The Defence Portfolio includes the Department of Defence (Defence), Defence Housing Australia (DHA) and the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD).

As at 30 June 2020, the Defence Portfolio employed 18,000 staff under the Public Service Act 1999. Of this total, 9,608 staff (53 per cent) are employed in Canberra, central Melbourne and central Sydney, 5,667 staff (32 per cent) in other capital cities and 2,725 staff (15 per cent) in regional areas.

The Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) Portfolio improves the lives of Australians by providing high quality advice and support to the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, Portfolio Ministers and Assistant Ministers. It takes a coordinated and innovative approach to the development and implementation of Australian Government policies, including those that impact on regional and remote communities.

The purpose of the 2021–22 Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS) is to inform Senators and Members of Parliament of the proposed allocation of resources to Government outcomes by agencies within the portfolio. Agencies receive resources from the annual appropriations bills, special appropriations, standing appropriations (including special accounts), and revenue from other sources.

Treasury’s role is to support and implement informed decisions on policies for the good of the Australian people, consistent with achieving strong, sustainable economic growth and fiscal settings.

The Treasury has offices in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. It has been increasing its regional engagement to deepen its understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing regional economies.

The Social Services Portfolio comprises four non-corporate Commonwealth entities and two corporate entities. For the purposes of this statement, this includes the Department of Social Services, the Australian Institute of Family Studies, the National Disability Insurance Agency, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and Services Australia. Hearing Australia is not reported in this statement, as it is a Public Non-financial Corporation (Trading) entity.

Australia’s regions − home to one in three Australians − are recovering from recent challenges and are again growing in strength and prosperity. After more than a year of unprecedented disruptions to established patterns of domestic and international economic activity and international trade and migration, our economy is rebounding. The resilience of our regions and our key regional industries forms the bedrock of this recovery trajectory.

The Agriculture, Water and Environment Portfolio supports the Australian Government to enhance the important and interconnected areas of agriculture, water resources, heritage and the environment. This work is critical to the prosperity and quality of life of Australians in regional areas. The Portfolio has a diverse role as a policy advisor, researcher, program administrator and regulator, delivering outcomes for rural and regional communities across Australia.