Minister for the Environment and Water

Australian cabinet position

Minister for the Environment and Water

Commonwealth Coat of Arms

Flag of Australia

Incumbent
Tanya Plibersek

since 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Style| The Honourable
Appointer| Governor-General
on the advice of the prime minister
Inaugural holder| Peter Howson (as Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts)
Formation| 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)
Website| minister.dcceew.gov.au/plibersek

The Australian Minister for the Environment and Water is a position which is currently held by Tanya Plibersek in the Albanese ministry since 1 June 2022, following the Australian federal election in 2022.[1]

In the Government of Australia, the minister and assistant minister are responsible for the protection and conservation of the environment; to ensure that Australia benefits from meteorological and related sciences and services; and to see that Australia's interests in Antarctica are advanced. The minister provides direction and oversight of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (previously the Department of the Environment and Energy, and before that the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities) to develop and implement national policy, programs and legislation to protect and conserve Australia's environment and heritage.

## Portfolio responsibilities

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The minister administers their portfolio through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and its environment component bodies, including:

* Antarctic Animal Ethics Committee
* Antarctic Ethics Committee (Human Experimentation)
* Antarctic Research Assessment Committees (ARACs)
* Antarctic Science Advisory Committee
* Australia-Netherlands Committee on Old Dutch Shipwrecks
* Australian Antarctic Names and Medals Committee
* Australian Heritage Council
* Bureau of Meteorology
* Environment Protection and Heritage Council
* Great Barrier Reef Consultative Committee
* Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
* Great Barrier Reef Ministerial Council
* Great Barrier Reef Structural Adjustment Package Technical Advisory Committee
* Hazardous Waste Technical Group
* Murray-Darling Basin Authority
* National Environment Protection Council
* National Environmental Education Council
* New South Wales World Heritage Properties Ministerial Council
* Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator
* Science Program Management Committee
* State of the Environment Committee 2006
* Stockholm Intergovernmental Forum
* Sydney Harbour Federation Trust
* Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Ministerial Council
* Threatened Species Scientific Committee
* Wet Tropics Ministerial Council

## List of ministers

[edit]

### Environment

[edit]

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for the Environment, or any precedent titles:[2]

Order  | Minister  | Party affiliation  | Prime Minister  | Ministerial title  | Term start  | Term end  | Term in office

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | Peter Howson |  | Liberal | McMahon | Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts | 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) | 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) | 1 year, 270 days
2  | Gough Whitlam1 |  | Labor | Whitlam  | 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) | 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) | 14 days
3  | Moss Cass | Minister for the Environment and Conservation  | 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) | 21 April 1975 (1975-04-21) | 2 years, 169 days
Minister for the Environment  | 21 April 1975 (1975-04-21) | 6 June 1975 (1975-06-06)
4  | Jim Cairns | 6 June 1975 (1975-06-06) | 2 July 1975 (1975-07-02) | 26 days
(2) | Gough Whitlam | 2 July 1975 (1975-07-02) | 14 July 1975 (1975-07-14) | 12 days
5  | Joe Berinson | 14 July 1975 (1975-07-14) | 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) | 120 days
6  | Andrew Peacock |  | Liberal  | Fraser | 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) | 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) | 41 days
7  | Ivor Greenwood | Minister for Environment, Housing and Community Development | 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) | 8 July 1976 (1976-07-08) | 199 days
8  | Kevin Newman | 8 July 1976 (1976-07-08) | 20 December 1977 (1977-12-20) | 1 year, 165 days
9  | Ray Groom | 20 December 1977 (1977-12-20) | 5 December 1978 (1978-12-05) | 350 days
10  | James Webster | Minister for Science and the Environment  | 5 December 1978 (1978-12-05) | 8 December 1979 (1979-12-08) | 1 year, 3 days
11  | David Thomson | 8 December 1979 (1979-12-08) | 3 November 1980 (1980-11-03) | 331 days
12  | Robert Ellicott | Minister for Home Affairs and the Environment  | 3 November 1980 (1980-11-03) | 17 February 1981 (1981-02-17) | 106 days
13  | Michael MacKellar | 17 February 1981 (1981-02-17) | 19 March 1981 (1981-03-19) | 30 days
14  | Ian Wilson | 19 March 1981 (1981-03-19) | 7 May 1982 (1982-05-07) | 1 year, 49 days
15  | Tom McVeigh |  | National Country | 7 May 1982 (1982-05-07) | 16 October 1982  | 308 days
| National | 16 October 1982  | 11 March 1983
16  | Barry Cohen |  | Labor  | Hawke | 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) | 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) | 4 years, 135 days
Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Environment  | 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) | 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)
17  | John Brown | Minister for Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories | 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24) | 18 December 1987 (1987-12-18) | 147 days
18  | Graham Richardson | 19 January 1988 (1988-01-19) | 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) | 2 years, 75 days
19  | Ros Kelly | 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) | 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) | 3 years, 331 days
Keating | Minister for Arts, Sport, the Environment and Territories | 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) | 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)
Minister for the Environment, Sport and Territories | 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) | 1 March 1994 (1994-03-01)
(18) | Graham Richardson | 1 March 1994 (1994-03-01) | 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) | 24 days
20  | John Faulkner | 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) | 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) | 1 year, 352 days
21  | Robert Hill |  | Liberal  | Howard | Minister for the Environment  | 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) | 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) | 5 years, 260 days
22  | Minister for the Environment and Heritage  | 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) | 26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)
23  | David Kemp | 26 November 2001 (2001-11-26) | 26 October 2004 (2004-10-26) | 2 years, 335 days
24  | Ian Campbell | 26 October 2004 (2004-10-26) | 30 January 2007 (2007-01-30) | 2 years, 96 days
25  | Malcolm Turnbull | Minister for the Environment and Water Resources  | 30 January 2007 (2007-01-30) | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 307 days
26  | Peter Garrett |  | Labor  | Rudd | Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 8 March 2010 (2010-03-08) | 2 years, 285 days
Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts | 8 March 2010 (2010-03-08) | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)
Gillard | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) | 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)
27  | Tony Burke | Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities | 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) | 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) | 2 years, 290 days
28  | Mark Butler | Rudd  | Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Water  | 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 79 days
29  | Greg Hunt |  | Liberal  | Abbott | Minister for the Environment  | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) | 2 years, 305 days
Turnbull | 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) | 19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)
30  | Josh Frydenberg | Minister for the Environment and Energy | 19 July 2016 (2016-07-19) | 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) | 2 years, 40 days
31  | Melissa Price | Morrison | Minister for the Environment  | 18 August 2018 (2018-08-18) | 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) | 274 days
32  | Sussan Ley | 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) | 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) | 2 years, 359 days
33  | Tanya Plibersek |  | Labor  | Albanese | Minister for the Environment and Water  | 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) | Incumbent | 2 years, 236 days

