Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia

The Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia is an Australian Government Cabinet position held by The Honourable Keith Pitt MP 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.

Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia
Incumbent Keith Pitt since 6 February 2020
Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holder	Kep Enderby (as Minister for the Northern Territory)
Formation	19 December 1972

The minister was assisted by the Assistant Minister of 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:[1]

• 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.[1] The secretary of the department was David Borthwick.[1]

List of ministers

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia, or any of its precedent titles:[2]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Josh Frydenberg		Liberal	Turnbull	Minister for Resources, Energy and Northern Australia	21 September 2015	18 February 2016	150 days
2	Matt Canavan		National	Turnbull	Minister for Resources and Northern Australia	19 July 2016	25 July 2017	1 year, 157 days
3	Barnaby Joyce					25 July 2017	27 October 2017	94 days
(2)	Matt Canavan					27 October 2017	24 August 2018	3 years, 98 days
				Morrison		24 August 2018	5 February 2020
4	Keith Pitt				Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia	6 February 2020	Incumbent	362 days

Former ministerial titles and portfolios

List of Ministers for Northern Australia

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Northern Australia, or any of its precedent titles:[2]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Kep Enderby		Labor	Whitlam	Minister for the Northern Territory^1	19 December 1972	19 October 1973	304 days
2	Rex Patterson^1					19 October 1973	6 June 1975	2 years, 2 days
					Minister for Northern Australia	6 June 1975	21 October 1975
3	Paul Keating					21 October 1975	11 November 1975	21 days
4	Ian Sinclair		National Country	Fraser		11 November 1975	22 December 1975	41 days
5	Evan Adermann				Minister for the Northern Territory	22 December 1975	28 September 1978	2 years, 280 days
6	Bob Collins		Labor	Hawke	Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Northern Australia	4 April 1990	20 December 1991	2 years, 53 days
				Keating		20 December 1991	27 May 1992
7	Ben Humphreys					27 May 1992	24 March 1993	301 days
8	Matt Canavan		National	Turnbull	Minister for Northern Australia	18 February 2016	19 July 2016	152 days
For subsequent appointments, see the refer to the above ministerial titles and portfolios

Notes

¹ In 1972, Whitlam appointed both a Minister for the Northern Territory, Kep Enderby, and a Minister for Northern Development, Rex Patterson. From October 1973, Patterson held both titles, with the former title changing to Minister for Northern Australia. In October 1975, Patterson stood aside as Minister for Northern Australia, but remained as Minister for Northern Development until November 1975.[2]

List of Ministers for Resources

Australia has had ministers who had specific responsibility for matters relating to the development of minerals resources since December 1972, although earlier there were ministers for national development, who had some responsibilities in this area as well.

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Rex Connor		Labor	Whitlam	Minister for Minerals and Energy	19 December 1972	14 October 1975	2 years, 299 days
2	Ken Wriedt					14 October 1975	11 November 1975	28 days
3	Doug Anthony		National Country	Fraser	Minister for National Resources	11 November 1975	20 December 1977	7 years, 120 days
					Minister for Trade and Resources	20 December 1977	16 October 1982
			National			16 October 1982	11 March 1983
4	Peter Walsh		Labor	Hawke	Minister for Resources and Energy	11 March 1983	13 December 1984	1 year, 277 days
5	Gareth Evans					13 December 1984	24 July 1987	2 years, 223 days
6	Peter Morris				Minister for Resources	24 July 1987	19 January 1988	179 days
7	Peter Cook					19 January 1988	4 April 1990	2 years, 75 days
8	Alan Griffiths					4 April 1990	20 December 1991	2 years, 354 days
				Keating		20 December 1991	24 March 1993
9	Michael Lee					24 March 1993	24 December 1993	275 days
10	David Beddall					24 December 1993	11 March 1996	2 years, 78 days
11	Warwick Parer		Liberal	Howard	Minister for Resources and Energy	11 March 1996	21 October 1998	2 years, 224 days
12	Nick Minchin				Minister for Industry, Science and Resources	21 October 1998	26 November 2001	3 years, 36 days
13	Ian Macfarlane				Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources	26 November 2001	3 December 2007	6 years, 7 days
14	Martin Ferguson		Labor	Rudd	Minister for Resources and Energy	3 December 2007	24 June 2010	5 years, 89 days
				Gillard		24 June 2010	22 March 2013
15	Gary Gray					22 March 2013	27 June 2013	180 days
				Rudd		27 June 2013	18 September 2013
16	Josh Frydenberg		Liberal	Turnbull	Minister for Resources and Energy	18 February 2016	19 July 2016	152 days
For subsequent appointments, see the refer to the above ministerial titles and portfolios

References

1. CA 9160: Department of the Environment and Water Resources, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 19 December 2013
2. "The 45th Parliament: Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia 2017". Parliament of Australia. 2017. Archived from the original on 11 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.