The Minister for Forests was a ministry in New South Wales responsible for the management of forests for the purpose of the timber industry and was established in 1916 and abolished in 2019. While it was a separate portfolio for much of this period, it was generally held in conjunction with another portfolio, typically Lands or Agriculture.
History Forests had been the responsibility of the Lands Department since 1897. In 1907 a Royal Commission was appointed to investigate the management and sustainability of forests for the purposes of the timber industry, comprising Alexander Kethel MLC, William Fehon/J A Curtis, and William Freeman. The Royal Commission found that at the rate of consumption, commercial hardwood would be exhausted in 36 years and softwood within 20 years. Their recommendations included that the administration and control of forests should be given to 3 independent commissioners instead of the Department of Lands. This recommendation was only partially implemented, with the Forestry Act 1909,. creating a Forestry Department that reported to the Minister for Agriculture. The department was abolished in 1916 and replaced with the Forestry Commission which reported directly to the newly created Minister for Forests, who concurrently held the portfolio of Minister for Lands.
In 2011 the portfolio was absorbed into Lands and Water. Since 2013 forests in NSW are managed by the Forestry Corporation of NSW, a state owned corporation.
List of ministers for forests
Title Minister Party Term start Term end Time in office NotesSecretary for LandsMinister for Forests
15 November 1916 12 April 1920
12 April 1920 20 December 1921
20 December 1921 20 December 1921 7 hours
20 December 1921 13 April 1922
13 April 1922 17 June 1925
17 June 1925 19 November 1926
25 November 1926 26 May 1927
26 May 1927 18 October 1927 Minister for Forests
18 October 1927 15 April 1929
15 April 1929 3 November 1930 Minister for Agriculture and Forests
4 November 1930 15 October 1931
15 October 1931 13 May 1932Minister for AgricultureMinister for Forests
16 May 1932 17 June 1932 Minister for Forests 18 June 1932 16 May 1941 Minister for Agriculture and Forests
16 May 1941 8 June 1944 Minister for LandsMinister for Forests
3 January 1975 30 June 1975
30 June 1975 23 January 1976
23 January 1976 14 May 1976 Minister for LandsMinister for ForestsMinister for Water Resources
29 February 1980 2 October 1981 Minister for Water ResourcesMinister for Forests
1 February 1983 5 April 1984 Minister for Forests
5 November 1986 21 March 1988 Minister for Lands and Forests
24 July 1990 6 June 1991 Minister for Forestry
1 December 1997 2 April 2003 Minister Assisting the Minister for Natural Resources (Forests) 2 April 2003 1 July 2004 Minister for Mineral and Forest Resources
4 December 2009 4 June 2010
4 June 2010 1 September 2010
6 September 2010 28 March 2011 Minister for Lands and Forestry
Notes
References