Information about the department's functions and/or government funding allocation could be found in the
Administrative Arrangements Orders, the annual Portfolio Budget Statements, in the department's annual reports and on the department's website. At its creation, the department was responsible for: • Environment protection and conservation of biodiversity • Air quality • National fuel quality standards • Land contamination • Meteorology • Administration of the Australian Antarctic Territory and the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands • Natural, built and movable cultural heritage • Greenhouse policy coordination • Environmental research • Water policy and resources In the
Howard government, the portfolio of Water Resources was assigned to the Environment Department; this was an
Australian Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources,
Malcolm Turnbull. The secretary of the department was David Borthwick. ==List of ministers for resources==