Australia/Minister/Resources and Northern Australia

Australia/Minister/Resources and Northern Australia  (Minister for Resources)
Start	1972
Responsible for Resources, Water and Northern Australia

The Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia is an Australian Government Cabinet position held by Keith Pitt since 6 February 2020. The Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in May 2019 that the Agriculture and Water Resources portfolios would be separated in the Cabinet reshuffle. The Water Resources portfolio was added into the Resources and Northern Australia portfolio within the Outer Ministry.

The minister was assisted by the Assistant Minister/Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator Richard Colbeck from August 2018 until 2019. Anne Ruston had previously served in the position from 21 September 2015 to 28 August 2018.

In the Government of Australia, the ministers administer this portfolio through the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources and Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, and its component bodies.

Mission and outcomes

Information about the department's functions and/or government funding allocation could be found in the Administrative Arrangements Orders, the annual Portfolio Budget Statements, in the department's annual reports and on the department's website.

At its creation, the department was responsible for:

• Environment protection and conservation of biodiversity
• Air Quality
• National fuel quality standards
• Land contamination
• Meteorology
• Administration of the Australian Antarctic Territory and the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
• Natural, built and movable cultural heritage
• Greenhouse policy coordination
• Environmental research
• Water policy and resources

In the Howard Government, the portfolio of Water Resources was assigned to the Environment Department; this was an Australian Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Malcolm Turnbull. The secretary of the department was David Borthwick.

List of ministers

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia, or any of its precedent titles:

 

Office Holders on Wikispooks

Name	From	To
Barnaby Joyce	25 July 2017	27 October 2017
Paul Keating	21 October 1975	11 November 1975

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