The Defence mission is to defend Australia and its national interests.
Defence’s primary role is to protect and advance Australia’s strategic interests through the provision of military capabilities, the promotion of security and stability, and the provision of support to the Australian community and civilian authorities as directed by Government.
In the 2016–17 Defence Corporate Plan, the Defence purposes were revised from 10 in the previous year’s plan to a focus on three core outcomes that we deliver to Government:
Defence’s performance in achieving its purposes during the 2016–17 reporting period is described in Chapter 3—Annual performance statements.
Our employees conduct their duties in accordance with the Australian Public Service (APS) Code of Conduct and the APS Values. The purpose of the Defence Force Discipline Act 1982 is to maintain and enforce military discipline necessary for Australian Defence Force (ADF) operational capability. The ADF also has Service-specific values. These APS and ADF values and rules are the foundation for our work and govern the way we relate to our stakeholders and to each other.
Without diminishing the ADF and APS values, or their use, specific Defence values have been established to provide a common and unifying thread for all people working in Defence. These values are:
Through the 2016 Defence White Paper, the Government has identified Australia’s strategic defence interests as:
Securing these interests will require Australia to build on its strong network of bilateral and multilateral relationships. Through regular dialogue and practical cooperation, Defence is strengthening its engagement with partners to support shared responses to shared challenges.
Defence is administered by a diarchy, which is the term used to describe the joint leadership of Defence by the Secretary of Defence and the Chief of the Defence Force, under the general control of the Minister for Defence. The concept, which is supported by legislative and administrative arrangements, encompasses the individual and joint responsibilities and accountabilities of the Secretary and the Chief of the Defence Force.
As at 30 June 2017, the Defence portfolio consisted of:
As at 30 June 2017, the Defence portfolio has three ministers:
As at 30 June 2017, the Defence departmental net cash spend was $31.9 billion. More information about Defence funding can be found in Chapter 4—Financial performance.
As at 30 June 2017, the APS actual full-time equivalent workforce was 17,308, and the Australian Defence Force actual funded strength was 58,612 members.
More information can be found in Chapter 7—Strategic workforce management.
Defence has extensive land and property holdings in Australia, including large training areas and bases close to the coastline. Defence also operates a number of operational bases around the globe.
