The navigation bar in the title banner provides a number of easy paths to help you move around the site and find the information you are looking for. You can select from one of the ten main category tabs

The top navigation bar appears on every page on this site. You can select any of the tabs at any time and the selected tab will be highlighted. The functions provided by each tab are described below.

• The Home tab will always return you to the homepage.
• The Services tab provides access to the government services directory.
• The People tab provides access to key information for common audience groups within society, such as Jobseekers, Employers, etc.
• The Topics tab is the most comprehensive information option and provides access to information grouped according to a list of subject areas such as Business and industry; Culture, history and sport, etc.
• The Life events tab provides access to information grouped according to a list of common life events, such as Becoming independent, Buying or renting a property, etc.
• The About Australia tab provides access to a brief overview of Australia and the Australian system of government
• The Directories tab provides access to a number of Government related directories.
• The Publications tab provides assistance to people searching for Australian Government publications and provides links to publications on the websites of Australian Government agencies..
• The News and media tab provides access to current news and media releases relating to government activities and events.
• If you have an australia.gov.au account, the My Account tab will allow you to access and update your profile and preferences.

The home page provides a quick overview of the various ways of finding information and services on the site.

The Features section at the top of the page provides quick ways of finding important information. It may be a link to a government health announcement; quick access links to our most popular services; or quick access to our help sections for common assistance requests.

Below is an area highlighting the top categories from our Navigation tab sections. You may find a link to the category you are looking for; if not there is a link to more choices which will provide the full browse listing for those sections.

At Have Your Say you will find a Public Consultations page listing government agency sites where the Australian Government is seeking your input. There is also a list of government blogs which are a less formal and more immediate way that government is using to inform and engage with the public.

Seen some government announcement on TV or heard it on the radio? The Government Initiatives section allows you to view links to government initiatives that are currently being publicised. The In Focus section also carries links to current news stories, new features and events

Like the top navigation bar, the bottom navigation bar appears on every page on this site. Each section contains quick links to key information

Contact Government

Quick links to some key pages to help you contact government agencies, services and key people.

Official Communications

Direct links to our Publications, News and Media and Media Release Service RSS Feeds sections.

Quick links

Direct links to the most popular Australian Government websites.

Online Security

Direct links to information to help you stay safe online.

Careers

Direct links and information areas on this site to help you find a job.

State and Territory Governments

Direct links to state and territory government and local government entry points.

Selecting the Services tab provides access to a broad selection of government services. The services page will provide you with a number of functions designed to help you to find the particular government service that you are looking for.

At the top of the page is a Search Services function which allows you to enter the key word or words for the service you are looking for.

There is also a list of Service Tasks to choose from, such as Apply for ... , Inquire ... and Register for ...

The Visit Us option allows you to search the Government Shopfront Locator for a specific Government shopfront by postcode or suburb. You select the office type from the drop list and then enter your postcode or suburb name to find the closest office of the type selected.

You can also browse the A-Z Lists of Services and Forms.

Use the A to Z list of Services to locate a service if you know what it is called or the agency which provides the service. You can also use keywords relating to a service you are looking for.

Use the A to Z list of Forms to locate a particular Government form if you know what it is called or the agency which provides the form. You can also use keywords relating to a form you are looking for.

Selecting the People tab provides access to a number of common audience groups within society, each of which has its own specific needs from government.

Selecting any of these will take you to a page of key links specifically chosen to meet the needs of that group. Every link in this index is also available under 'Topics'; however you may find these categories easier to explore.

The left-hand side of each list provides a navigation panel, highlighting your current audience group and showing any sub-groups available to browse.

On the right-hand side of each list, you may also find some 'Related Categories'. These categories are relevant to your current audience group, but occur in a different section of the browsing structure rather than as a sub-topic.

At the top of each page is a Search People function which allows you to enter a key word or words to search for information and services within this option.

Selecting the Topics tab provides access to the most comprehensive information option, allowing you to browse over 2000 Australian, state and territory government links divided into some 350 categories and sub-categories.

