Minister for the Environment and Water

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Minister for the Environment and Water
Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Flag of Australia
Murray Watt 2022.png
Incumbent
Murray Watt
since 13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)
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)
Formation10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)
Website minister.dcceew.gov.au/watt

The Australian Minister for the Environment and Water is a position which is currently held by Murray Watt in the Albanese ministry since 13 May 2025, following the Australian federal election in 2025. [1]

Contents

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]

OrderMinisterParty affiliationPrime MinisterMinisterial titleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Peter Howson   Liberal McMahon Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts 10 March 19715 December 19721 year, 270 days
2 Gough Whitlam 1 Labor Whitlam5 December 197219 December 197214 days
3 Moss Cass Minister for the Environment and Conservation19 December 197221 April 19752 years, 169 days
Minister for the Environment21 April 19756 June 1975
4 Jim Cairns 6 June 19752 July 197526 days
(2) Gough Whitlam 2 July 197514 July 197512 days
5 Joe Berinson 14 July 197511 November 1975120 days
6 Andrew Peacock Liberal Fraser 11 November 197522 December 197541 days
7 Ivor Greenwood Minister for Environment, Housing and Community Development 22 December 19758 July 1976199 days
8 Kevin Newman 8 July 197620 December 19771 year, 165 days
9 Ray Groom 20 December 19775 December 1978350 days
10 James Webster Minister for Science and the Environment5 December 19788 December 19791 year, 3 days
11 David Thomson 8 December 19793 November 1980331 days
12 Robert Ellicott Minister for Home Affairs and the Environment3 November 198017 February 1981106 days
13 Michael MacKellar 17 February 198119 March 198130 days
14 Ian Wilson 19 March 19817 May 19821 year, 49 days
15 Tom McVeigh National Country 7 May 198216 October 1982308 days
National 16 October 198211 March 1983
16 Barry Cohen Labor Hawke 11 March 198313 December 19844 years, 135 days
Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Environment13 December 198424 July 1987
17 John Brown Minister for Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories 24 July 198718 December 1987147 days
18 Graham Richardson 19 January 19884 April 19902 years, 75 days
19 Ros Kelly 4 April 199020 December 19913 years, 331 days
Keating Minister for Arts, Sport, the Environment and Territories 20 December 199124 March 1993
Minister for the Environment, Sport and Territories 24 March 19931 March 1994
(18) Graham Richardson 1 March 199425 March 199424 days
20 John Faulkner 25 March 199411 March 19961 year, 352 days
21 Robert Hill Liberal Howard Minister for the Environment11 March 199621 October 19985 years, 260 days
22Minister for the Environment and Heritage21 October 199826 November 2001
23 David Kemp 26 November 200126 October 20042 years, 335 days
24 Ian Campbell 26 October 200430 January 20072 years, 96 days
25 Malcolm Turnbull Minister for the Environment and Water Resources30 January 20073 December 2007307 days
26 Peter Garrett Labor Rudd Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts 3 December 20078 March 20102 years, 285 days
Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts 8 March 201024 June 2010
Gillard 24 June 201014 September 2010
27 Tony Burke Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities 14 September 20101 July 20132 years, 290 days
28 Mark Butler RuddMinister for the Environment, Heritage and Water1 July 201318 September 201379 days
29 Greg Hunt Liberal Abbott Minister for the Environment18 September 201315 September 20152 years, 305 days
Turnbull 15 September 201519 July 2016
30 Josh Frydenberg Minister for the Environment and Energy 19 July 201628 August 20182 years, 40 days
31 Melissa Price Morrison Minister for the Environment18 August 201829 May 2019274 days
32 Sussan Ley 29 May 201923 May 20222 years, 359 days
33 Tanya Plibersek Labor Albanese Minister for the Environment and Water1 June 202213 May 20252 years, 346 days
34 Murray Watt 13 May 2025Incumbent3 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

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

OrderMinisterParty affiliationPrime MinisterMinisterial titleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Malcolm Turnbull Liberal Howard Minister for the Environment and Water Resources30 January 20073 December 2007307 days
2 Penny Wong Labor Rudd Minister for Climate Change and Water3 December 20078 March 20102 years, 285 days
Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water8 March 201024 June 2010
Gillard 24 June 201014 September 2010
3 Tony Burke Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities 14 September 20101 July 20132 years, 290 days
4 Mark Butler RuddMinister for the Environment, Heritage and Water1 July 201318 September 201379 days
5 Barnaby Joyce National Turnbull Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources21 September 201527 October 20172 years, 36 days
(1)Malcolm TurnbullLiberal27 October 20176 December 201740 days
(5)Barnaby JoyceNational6 December 201720 December 201714 days
6 David Littleproud 20 December 201728 August 20182 years, 48 days
Morrison 28 August 201829 May 2019
Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management 29 May 20196 February 2020
7 Keith Pitt Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia 6 February 20202 July 20212 years, 106 days
Minister for Resources and Water2 July 202123 May 2022
8 Tanya Plibersek Labor Albanese Minister for the Environment and Water1 June 202213 May 20252 years, 346 days
9 Murray Watt 13 May 2025Incumbent3 days

Former ministerial portfolios

List of ministers for population

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]

OrderMinisterPartyPrime MinisterTitleTerm startTerm endTerm 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 Development22 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 Population14 April 2010 (2010-04-14)28 June 2010 (2010-06-28)3 years, 78 days
Gillard Minister for Sustainable Population28 June 2010 (2010-06-28)14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)
Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities14 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 20152 years, 102 days
Turnbull 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)21 September 2015
Minister for Cities and the Built Environment21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)29 December 2015
8 Paul Fletcher Liberal Turnbull Minister for Urban Infrastructure19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)20 December 2017 (2017-12-20)2 years, 39 days
Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities20 December 2017 (2017-12-20)28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)
9 Alan Tudge Morrison Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)2 years, 116 days
Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure29 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 Cities29 July 2024 (2024-07-29)13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)288 days
11 Clare O'Neil 13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)Incumbent3 days

Assistant ministers

List of assistant ministers for the environment

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

OrderMinisterPartyPrime MinisterTitleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Sharman Stone   Liberal Howard Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage21 October 199826 October 20046 years, 5 days
2 Greg Hunt  26 October 200430 January 20072 years, 96 days
3 John Cobb   National Assistant Minister for the Environment and Heritage30 January 20073 December 2007307 days
4 Amanda Rishworth   Labor Rudd Parliamentary Secretary for Environment and Urban Water1 July 201318 September 201379 days
5 Simon Birmingham  Liberal Abbott Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment18 September 201323 December 20141 year, 96 days
6 Bob Baldwin  23 December 201421 September 2015272 days
7 Melissa Price  Liberal Turnbull Assistant Minister for the Environment20 December 201728 August 2018251 days

List of assistant ministers for water

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

OrderMinisterPartyPrime MinisterTitleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Anne Ruston  Liberal Turnbull Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources21 September 201528 August 20182 years, 341 days

See also

References

  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.
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