often given opportunities to provide input on bodies of work that are both adjacent and directly related to my knowledge and skill set.
 
How have you found your career has developed since you started here?

The department has given me many professional opportunities, such as leading on projects and developing policy at international forums.

The department has actively engaged in my career progression. My manager often asks me about the professional direction I wish to take, and provides advice and opportunities to guide me accordingly.

Tell me what it’s like working at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

The culture is collaborative and inclusive – none of the work occurs in isolation. For instance, the delivery of major infrastructure projects needs to line up with urban policy frameworks, regional development strategies, road safety, communications infrastructure and other infrastructure investments.

We also work very closely with the states, local communities and industry. To witness first-hand this level of collaboration and commitment to deliver best outcomes has been a contributing factor for me to continue working at the department.

How does the department support you to be your best and do your best work?

I have strong support from my managers and the department’s leadership to do my best work. I have access to flexible working arrangements, learning and development opportunities as well as chances to work across the department as needed.

In what ways do you feel your expertise is valued?

Given the collaborative ecosystem that the department operates in, I’ve been approached for advice on a diverse range of policies, projects, and business cases. Some of the key projects that I’ve advised on have included the Middle Arm and Northern Territory Logistics Hubs; 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane; Freight and Supply Chain strategies; and the resilience of the National Broadband Network during COVID lockdowns. Similarly, I’ve reached out to experts across the department to support the projects I oversee.

How have you found your career has developed since you started here?

I’ve been fortunate to grow and develop within the department – to lead teams responsible for Western Sydney and the National Broadband Network as well as the development of intermodal freight terminals along the east coast. These opportunities have helped me grow into a Senior Executive role in the department.