The Minister for Forestry is a position in the
Cabinet of Western Australia
The ministries of Western Australia (also known as Cabinets) are the centre of executive power in the Government of Western Australia. They are composed of Ministers who are responsible for one or more portfolios, answer questions on those portf ...
. The minister is responsible for the
Forest Products Commission, an
agency of the
government of Western Australia
The Government of Western Australia, formally referred to as His Majesty's Government of Western Australia, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of Western Australia. It is also commonly referred to as the WA Government o ...
, and may hold other portfolios in addition to forestry. The current Minister for Forestry is
Dave Kelly of the
Labor Party, who holds the position as a member of the McGowan Labor Government.
The responsibilities now incorporated in the portfolio were originally held by the
Colonial Secretary, and subsequently the
Minister for Lands. A separate Minister for Forests was not appointed until the 1917
Lefroy Ministry, with the inaugural minister being
Robert Robinson. From the late 1950s to the early 1980s the forests and lands portfolios were generally held by the same person, and for a brief period during the
Court Ministry the two portfolios were merged, under the title Minister for Lands and Forests. The portfolio was again merged with others during the late 1980s and 1990s, with the minister responsible for forestry known as the Minister for Conservation and Land Management from 1985 to 1993 and as the Minister for Primary Industries from 1993 to 2001. Although the portfolio has since then often been held by the
Minister for Agriculture or the
Minister for Fisheries, it has been once again a standalone portfolio since 2006.
List of Ministers for Forestry
Eighteen people have been appointed as Minister for Forestry (or equivalent) in Western Australia, with
William Bovell's 11 years and 335 days the longest time period in the position. In the table below, members of the
Legislative Council are designated "MLC". All others were members of the
Legislative Assembly at the time of their service. In Western Australia, serving ministers are entitled to be styled "
The Honourable
''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain ...
", and may retain the style after three years' service in the ministry.
Addressing a Member of Parliament
– Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
List of assistant Ministers for Forestry
See also
* Minister for the Environment (Western Australia)
Minister for Environment, formerly Minister for the Environment is a position in the government of Western Australia, held by Amber-Jade Sanderson.
The position was first created in December 1970, in what would be the last months of the governm ...
References
{{Western Australian ministerial portfolios
Forests
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
Ministers, Forests
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
Forestry in Australia