Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services will be split up following the state's coronavirus crisis, with the premier conceding it has become "too big".
From February 1, the Department of Health will look after the aged care, ambulance services, health and mental health portfolios, as well as continue to oversee the state's pandemic response.
The new Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH), will retain the human services portfolios including child protection, disability, family violence and housing.
It will also be responsible for policy areas such as equality, multicultural affairs and veterans, as well as the offices for women and youth, which currently come under the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
The DFFH will be led by secretary Sandy Pitcher, who will report to current Planning and Housing Minister Richard Wynne.
Health Minister Martin Foley will remain the state's health minister, with newly-appointed DHHS secretary Euan Wallace to lead the new department.
The move reverses a decision Premier Daniel Andrews made when he merged the two departments in 2015.
"I wouldn't read this as a criticism that big departments don't work," Mr Andrews told reporters on Monday.
"Big departments who have got an equally big reform agenda, a massive reform agenda, sometimes you can get too big."
He said the government's reform agenda in areas such as child protection, family violence, housing and mental health meant it was the "right time" for the DHHS to split.
"This has been a year like no other and the tail of this will be long, and therefore giving people room to focus on the unique challenges this year has thrown up and continues to throw up just simply makes sense," Mr Andrews said.
The premier said no jobs would be affected by the split.
Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said the split was "long overdue".
"In a year where an effective and timely response was needed, Labor's DHHS mega-department failed," she said in a statement.
"DHHS is too big, it has been poorly managed by Labor and it failed Victorians when it mattered."
Australian Associated Press