The Government of South Australia, also referred to as the South Australian Government or the SA Government, is the executive branch of the state of South Australia. It is modelled on the Westminster system, meaning that the highest ranking members of the executive are drawn from an elected state parliament. Specifically the party or coalition which holds a majority of the House of Assembly (the lower chamber of the South Australian Parliament).
| Government of South Australia | |
|---|---|
| Government of the State of South Australia | |
State government | |
| Overview | |
| Established |
|
| State | South Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Leader | Premier of South Australia (Peter Malinauskas) |
| Appointed by | Governor of South Australia (Frances Adamson) on the advice of the premier |
| Main organ |
|
| Ministries | 15 government departments |
| Responsible to | Parliament of South Australia |
| Annual budget | $27.5 billion (2023–24) |
| Headquarters | State Administration Centre, 200 Victoria Square, Adelaide |
| Website | sa |
History
South Australia was established via letters patent by King William IV in February of 1836, pursuant to the South Australian Colonisation Act 1834. Governance in the colony was organised according to the principles developed by Edward Wakefield, where settlement would be conducted by free settlers rather than convicts. Therefore governance would be divided between the Governor who was responsible to the British Crown and tasked with the authority to make laws, and Colonisation Commissioners who were responsible for the sale of land to settlers to fund the colony. This structure was found to be troublesome as the commission had control of the funds rather than the Governor, and as a result in 1838, the Governor was appointed Resident Commissioner to resolve conflict.
In 1842 the British Parliament reorganised the structure of South Australia's governance by abolishing the Colonisation Commission and creating a Legislative Council of eight people (including the Governor) to exercise the legislative power of the colony. In 1850 the British Parliament passed the Australian Constitutions Act 1850, which empowered the Legislative Council to alter its own composition. The Legislative Council responded by passing the Constitution Act 1856, which created a bicameral parliament and an executive responsible to it. Boyle Finniss was appointed the first Premier of South Australia as part of an interim executive until elections to the new Parliament could be held in 1857.
The executive comprised ministers selected from the Parliament and the Governor was no longer able to unilaterally make most decisions. The new Parliament and Executive took over almost all of the powers held by the Secretary of State for the Colonies regarding the appointment to official positions in the colony, immigration, and customs matters.
When federation occurred in 1901, South Australia became a state of the Commonwealth of Australia under the Constitution of Australia, which regulates the South Australia's relationship with the Commonwealth. The state ceded certain executive powers (such as defence and customs), but retained powers in all matters not withdrawn from them or in conflict with the Commonwealth.
In 1934, the Constitution Act 1856 was repealed and replaced with the Constitution Act 1934, which remains in force today with amendments.
Structure
South Australia is governed according to the principles of the Westminster system, a form of parliamentary government based on the model of the United Kingdom.
Executive power rests formally with the Executive Council, which consists of the governor and senior ministers. The Governor plays an important practical role under the state's constitution and fulfils a symbolic role as local head of state. The Governor is appointed by the King and, for most practical purposes, exercises His Majesty's powers in the state. These include the fundamental powers to dissolve Parliament, call elections and appoint and dismiss ministers. The Governor in Executive Council is the formal mechanism for administration of the state. Many of the decisions made by Cabinet do not have legal effect until they are signed by the Governor in Executive Council. All items for the approval of the Governor in Executive Council must first be considered by Cabinet, with the exception of the assent to Acts. When exercising a statutory power, the Governor must act with the advice and consent of Executive Council. All ministers are ex officio members of Executive Council.
In practice, executive power is exercised by the premier of South Australia and the Cabinet of South Australia, who advise the Governor. The Cabinet comprises 15 ministers, headed by the Premier, who are either members of the House of Assembly or the Legislative Council. Cabinet is responsible for determining policies which are submitted to Parliament.
Current ministry
As of 19 September 2025, the ministry of the South Australian Government comprised the following 17 Labor Party members.:
| Minister | Portfolio | Party affiliation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Malinauskas MP |
| Labor | ||
| Kyam Maher MLC |
| Labor | ||
| Tom Koutsantonis MP |
| Labor | ||
| Zoe Bettison MP |
| Labor | ||
| Chris Picton MP |
| Labor | ||
| Katrine Hildyard MP |
| Labor | ||
| Nat Cook MP |
| Labor | ||
| Clare Scriven MLC |
| Labor | ||
| Blair Boyer MP |
| Labor | ||
| Andrea Michaels MP |
| Labor | ||
| Joe Szakacs MP |
| Labor | ||
| Nick Champion MP |
| Labor | ||
| Emily Bourke MLC |
| Labor | ||
| Rhiannon Pearce MP |
| Labor | ||
| Lucy Hood MP |
| Labor | ||
| Michael Brown MP |
| Labor | ||
| Nadia Clancy MP |
| Labor | ||
Government agencies
The South Australian Government is divided into departments or attached offices to those departments. Departments and their attached offices are overseen by a government minister who is a member of the Parliament. However some departments or attached offices may be afforded a degree of independence by statute and may only be subject to ministerial direction in specific circumstances (for example the Audit Office or the Electoral Commission). There are currently 21 departments, though not all of them use the word department in their title.
- Attorney-General's Department
- Audit Office of South Australia
- Department for Child Protection
- Department for Correctional Services
- Defence SA
- Department for Education
- Office for Early Childhood Development
- Electoral Commission of South Australia
- Department for Energy and Mining
- Office of Hydrogen Power South Australia
- Office of Northern Water Delivery
- Department for Environment and Water
- Environment Protection Agency (EPA)
- Office of Green Industries SA
- Department of Health and Wellbeing
- Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health
- Preventative Health SA
- Department for Housing and Urban Development
- Department of Human Services
- Department for Infrastructure and Transport
- Office of Recreation, Sport and Racing
- Department of the Premier and Cabinet
- Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment
- Premier's Delivery Unit
- Office of the South Australian Productivity Commission
- Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA)
- South Australian Police Department
- Department of State Development
- Department of Treasury and Finance
- Office of Venue Management
Government business enterprises
- South Australian Forestry Corporation trading as ForestrySA
- South Australian Water Corporation trading as SA Water
See also
- First Nations Voice to Parliament (South Australia)
- List of South Australian government agencies
- List of South Australian Ministries
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