Murray Watt | Minister for the Environment and Water
Australian Government

Senator the Hon Murray Watt was appointed Federal Minister for the Environment and Water on May 13, 2025. Last year he led the passing of major environmental law reforms in the Australian Parliament, aimed at strengthening environmental protections while delivering faster decision-making for housing, renewables, and critical minerals projects. Senator Watt has represented the State of Queensland in the Australian Parliament since 2016. Serving as a Government Minister since the 2022 federal election, he previously held the portfolios for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Employment and Workplace Relations, and Emergency Management - responding to Australia's floods, bushfires and tropical cyclones. In those roles, Minister Watt led government action on a range of key issues, including delivering a minimum wage increase for nearly 3 million workers, overhauling Australia's response and preparedness for natural disasters, restoring Australia’s biosecurity protections, expanding agricultural trade and export markets, and responding to the impacts of climate change. He and wife Cynthia live in Brisbane with their two children and they are all big fans of the Socceroos, the Matildas and soccer in general.