When you select the topic you're interested in, you will be provided with a list of government links relative to that topic.

The left-hand side of each list provides a navigation panel, highlighting your current topic and showing any sub-topics available to browse.

On the right-hand side of each list, you may also find some Related Categories. These categories are relevant to your current topic, but occur in a different section of the browsing structure rather than as a sub-category.

At the top of each page is a Search Topics function which allows you to enter a key word or words to search for information and services within this option.

Selecting the Life Events tab provides access to Information and services that have been grouped to assist people at particular life stages.

The left-hand side of each list provides a navigation panel, highlighting your current life event and showing any sub-categories available to browse.

On the right-hand side of each list, you may also find some 'Related Categories'. These categories are relevant to your current life event, but occur in a different section of the browsing structure rather than as a sub-category.

At the top of each page is a Search Life Events function which allows you to enter a key word or words to search for information and services within this option.

Selecting the About Australia tab provides access to a brief overview of Australia and the Australian system of government.

The Our Country section provides information about Australia, with topics such as The Australian Continent, Our Natural Environment and Our National Symbols

The Our Government section provides information about the way Australia is governed, with topics such as Australia’s Federation, Australian Government and State and Territory Government.

The Australian Stories section has over 200 articles from themes such as Australian identity, history, Indigenous culture, music and performance, natural environment, and the visual arts and crafts. Many stories also include links to other online information. 

Australia in Brief has links to information sources ranging from brief overviews and fact sheets to the Year Book of Australia.

Under each of these pages there are lists of further resources for More Information about the topic.

Selecting the Directories tab provides you with access to a number of Government related directories.

Contact government and Contact parliament provide links to contact information.

The Australian Government directories section provides access to an A-Z list of government sites, a list of Government departments, and a Departments and agencies page. The Departments and agencies page shows the structure of the Australian Government and links to detailed portfolio pages that list:

• the portfolio Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries with links to their homepages
• the portfolio department with links to its detail page
• agencies within the portfolio with links to their detail pages
• websites within the portfolio with links to their homepages

The department and agency detail pages provide a description of the agency with links to their homepage and contact details, as well as any services, forms, faqs or web resources linked to through australia.gov.au.

State, territory and local government directories contains links to State and Territory government directories, agency listings, parliamentary contacts and local government directories as well as capital city entry points.

You can also search for departments, agencies and websites and other Directories information using the keyword search function.

Selecting the News and Media tab provides you with access to current news and media releases relating to government activities and events and ways to stay informed with what’s happening in government.

At the top of the page is a Search Media Releases function which allows you to enter a key word or words to search the Media Release collection. The Government Media Release Service collects media releases daily from Australian Government websites.

Seen some government advertising on TV or heard it on the radio? All Government Initiatives allows you to view links to all government initiatives that have featured on the australia.gov.au homepage.

All In Focus allows you to view current and recent news items featured on the australia.gov.au homepage.

The Government Media Releases section provides access to the Government Media Release Service. You can view a page of all today’s media releases or you can subscribe to the Government Media Release Service.

A subscription to the daily email alert service will allow you to customise your subscription or you can choose an RSS feed for either the complete service or a portfolio specific service.

The Australian Government Media Release by Portfolio page provides links to agency's individual media release pages. You can also find those agencies which have agency specific RSS feeds.

RSS Feeds and Podcasts provides you with a list of other government news alerts and information that can be delivered direct to your RSS reader.

Selecting the Publications tab provides assistance to people searching for Australian Government publications and provides links to publications on the websites of Australian Government agencies.

At the top of the page is a Search for a Publication function which searches content found on Australian Government websites and in the catalogue of Australian Government publications held by Australian libraries.

Locating Publications provides information to assist people searching for publications, both current and older and out of print publications, as well as links to resources on other sites for locating Government Publications.

Popular Publications provides information on some of the most popular government publications as well as how to obtain copies of gazettes and legislation.