In New South Wales, regional ministers have been appointed since 1995 on a part-time basis as part of the Government of New South Wales. Each minister has other departmental responsibilities, as well as specific responsibilities for one of the regions of New South Wales. The ministries with regional responsibilities first appeared in 2000 during the Carr Labor Government with a position looking after the Central Coast, this would later be expanded by the Iemma Labor Government from 2005 and O'Farrell Coalition Government in 2011 to five different positions including Western Sydney.
In 2015, the number of ministers was reduced to just three ministers: the Minister for Regional Development, the Minister for Western New South Wales and the Minister for Western Sydney. In the first Berejiklian ministry the portfolio of regional development changed to Regional New South Wales and a fourth regional portfolio created, Regional Water. Following the 2019 state election the ministries were rearranged, with the portfolio of Regional Water abolished and two new regional portfolios, Regional Transport and Roads and Regional Youth, bringing the total to five with effect from 2 April 2019. A sixth portfolio, Regional Health, was created in the second Perrottet ministry.
Current ministers Central Coast Title Minister Party Ministry Term start Term end Time in office Notes Minister Assisting the Premier for the Central Coast Carr (3) 31 March 2000 2 April 2003 Minister for the Central Coast Carr (4) 2 April 2003 21 January 2005 Iemma (1) 21 January 2005 2 April 2007 Iemma (2) 2 April 2007 1 September 2009 Rees 1 September 2009 14 September 2009 Keneally 14 September 2009 8 December 2009 8 December 2009 5 June 2010 5 June 2010 28 March 2011 O'Farrell 3 April 2011 4 December 2013 O'FarrellBaird (1) 9 December 2013 2 May 2014 Baird (1) 6 May 2014 2 April 2015 Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter and Central Coast Baird (2) 24 April 2015 23 January 2017 Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and the Central Coast Berejiklian (1) 1 February 2017 5 April 2017 Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, the Central Coast and the Hunter 5 April 2017 1 March 2019 Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast Berejiklian (2)Perrottet (1) 20 December 2019 21 December 2021 Perrottet (2) 21 December 2021 28 March 2023 Minister for the Central Coast Minns 5 April 2023 incumbent
Hunter Title Minister Party Ministry Term start Term end Time in office Notes Minister Assisting the Premier on Hunter Development Carr (1) (2) (3) 4 April 1995 13 February 2003 Carr (4) 13 February 2003 2 April 2003 Minister for the Hunter Carr (4)Iemma (1) (2) 2 April 2003 8 September 2008 ReesKeneally 8 September 2008 28 March 2011 O'Farrell 3 April 2011 18 December 2013 18 December 2013 17 April 2014 Baird (1) 23 April 2014 2 April 2015 Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter and Central Coast Baird (2) 24 April 2015 23 January 2017 Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, the Central Coast and the Hunter Berejiklian (1) 5 April 2017 1 March 2019 Minister for the Hunter Minns 5 April 2023 3 August 2023 3 August 2023 incumbent
Illawarra and South Coast Creation of the role of 'Minister for the Illawarra' was a Labor election commitment in 2003. When the portfolio was abolished in 2015, the region's main newspaper, the Illawarra Mercury, noted that all but one of the men to hold the title later departed politics under a cloud: "The now-defunct ministry has been something of a poisoned chalice over the past 12 years, with five of the six ministers who have held the position being disgraced, sacked or forced to resign over their behaviour."
Labor's David Campbell, the first Minister for the Illawarra, quit politics after being filmed leaving a gay bath-house in Sydney. His successor Matt Brown quit following allegations (denied by Brown) that he'd simulated a sex act and danced in his underpants at a function in Parliament House. Paul McLeay quit cabinet after admitting to using a parliamentary computer to visit gambling and porn websites. Eric Roozendaal was a target of the Independent Commission Against Corruption's Operation Indus due to his dealings with disgraced former minister Eddie Obeid, but was cleared in 2013. Greg Pearce, the first Liberal to hold the post, was dumped from the O'Farrell ministry in 2013 amid claims (denied by Pearce) that he had attended parliament drunk – officially, for failing to declare a conflict of interest in relation to a board appointment. The last Minister for the Illawarra, the Liberal party's John Ajaka, "managed to break the portfolio’s curse," however. Following the 2023 New South Wales state election, the ministry was reestablished under Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns who appointed Ryan Park who is also the Minister for Health.
Title Minister Party Ministry Term start Term end Time in office Notes Minister for the Illawarra Carr (4)Iemma (1) (2) 2 April 2003 5 September 2008 Rees 8 September 2008 11 September 2008 11 September 2008 4 December 2009 Keneally 8 December 2009 1 September 2010 6 September 2010 28 March 2011 O'Farrell 3 April 2011 2 August 2013 2 August 2013 23 April 2014 Baird (1) 23 April 2014 2 April 2015 Minister for the Illawarra and South Coast Minns 28 March 2023 incumbent
North Coast Title Minister Party Ministry Term start Term end Time in office Notes Minister for the North Coast O'Farrell 3 April 2011 23 April 2014 Baird (1) 23 April 2014 17 October 2014 17 October 2014 2 April 2015 Minns 5 April 2023 17 March 2025 17 March 2025 Incumbent
Regional New South Wales
Regional Health
Regional Transport and Roads
Western New South Wales
Western Sydney
Former ministerial titles Redfern-Waterloo Title Minister Party Ministry Term start Term end Time in office Notes Minister for Redfern-Waterloo Iemma (1) (2) 3 August 2005 8 September 2008 ReesKeneally 8 September 2008 28 March 2011
Regional Youth
See also
List of New South Wales government agencies
References