History of the Economic Planning Advisory Commission

The Economic Planning Advisory Commission (EPAC) was a statutory authority established on 16 August 1994 under the Economic Planning Advisory Commission Act 1983. It replaced the Economic Planning Advisory Council.

EPAC's functions were to: investigate economic and social issues and provide information and advice to the relevant Minister; promote public debate on, and public understanding of, economic and social issues; undertake specific projects on request by the Minister; and seek and report to the Minister on the views of industry, the trade union movement and the community on each year's Commonwealth Budget.

EPAC was supported by an Advisory Board chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The creation of the Productivity Commission (PC) merged the activities of EPAC, the Industry Commission (IC) and Bureau of Industry Economics (BIE). The legislation to establish the PC in 1998 abolished EPAC and the IC.