Notes

1 Whitlam was one of a two-man ministry consisting of himself and Lance Barnard for two weeks until the full ministry was announced.

### Water

[edit]

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Water, or any precedent titles:

Order  | Minister  | Party affiliation  | Prime Minister  | Ministerial title  | Term start  | Term end  | Term in office

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | Malcolm Turnbull |  | Liberal  | Howard | Minister for the Environment and Water Resources  | 30 January 2007 (2007-01-30) | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 307 days
2  | Penny Wong |  | Labor  | Rudd | Minister for Climate Change and Water  | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 8 March 2010 (2010-03-08) | 2 years, 285 days
Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water  | 8 March 2010 (2010-03-08) | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)
Gillard | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) | 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)
3  | Tony Burke | Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities | 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) | 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) | 2 years, 290 days
4  | Mark Butler | Rudd  | Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Water  | 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 79 days
5  | Barnaby Joyce |  | National  | Turnbull | Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources  | 21 September 2015 (2015-09-21) | 27 October 2017 (2017-10-27) | 2 years, 36 days
(1) | Malcolm Turnbull  |  | Liberal  | 27 October 2017 (2017-10-27) | 6 December 2017 (2017-12-06) | 40 days
(5) | Barnaby Joyce  |  | National  | 6 December 2017 (2017-12-06) | 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | 14 days
6  | David Littleproud | 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) | 2 years, 48 days
Morrison | 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) | 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)
Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management | 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) | 6 February 2020 (2020-02-06)
7  | Keith Pitt | Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia | 6 February 2020 (2020-02-06) | 2 July 2021 (2021-07-02) | 2 years, 106 days
Minister for Resources and Water  | 2 July 2021 (2021-07-02) | 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)
8  | Tanya Plibersek |  | Labor  | Albanese | Minister for the Environment and Water  | 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) | Incumbent | 2 years, 236 days

## Former ministerial portfolios

[edit]

### List of ministers for population

[edit]

This section is an excerpt from Minister for Cities (Australia) § List of ministers for cities.[edit]

The following individuals have served as the Minister for Cities, or any other precedent titles:[3][4] The Minister for Sustainable Population was a ministerial portfolio administered through the Department of the Treasury responsible for "planning properly for the infrastructure needs, for the housing needs, for the transport needs, for the regional needs" of the Australian population of the future.[5] Originally entitled the Minister for Population by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, his successor, Julia Gillard, renamed the portfolio to the Minister for Sustainable Population to reflect her policy changes on the matter of population growth and the need for a sustainable future for Australia, saying the change sends a clear message about the new direction the Government is taking.[6] After the 2010 federal election, the portfolio was subsumed by the Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities portfolio.[7]

