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.
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: 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 2 Gough Whitlam Labor Whitlam days 3 Moss Cass Minister for the Environment and Conservation Minister for the Environment 4 Jim Cairns days (2) Gough Whitlam days 5 Joe Berinson days 6 Andrew Peacock Liberal Fraser days 7 Ivor Greenwood Minister for Environment, Housing and Community Development days 8 Kevin Newman 9 Ray Groom days 10 James Webster Minister for Science and the Environment 11 David Thomson days 12 Robert Ellicott Minister for Home Affairs and the Environment days 13 Michael MacKellar days 14 Ian Wilson 15 Tom McVeigh National Country16 October 1982 days National 16 October 1982 11 March 1983 16 Barry Cohen Labor Hawke Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Environment 17 John Brown Minister for Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories days 18 Graham Richardson 19 Ros Kelly Keating Minister for Arts, Sport, the Environment and Territories Minister for the Environment, Sport and Territories (18) Graham Richardson days 20 John Faulkner 21 Robert Hill Liberal Howard Minister for the Environment 22 Minister for the Environment and Heritage 23 David Kemp 24 Ian Campbell 25 Malcolm Turnbull Minister for the Environment and Water Resources days 26 Peter Garrett Labor Rudd Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts Gillard 27 Tony Burke Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities 28 Mark Butler Rudd Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Water days 29 Greg Hunt Liberal Abbott Minister for the Environment Turnbull 30 Josh Frydenberg Minister for the Environment and Energy 31 Melissa Price Morrison Minister for the Environment 32 Sussan Ley 33 Tanya Plibersek Labor Albanese Minister for the Environment and Water 34 Murray Watt Incumbent 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: Order Minister Party affiliation Prime Minister Ministerial title Term start Term end Term in office1 Malcolm Turnbull Liberal Howard Minister for the Environment and Water Resources days2 Penny Wong Labor Rudd Minister for Climate Change and Water Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water Gillard3 Tony Burke Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities 4 Mark Butler Rudd Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Water days5 Barnaby Joyce National Turnbull Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources (1) Malcolm Turnbull Liberal (5) Barnaby Joyce National 6 David Littleproud Morrison Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management 7 Keith Pitt Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Minister for Resources and Water 8 Tanya Plibersek Labor Albanese Minister for the Environment and Water 9 Murray Watt Incumbent
Former ministerial portfolios List of ministers for population
List of ministers for conservation
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 2 Greg Hunt 3 John Cobb National Assistant Minister for the Environment and Heritage 4 Amanda Rishworth Labor Rudd Parliamentary Secretary for Environment and Urban Water 5 Simon Birmingham Liberal Abbott Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment 6 Bob Baldwin 7 Melissa Price Liberal Turnbull Assistant Minister for the Environment
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
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)
References
External links