The Department of Finance was created on 1 July 2011 from the previous Department of Treasury and Finance.
The Department of Finance comprised of several businesses:
- Building Management and Works is responsible for the construction of government buildings such as hospitals, schools and police stations; the maintenance of government buildings; the management of the government’s office portfolio; and the administration of a range of heritage and built environment matters.
- Government Procurement leads the buying function at a whole-of-government level, providing-value-for-money outcomes for government through goods, services and human services procurement.
- State Revenue business is dedicated to the administration of revenue, grant and subsidy schemes for community benefit.
The Department also had a new role to provide leadership and advice to the Government on the performance of Government Trading Enterprises.
All these functions were supported by the Corporate Services business, which provides a range of services that support and add value to the Department in the areas of Human Resources Management, Finance, Information and Communications Technology, Strategic Planning, Corporate Communications, Governance, Risk and Policy.
In 2025, as part of the Western Australian Government's public sector reform initiative, the Department of Finance was restructured to become the Department of Housing and Works.
The 2025 restructuring saw State Revenue transferred to the Department of Treasury and Finance, Procurement policy transferred to the Department of Treasury and Finance, and Major Projects transferred to the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure.
