Minister for the Environment and Water

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]

Minister for the Environment and Water
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag of Australia
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)
Formation	10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)
Website	minister.dcceew.gov.au/watt

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:

• 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

Environment

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	28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)	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)	13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)	2 years, 346 days
34	Murray Watt					13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)	Incumbent	6 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:

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)	13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)	2 years, 346 days
9	Murray Watt					13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)	Incumbent	6 days

Former ministerial portfolios

List of ministers for population

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)	13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)	288 days
11	Clare O'Neil					13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)	Incumbent	6 days

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]

Assistant ministers

List of assistant ministers for the environment

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

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

• 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)