TheDepartment for Environment and Water (DEW) is a department of theGovernment of South Australia. It is responsible for ensuring that the state ofSouth Australia's natural resources are managed productively and sustainably, while improving the condition and resilience of the state's natural environment.
The current department was created on 1 July 2012 by the merger of theDepartment of Environment and Natural Resources and theDepartment for Water as theDepartment of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR). It was given its present name on 22 March 2018.
On 23 December 1971, a new department called theDepartment of Environment and Conservation was created by the amalgamation of theMuseum Department and theState Planning Office which was part of theDepartment of the Premier and of Development.[3]
On 18 December 1975, theDepartment of Environment and Conservation was renamed as theDepartment for the Environment following a merger with theBotanic Garden Department.[4]
On 11 May 1981, theDepartment for the Environment and theDepartment of Urban and Regional Affairs were merged with theDepartment of Environment and Planning which was created on 7 August 1980 when it only consisted of the office of its first permanent head.[5][6]
On 8 October 1992, the Department of Environment and Planning was abolished on 8 October 1992 and its parts were distributed to new entities including theDepartment of Environment and Land Management which included the entirety of the formerDepartment of Lands which was also abolished on 8 October 1992.[7]
On 1 October 1993, theDepartment of Environment and Land Management was renamed as theDepartment of Environment and Natural Resources.[8]
On 23 October 1997, theDepartment of Environment and Natural Resources was abolished and replaced in part by theDepartment for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs which also included “employees” of other abolished “Administrative Units” such as theDepartment of State Aboriginal Affairs and theDepartment of Mines and Energy.[9]
In 1999, theDepartment for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs became theDepartment for Environment and Heritage.[10]
On 1 July 2010, theDepartment for Environment and Heritage was renamed for the second time as theDepartment of Environment and Natural Resources.[10][11]
On 1 July 2012, theDepartment of Environment and Natural Resources became theDepartment of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR) after acquiring the roles and responsibilities of the formerDepartment of Water. This created the current (2024) incarnation of the department.[12][13][14] it was given its present name on 22 March 2018.[15] Following theLiberal Party's victory in the2018 state election, the department was renamed as the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) on 2 March 2018.[16]
Deputy PremierSusan Close, who is also Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, has responsibility for the department.[17] As of February 2024[update], thechief executive of the department is Ben Bruce, who took over from John Schutz.[18]
The Premier's Climate Change Council was established under theClimate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Act 2007, with the inaugural council created in February 2008. The primary role of the Council is to provide independent advice to the Minister for Environment and Water on reducinggreenhouse gas emissions and adapting toclimate change.[19]
^Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment."Workplace Information Report 2022-2023"(PDF).Public Sector SA. South Australian Government. Retrieved4 March 2024.
^Department for Environment and Water."2022-2023 Annual Report"(PDF).Department for Environment and Water. Government of South Australia. Retrieved8 March 2024.
^Banfield, D. H. (18 December 1975)."Public Service Act, 1967-1975..."(PDF).The South Australian Government Gazette. South Australian Government. p. 3280. Retrieved13 April 2018.
Text has been copied from this source, which is available under aAttribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU) licence.