Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development (Australia)

Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
Incumbent Darren Chester since 18 February 2016 (2016-02-18)
Department of Infrastructure and Transport
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holder	Thomas Paterson
Formation	1928

The Australian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport is The Honourable Darren Chester MP, since 18 February 2016.

The Minister for Regional Development and the Minister for Local Government and Territories is Senator the Honourable Fiona Nash, since 18 February 2016 and 9 July 2016 respectively.

The ministers are supported by the Minister for Urban Infrastructure, the Hon. Paul Fletcher MP, since 9 July 2016.

In the Government of Australia, the minister has overall responsibility for all of the matters falling within the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government portfolio, including regulation, safety and funding in relation to aviation, shipping, roads and railways and policy on regional development, local government and the territories, including the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. His ministerial responsibility includes the following agencies.

Under the Constitution of Australia the federal government was not given any specific responsibilities for transport, except for "railway construction and extension in any State with the consent of that State" (section 51(xxxiv)). In 1916, Billy Hughes appointed Patrick Lynch as Minister for Works and Railways to administer Commonwealth Railways and the construction of the Trans-Australian Railway. In December 1928, Stanley Bruce appointed Thomas Paterson as Minister for Markets and Transport, which included responsibility for funding road construction via grants to the states. In January 1932, this portfolio was renamed Minister for Transport, but in April 1932 it was absorbed into the new portfolio of Minister for the Interior along with the position of Minister for Works and Railways.