Department for Environment and Water (South Australia)

The Department for Environment and Water (DEW) is a department of the Government of South Australia. It is responsible for ensuring that the state of South Australia's natural resources are managed productively and sustainably, while improving the condition and resilience of the state's natural environment.

Department for Environment and Water

Department overview
Formed	1 July 2012
Preceding agencies	Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources Department of Environment and Natural Resources Department for Environment and Heritage Department for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs Department of Environment and Natural Resources Department of Environment and Land Management
Jurisdiction	State of South Australia
Headquarters	81-95 Waymouth Street, Adelaide
Employees	1,393 (2023)[1]
Annual budget	$344.7 million[2]
Minister responsible	Susan Close, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water
Department executive	Ben Bruce, Chief Executive
Website	Department for Environment and Water

Former Chief Executive John Schutz at the Tennyson Dunes Open Day,
23 September 2018

The current department was created on 1 July 2012 by the merger of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department for Water as the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR), it was given its present name on 22 March 2018.

History of the environment portfolio

On 23 December 1971, a new department called the Department of Environment and Conservation was created by the amalgamation of the Museum Department and the State Planning Office which was part of the Department of the Premier and of Development.^[3]

On 18 December 1975, the Department of Environment and Conservation was renamed as the Department for the Environment following a merger with the Botanic Garden Department.^[4]

On 11 May 1981, the Department for the Environment and the Department of Urban and Regional Affairs were merged with the Department of Environment and Planning which was created on 7 August 1980 when it only consisted of the office of its first permanent head.^[5][6]

On 8 October 1992, the Department of Environment and Planning was abolished on 8 October 1992 and its parts were distributed to new entities including the Department of Environment and Land Management which included the entirety of the former Department of Lands which was also abolished on 8 October 1992.^[7]

On 1 October 1993, the Department of Environment and Land Management was renamed as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.^[8]

On 23 October 1997, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources was abolished and replaced in part by the Department for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs which also included “employees” of other abolished “Administrative Units” such as the Department of State Aboriginal Affairs and the Department of Mines and Energy.^[9]

In 1999, the Department for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs became the Department for Environment and Heritage.^[10]

On 1 July 2010, the Department for Environment and Heritage was renamed for the second time as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.^[10][11]

On 1 July 2012, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources became the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR) after acquiring the roles and responsibilities of the former Department of Water. This created the current (2024) incarnation of the department.^[12][13][14] it was given its present name on 22 March 2018.^[15]

Following the Liberal Party's victory in the 2018 state election, the department was renamed as the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) on 2 March 2018.^[16]

People

Deputy Premier Susan Close, who is also Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, has responsibility for the department.^[17]

As of February 2024^[update], the chief executive of the department is Ben Bruce, who took over from John Schutz.^[18]

Premier's Climate Change Council

Main article: Premier's Climate Change Council

The Premier's Climate Change Council was established under the Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Act 2007, with the inaugural council created in February 2008. The primary role of the Council is to provide independent advice to the Minister for Environment and Water on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change.^[19]

See also

• Friends of Parks
• List of environmental ministries
• National Parks and Wildlife Service (South Australia)
• Protected areas of South Australia
• State Herbarium of South Australia

Notes

1. Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment. "Workplace Information Report 2022-2023" (PDF). Public Sector SA. South Australian Government. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
2. Department for Environment and Water. "2022-2023 Annual Report" (PDF). Department for Environment and Water. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
3. Shard, A.J. (23 December 1971). "PUBLIC SERVICE ACT, 1967-1971: MUSEUM DEPARTMENT-ABOLITION OF OFFICE" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. South Australian Government. p. 2629. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
4. Banfield, D. H. (18 December 1975). "Public Service Act, 1967-1975..." (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. South Australian Government. p. 3280. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
5. Rodda, W. Allan (7 August 1980). "PUBLIC SERVICE ACT, 1967-1978: SECTION 25: DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING BROUGHT INTO EXISTENCE: OFFICE OF PERMANENT HEAD CREATED" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. South Australian Government. p. 480. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
6. Griffin, K.T. (7 May 1981). "PUBLIC SERVICE ACT, 1967-1981: SECTION 25: AMALGAMATION OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING: CONSEQUENTIAL MATTERS" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. South Australian Government. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
7. Blevins, F.T. (8 October 1992). "GOVERNMENT MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYMENT ACT 1985 SECTION 21: VARIATION OF THE STRUCTURE OF VARIOUS PARTS OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. South Australian Government. p. 1272. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
8. Blevins, F.T. (27 August 1993). "GOVERNMENT MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYMENT ACT 1985 SECTION 21 (2): ALTERATION OF TITLE OF DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND LAND MANAGEMENT" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. South Australian Government. p. 1018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
9. Buckby, M.R. (23 October 1997). "PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT ACT 1995 SECTIONS 7 AND 76: STRUCTURE OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND RELATED MATTERS" (PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. South Australian Government. pp. 1066–1069. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
10. "South Australia. Department of Environment and Natural Resources", Trove, National Library of Australia, 2008, retrieved 14 April 2018
11. "Public Sector (Administrative Units of Public Service—Variation 1) Proclamation 2010". The South Australian Government Gazette. South Australian Government. 1 July 2010. p. 3342. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
12. "Public Sector (Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources) Proclamation 2012". The South Australian Government Gazette. South Australian Government. 28 June 2012. p. 2926. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
13. "Home". Department for Environment and Water. Archived from the original on 9 February 2011.
14. "Home". Department for Environment and Water. Archived from the original on 8 February 2018.
15. "Home". Department for Environment and Water. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
16. "Public Sector (Administrative Units of Public Service) Proclamation 2018". The South Australian Government Gazette. South Australian Government. 22 March 2018. p. 1277. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
17. "Ministers incorporated in South Australia" (PDF). South Australian Legislation. South Australian Government. 24 March 2022. p. 1. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
18. "Department for Environment and Water". SA.GOV.AU. 16 February 2024. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
19. "Premier's Climate Change Council". Department for Environment and Water. 4 December 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2024. Text has been copied from this source, which is available under a Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU) licence.

External links

• Official website