Minister for the Environment and Water explained

Post:Minister for the Environment and Water
Insignia:Coat_of_Arms_of_Australia.svg
Insigniacaption:Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag:Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Flagcaption:Flag of Australia
Flagborder:yes
Incumbent:Tanya Plibersek
Style:The Honourable
Appointer:Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Department:Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

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

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

List of ministers

Environment

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

width=5 Orderwidth=150 Ministerwidth=100 colspan="2" Party affiliationwidth=100 Prime Ministerwidth=375 Ministerial titlewidth=150 Term startwidth=150 Term endwidth=130 Term in office
1Peter Howson LiberalMcMahonMinister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Artsalign=center align=center align=right
2Gough WhitlamLaborWhitlamalign=center align=center align=right days
3Moss CassMinister for the Environment and Conservationalign=center align=center
Minister for the Environmentalign=center align=center
4Jim Cairnsalign=center align=center align=right days
n/aGough Whitlamalign=center align=center align=right days
5Joe Berinsonalign=center align=center align=right days
6Andrew PeacockLiberalFraseralign=center align=center align=right days
7Ivor GreenwoodMinister for Environment, Housing and Community Developmentalign=center align=center align=right days
8Kevin Newmanalign=center align=center align=right
9Ray Groomalign=center align=center align=right days
10James WebsterMinister for Science and the Environmentalign=center align=center align=right
11David Thomsonalign=center align=center align=right days
12Robert EllicottMinister for Home Affairs and the Environmentalign=center align=center align=right days
13Michael MacKellaralign=center align=center align=right days
14Ian Wilsonalign=center align=center align=right
15Tom McVeighNational Countryalign=center align=center 16 October 1982 days
Nationalalign=center 16 October 1982align=center 11 March 1983
16Barry CohenLaborHawkealign=center align=center
Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Environmentalign=center align=center
17John BrownMinister for Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territoriesalign=center align=center align=right days
18Graham Richardsonalign=center align=center align=right
19Ros Kellyalign=center align=center
KeatingMinister for Arts, Sport, the Environment and Territoriesalign=center align=center
Minister for the Environment, Sport and Territoriesalign=center align=center
n/aGraham Richardsonalign=center align=center align=right days
20John Faulkneralign=center align=center align=right
21Robert HillLiberalHowardMinister for the Environmentalign=center align=center
22Minister for the Environment and Heritagealign=center align=center
23David Kempalign=center align=center align=right
24Ian Campbellalign=center align=center align=right
25Malcolm TurnbullMinister for the Environment and Water Resourcesalign=center align=center align=right days
26Peter GarrettLaborRuddMinister for the Environment, Heritage and the Artsalign=center align=center
Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Artsalign=center align=center
Gillardalign=center align=center
27Tony BurkeMinister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communitiesalign=center align=center align=right
28Mark ButlerRuddMinister for the Environment, Heritage and Wateralign=center align=center align=right days
29Greg HuntLiberalAbbottMinister for the Environmentalign=center align=center
Turnbullalign=center align=center
30Josh FrydenbergMinister for the Environment and Energyalign=center align=center align=right
31Melissa PriceMorrisonMinister for the Environmentalign=center align=center align=right
32Sussan Leyalign=center align=center align=right
33Tanya PlibersekLaborAlbaneseMinister for the Environment and Wateralign=center align=center Incumbentalign=right
Notes

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

Water

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

width=5 Orderwidth=150 Ministerwidth=100 colspan="2" Party affiliationwidth=100 Prime Ministerwidth=375 Ministerial titlewidth=150 Term startwidth=150 Term endwidth=130 Term in office
1Malcolm TurnbullLiberalHowardMinister for the Environment and Water Resourcesalign=center align=center align=right days
2Penny WongLaborRuddMinister for Climate Change and Wateralign=center align=center
Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Wateralign=center align=center
Gillardalign=center align=center
3Tony BurkeMinister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communitiesalign=center align=center align=right
4Mark ButlerRuddMinister for the Environment, Heritage and Wateralign=center align=center align=right days
5Barnaby JoyceNationalTurnbullMinister for Agriculture and Water Resources
n/aMalcolm TurnbullLiberal
n/aBarnaby JoyceNational
6David Littleproud
Morrison
Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management
7Keith PittMinister for Resources, Water and Northern Australiaalign=center align=center
Minister for Resources and Wateralign=center align=center
8Tanya PlibersekLaborAlbaneseMinister for the Environment and Wateralign=center align=center Incumbentalign=right

Former ministerial portfolios

List of ministers for sustainable population

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.[3] 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.[4] After the 2010 federal election, the portfolio was subsumed by the Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities portfolio.[5]

width=5 Orderwidth=150 Ministerwidth=100 colspan="2" Partywidth=100 Prime Ministerwidth=375 Titlewidth=150 Term startwidth=150 Term endwidth=130 Term in office
1Tony Burke LaborRuddMinister for Population
GillardMinister for Sustainable Population
Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

List of ministers for cities and the built environment

See also: Minister for Cities (Australia).

The following individual has served as the Minister for Cities and the Built Environment.

width=5 Orderwidth=150 Ministerwidth=100 colspan="2" Partywidth=100 Prime Ministerwidth=375 Titlewidth=150 Term startwidth=150 Term endwidth=130 Term in office
1Jamie Briggs LiberalTurnbullMinister for Cities and the Built Environment days

Assistant ministers

List of assistant ministers for the environment

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

width=5 Orderwidth=150 Ministerwidth=100 colspan="2" Partywidth=100 Prime Ministerwidth=375 Titlewidth=150 Term startwidth=150 Term endwidth=130 Term in office
1Sharman Stone LiberalHowardParliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage
2Greg Hunt 
3John Cobb NationalAssistant Minister for the Environment and Heritage
4Amanda Rishworth LaborRuddParliamentary Secretary for Environment and Urban Water
5Simon Birmingham LiberalAbbottParliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment
5Bob Baldwin 
7Melissa Price LiberalTurnbullAssistant Minister for the Environment

List of assistant ministers for water

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

width=5 Orderwidth=150 Ministerwidth=100 colspan="2" Partywidth=100 Prime Ministerwidth=375 Titlewidth=150 Term startwidth=150 Term endwidth=130 Term in office
1Anne Ruston LiberalTurnbullAssistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Press Conference - Parliament House, Canberra Prime Minister of Australia . 23 May 2022. 27 May 2022 . www.pm.gov.au.
  2. Web site: Ministries and Cabinets . 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament . . 2010 . 9 July 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140813030853/http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p%3Badv%3Dyes%3BorderBy%3Dcustomrank%3Bpage%3D2%3Bquery%3DLazzarini%3Brec%3D12%3BresCount%3DDefault . 13 August 2014 .
  3. News: Burke takes on population portfolio . . Australia. 3 April 2010 .
  4. News: Gillard puts brakes on 'big Australia'. 27 June 2010. . Australia. 27 June 2010.
  5. News: Second Gillard Ministry. 14 September 2010. The Australian. 14 September 2010.