Order  | Minister  | Party  | Prime Minister  | Title  | Term start  | Term end  | Term in office

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | Tom Uren |  | Labor | Whitlam | Minister for Urban and Regional Development | 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) | 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) | 2 years, 327 days
2  | John Carrick |  | Liberal | Fraser | 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) | 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) | 41 days
3  | Ivor Greenwood | Minister for Environment, Housing and Community Development  | 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) | 8 July 1976 (1976-07-08) | 199 days
4  | Kevin Newman | 8 July 1976 (1976-07-08) | 20 December 1977 (1977-12-20) | 1 year, 165 days
5  | Ray Groom | 20 December 1977 (1977-12-20) | 5 December 1978 (1978-12-05) | 350 days
6  | Tony Burke |  | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Population  | 14 April 2010 (2010-04-14) | 28 June 2010 (2010-06-28) | 3 years, 78 days
Gillard | Minister for Sustainable Population  | 28 June 2010 (2010-06-28) | 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)
Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities  | 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) | 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)
7  | Jamie Briggs |  | Liberal | Abbott | Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 15 September 2015  | 2 years, 102 days
Turnbull | 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) | 21 September 2015
Minister for Cities and the Built Environment  | 21 September 2015 (2015-09-21) | 29 December 2015
8  | Paul Fletcher |  | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for Urban Infrastructure  | 19 July 2016 (2016-07-19) | 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | 2 years, 39 days
Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities  | 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)
9  | Alan Tudge | Morrison | Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population  | 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) | 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) | 2 years, 116 days
Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure  | 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) | 22 December 2020 (2020-12-22)
(8) | Paul Fletcher | Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts | 22 December 2020 (2020-12-22) | 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) | 1 year, 152 days
10  | Jenny McAllister |  | Labor | Albanese | Minister for Cities  | 29 July 2024 (2024-07-29) | Incumbent | 178 days

## Assistant ministers

[edit]

### List of assistant ministers for the environment

[edit]

The following individual has served as the Assistant Minister for the Environment.

Order  | Minister  | Party  | Prime Minister  | Title  | Term start  | Term end  | Term in office

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | Sharman Stone |  | Liberal | Howard | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage  | 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) | 26 October 2004 (2004-10-26) | 6 years, 5 days
2  | Greg Hunt |  | 26 October 2004 (2004-10-26) | 30 January 2007 (2007-01-30) | 2 years, 96 days
3  | John Cobb |  | National | Assistant Minister for the Environment and Heritage  | 30 January 2007 (2007-01-30) | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 307 days
4  | Amanda Rishworth |  | Labor | Rudd | Parliamentary Secretary for Environment and Urban Water  | 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 79 days
5  | Simon Birmingham |  | Liberal  | Abbott | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment  | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 23 December 2014 (2014-12-23) | 1 year, 96 days
6  | Bob Baldwin |  | 23 December 2014 (2014-12-23) | 21 September 2015 (2015-09-21) | 272 days
7  | Melissa Price |  | Liberal  | Turnbull | Assistant Minister for the Environment  | 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) | 251 days

### List of assistant ministers for water

[edit]

The following individual has served as the Assistant Minister for Water.

Order  | Minister  | Party  | Prime Minister  | Title  | Term start  | Term end  | Term in office

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | Anne Ruston |  | Liberal  | Turnbull | Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources  | 21 September 2015 (2015-09-21) | 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) | 2 years, 341 days

## See also

[edit]

* Ministers for Environment
* Minister for the Environment (New South Wales)
* Minister for the Environment (Victoria)
* Minister for Environment (Western Australia)
* Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water Security (Northern Territory)
* Ministers for Water
* Minister for Water (New South Wales)
* Minister for Water (Victoria)
* Minister for Water (Western Australia)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Press Conference - Parliament House, Canberra | Prime Minister of Australia". www.pm.gov.au. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
2. ^ "Ministries and Cabinets". 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament. Parliament of Australia. 2010. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
3. ^ "Ministries and Cabinets". 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament. Parliament of Australia. 2010. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
4. ^ "Ministerial Swearing-in Ceremony". Events. Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. 18 February 2016. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
5. ^ "Burke takes on population portfolio". ABC News. Australia. 3 April 2010.
6. ^ "Gillard puts brakes on 'big Australia'". ABC News. Australia. 27 June 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
7. ^ "Second Gillard Ministry" (PDF). The Australian. 14 September 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2010.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

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