[2][3] The policy was strongly opposed by motor industry groups,[4] and The Age and The Argus argued that the remit and structure of the proposed Ministry was so vague it would not be able to efficiently resolve the clashes between sectors.
[5][6] Hogan struggled throughout 1929 and 1930 to win political support for a bill to constitute the Ministry, and parliamentary committees heard requests for substantial amendments from railway and road interests.
[9] As motor traffic continued to grow, the problems Hogan had foreseen worsened without coordination of transport policy.
[10] By 1938, similar ministries had been established in other states and territories, as well as New Zealand, and the concept gained political support in Victoria.
Minister of Transport Herbert Hyland, in his second reading speech introducing the bill, said:[17][T]he Government has reached the conclusion that the essential first step towards obtaining more satisfactory governmental control [over transport] must be to bring all statutes and administrative authorities concerned with these matters under one Minister.
This has then led to the conclusion that an over-all administrative authority is necessary to advise and assist the Minister in developing progressive policies over transport as a whole.
Hyland was knighted in 1952 on the recommendation of McDonald, largely due to his efforts in conceiving and establishing the Ministry.
At the same time, the Ministry became the lead planning and coordinating agency, as well as the administrator of all transport-related property, and the name of its head was altered to Director-General.
The merged authorities reported directly to the Director-General of Transport instead of to the Minister, strengthening the role of the Ministry in coordinating their functions.