# Minister for the Environment (New South Wales)

The New South Wales Minister for the Environment is minister in the Government of New South Wales with responsibilities which included environmental regulation and policy, national parks, and the conservation and protection of built and environmental heritage in New South Wales, Australia. The current minister, since 28 March 2023, is Penny Sharpe.
Between the 2019 state election and December 2021, the ministerial post was merged with the Energy and Utilities portfolio to create the Minister for Energy and Environment. Between December 2021 and March 2023, the environment ministerial post was combined with heritage to create the title of Minister for the Environment and Heritage.
The minister administers the portfolio through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and a range of other government agencies.
Ultimately, the minister is responsible to the Parliament of New South Wales.

## List of ministers
### Environment

| Ministerial title | Minister | Party | Ministry | Term start | Term end | Time in office |
| Minister for Environmental Control | Jack Beale | Liberal | Askin (4) (5) | 11 March 1971 | 3 December 1973 | 2 years, 267 days |
| Minister for Planning and Environment | Sir John Fuller | Country | Askin (6) | 3 December 1973 | 14 May 1976 | 2 years, 163 days |
| Minister for Environment | Bill Crabtree | Labor | Wran (1) | 14 May 1976 | 9 August 1976 | 87 days |
| Minister for Planning and Environment | Paul Landa | Labor | Wran (1) (2) | 9 August 1976 | 29 February 1980 | 3 years, 204 days |
| Minister for Planning and Environment | Eric Bedford | Labor | Wran (3) (4) (5) | 29 February 1980 | 10 February 1984 | 3 years, 347 days |
| Minister for Planning and Environment | Terry Sheahan | Labor | Wran (6) | 10 February 1984 | 12 December 1984 | 306 days |
| Minister for Planning and Environment | Bob Carr | Labor | Wran (7) (8) Unsworth | 12 December 1984 | 21 March 1988 | 3 years, 100 days |
| Minister for the Environment | Tim Moore | Liberal | Greiner (1) (2) | 25 March 1988 | 24 June 1992 | 4 years, 91 days |
| Minister for the Environment | Bruce Baird | Liberal | Fahey (1) | 24 June 1992 | 3 July 1992 | 9 days |
| Minister for the Environment | Chris Hartcher | Liberal | Fahey (2) (3) | 3 July 1992 | 4 April 1995 | 2 years, 275 days |
| Minister for the Environment | Pam Allan | Labor | Carr (1) (2) | 4 April 1995 | 8 April 1999 | 4 years, 4 days |
| Minister for the Environment | Bob Debus | Labor | Carr (3) (4) Iemma (1) | 8 April 1999 | 2 April 2007 | 7 years, 359 days |
| Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water | Phil Koperberg | Labor | Iemma (2) | 2 April 2007 | 27 February 2008 | 331 days |
| Minister for Climate Change and the Environment | Verity Firth | Labor | Iemma (2) | 27 February 2008 | 5 September 2008 | 191 days |
| Minister for Climate Change and the Environment | Carmel Tebbutt | Labor | Rees | 8 September 2008 | 14 September 2009 | 1 year, 6 days |
| Minister for Climate Change and the Environment | John Robertson | Labor | Rees | 14 September 2009 | 4 December 2009 | 81 days |
| Minister for Climate Change and the Environment | Frank Sartor | Labor | Keneally | 8 December 2009 | 28 March 2011 | 1 year, 110 days |
| Minister for the Environment | Robyn Parker | Liberal | O'Farrell | 3 April 2011 | 23 April 2014 | 3 years, 20 days |
| Minister for the Environment | Rob Stokes | Liberal | Baird (1) | 23 April 2014 | 2 April 2015 | 344 days |
| Minister for the Environment | Mark Speakman | Liberal | Baird (2) | 2 April 2015 | 30 January 2017 | 1 year, 303 days |
| Minister for the Environment | Gabrielle Upton | Liberal | Berejiklian (1) | 30 January 2017 | 23 March 2019 | 2 years, 52 days |
| Minister for Energy and Environment | Matt Kean | Liberal | Berejiklian (2) Perrottet (1) | 2 April 2019 | 21 December 2021 | 2 years, 263 days |
| Minister for Environment and Heritage | James Griffin | Liberal | Perrottet (2) | 21 December 2021 | 28 March 2023 | 1 year, 97 days |
| Minister for the Environment | Penny Sharpe | Labor | Minns | 28 March 2023 | incumbent | 1 year, 226 days |

## Former ministerial titles
### Conservation

| Ministerial title | Minister | Party | Ministry | Term start | Term end | Time in office |
| Minister for Conservation | Bill Dunn | Labor | McKell (1) | 8 June 1944 | 9 May 1946 | 1 year, 335 days |
| Minister for Conservation | George Weir | Labor | McKell (1) (2) McGirr (1) (2) (3) | 9 May 1946 | 3 November 1952 | 6 years, 178 days |
| Minister for Conservation | George Enticknap | Labor | McGirr (3) Cahill (1) (2) | 3 November 1952 | 15 March 1956 | 3 years, 133 days |
| Minister for Conservation | Ernest Wetherell | Labor | Cahill (3) (4) Heffron (1) | 15 March 1956 | 31 May 1960 | 4 years, 77 days |
| Minister for Conservation | George Enticknap | Labor | Heffron (1) (2) Renshaw | 31 May 1960 | 13 May 1965 | 4 years, 347 days |
| Minister for Conservation | Jack Beale | Liberal | Askin (1) (2) (3) | 13 May 1965 | 11 March 1971 | 5 years, 302 days |
| Minister for Conservation | Wal Fife | Liberal | Askin (4) | 11 March 1971 | 19 June 1972 | 1 year, 100 days |
| Minister for Conservation | George Freudenstein | Country | Askin (4) (5) (6) | 19 June 1972 | 3 January 1975 | 2 years, 198 days |
| Minister for Conservation | Lin Gordon | Labor | Wran (1) (2) | 14 May 1976 | 29 February 1980 | 3 years, 291 days |
| Minister for Conservation and Land Management | Garry West | National | Greiner (1) (2) Fahey (1) (2) | 6 June 1991 | 26 May 1993 | 1 year, 354 days |
| Minister for Land and Water Conservation | George Souris | National | Fahey (3) | 26 May 1993 | 4 April 1995 | 1 year, 313 days |
| Minister for Land and Water Conservation | Kim Yeadon | Labor | Carr (1) | 4 April 1995 | 1 December 1997 | 2 years, 241 days |
| Minister for Land and Water Conservation | Richard Amery | Labor | Carr (1) | 1 December 1997 | 21 November 2001 | 3 years, 355 days |
| Minister for Land and Water Conservation | John Aquilina | Labor | Carr (2) (3) | 21 November 2001 | 2 April 2003 | 1 year, 132 days |