NSW Premier Nathan Rees recently announced a major overhaul of government departments that will see 160 agencies merged into 13 super departments.

One of the new departments, the Industry and Investment super department, will consist of the Department of Primary Industries, Department of State and Regional Development, NSW Tourism, Department of Energy and the Rural Assistance Authority.

The Game Council, NSW Health Authority, Coal Compensation Board, Mine Subsidence Board and NSW Film and Television Office are also included in the agency.

It will be headed by current Department of Primary Industries director general Dr Richard Sheldrake, who was selected out of 23 existing director generals to head one of the 13 new super departments.

NSW Department of Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald is the minister responsible for over half of the agencies that will be merged into the new Industry and Investment super department.

Mr Macdonald lives in Orange.

A spokesperson for Mr Macdonald yesterday said there would be no forced job losses in Orange and that the finer details of the restructure were being finalised.

More information, including whether Orange will be home to the super department, will be known later this week.

NSW premier Nathan Rees has told all public sector employees that the overhaul will result in no forced redundancies.

“Existing recruitment restrictions will continue. Front-line service delivery positions, capital program specific jobs, apprenticeships and graduate programs will continue to be exempt,” the premier said.

The changes will come into affect on July 1.