# Minister for Forestry (Western Australia)

The Minister for Forestry is a position in the Cabinet of Western Australia. The minister is responsible for the Forest Products Commission, an agency of the government of Western Australia, and may hold other portfolios in addition to forestry. The current Minister for Forestry is Jackie Jarvis of the Labor Party, who holds the position as a member of the Cook 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

Twenty 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", and may retain the style after three years' service in the ministry.
| Order | Minister | Party | Premier | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office |
| 1 | Robert Robinson | Nationalist | Lefroy | Minister for Woods and Forests | 28 June 1917 (1917-06-28) | 17 April 1919 (1919-04-17) | 1 year, 358 days |
| 1 | Robert Robinson | Nationalist | Colebatch | Minister for Forests | 17 April 1919 (1919-04-17) | 17 May 1919 (1919-05-17) | 1 year, 358 days |
| 1 | Robert Robinson | Nationalist | Mitchell | Minister for Forests | 17 May 1919 (1919-05-17) | 21 June 1919 (1919-06-21) | 1 year, 358 days |
| 2 | John Scaddan | Nationalist | Mitchell | Minister for Forests | 24 April 1930 (1930-04-24) | 24 April 1933 (1933-04-24) | 3 years, 0 days |
| 3 | John Willcock | Labor | Willcock | Minister for Forests | 20 August 1936 (1936-08-20) | 9 December 1943 (1943-12-09) | 7 years, 111 days |
| 4 | Ross McLarty | Liberal | McLarty | Minister for Forests | 1 April 1947 (1947-04-01) | 5 January 1948 (1948-01-05) | 279 days |
| 5 | Robert McDonald | Liberal | McLarty | Minister for Forests | 5 January 1948 (1948-01-05) | 7 October 1949 (1949-10-07) | 1 year, 275 days |
| – (4) | Ross McLarty | Liberal | McLarty | Minister for Forests | 7 October 1949 (1949-10-07) | 24 October 1950 (1950-10-24) | 1 year, 17 days |
| 5 | Gerald Wild | Liberal | McLarty | Minister for Forests | 24 October 1950 (1950-10-24) | 23 February 1953 (1953-02-23) | 2 years, 122 days |
| 6 | Herb Graham | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Forests | 23 February 1953 (1953-02-23) | 2 April 1959 (1959-04-02) | 6 years, 38 days |
| 7 | William Bovell | Liberal | Brand | Minister for Forests | 2 April 1959 (1959-04-02) | 3 March 1971 (1971-03-03) | 11 years, 335 days |
| 8 | Tom Evans | Labor | Tonkin | Minister for Forests | 3 March 1971 (1971-03-03) | 12 October 1971 (1971-10-12) | 223 days |
| 9 | David Evans | Labor | Tonkin | Minister for Forests | 12 October 1971 (1971-10-12) | 8 April 1974 (1974-04-08) | 2 years, 178 days |
| 10 | Alan Ridge | Liberal | C. Court | Minister for Forests | 8 April 1974 (1974-04-08) | 10 March 1977 (1977-03-10) | 2 years, 336 days |
| 11 | June Craig | Liberal | C. Court | Minister for Lands and Forests | 10 March 1977 (1977-03-10) | 25 August 1978 (1978-08-25) | 1 year, 168 days |
| 12 | David Wordsworth MLC | Liberal | C. Court | Minister for Lands and Forests | 25 August 1978 (1978-08-25) | 25 January 1982 (1982-01-25) | 3 years, 153 days |
| 13 | Ian Laurance | Liberal | O'Connor | Minister for Forests | 25 January 1982 (1982-01-25) | 25 February 1983 (1983-02-25) | 1 year, 31 days |
| 14 | Brian Burke | Labor | Burke | Minister for Forests | 25 February 1983 (1983-02-25) | 22 March 1985 (1985-03-22) | 2 years, 25 days |
| 15 | Monty House | National | R. Court | Minister for Primary Industries | 16 February 1993 (1993-02-16) | 16 February 2001 (2001-02-16) | 8 years, 0 days |
| 16 | Kim Chance MLC | Labor | Gallop | Minister for Forestry | 16 February 2001 (2001-02-16) | 1 July 2001 (2001-07-01) | 7 years, 220 days |
| 16 | Kim Chance MLC | Labor | Gallop | Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries | 1 July 2001 (2001-07-01) | 10 March 2005 (2005-03-10) | 3 years, 252 days |
| 16 | Kim Chance MLC | Labor | Gallop | Minister for Agriculture and Forestry | 10 March 2005 (2005-03-10) | 25 January 2006 (2006-01-25) | 321 days |
| 16 | Kim Chance MLC | Labor | Carpenter | Minister for Agriculture and Forestry | 25 January 2006 (2006-01-25) | 3 February 2006 (2006-02-03) | 9 days |
| 16 | Kim Chance MLC | Labor | Carpenter | Minister for Forestry | 3 February 2006 (2006-02-03) | 23 September 2008 (2008-09-23) | 2 years, 233 days |
| 17 | Terry Redman | National | Barnett | Minister for Forestry | 23 September 2008 (2008-09-23) | 11 December 2013 (2013-12-11) | 5 years, 79 days |
| 18 | Mia Davies | National | Barnett | Minister for Forestry | 11 December 2013 (2013-12-11) | 17 March 2017 (2017-03-17) | 3 years, 96 days |
| 19 | Dave Kelly | Labor | McGowan | Minister for Forestry | 17 March 2017 (2017-03-17) | 14 December 2022 | 5 years, 272 days |
| 20 | Jackie Jarvis | Labor | McGowan | Minister for Forestry | 14 December 2022 | 8 June 2023 | 1 year, 300 days |
| 20 | Jackie Jarvis | Labor | Cook | Minister for Forestry | 8 June 2023 | incumbent | 1 year, 300 days |

## List of assistant ministers for forestry

| Order | Minister | Party | Party | Premier | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office |
| 1 | David Evans | | Labor | Burke | Minister assisting the Minister for Forests | 25 February 1983 (1983-02-25) | 22 March 1985 (1985-03-22) | 2 years, 25 days |