Newly sworn in New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian has named Don Harwin as the state’s new mining minister, after moving former mining minister Anthony Roberts to the planning portfolio.
Harwin’s official title is minister for resources, minister for energy and utilities, minister for the arts, and vice-president of the executive council.
Roberts is now the minister for planning, minister for housing, and special minister of state.
The new cabinet was named after Berejiklian was announced as the state’s 45th premier, following the retirement of Mike Baird on January 19.
“Our new team will work hard to make life easier for people right across NSW,” the new premier said on January 30.
The NSW Minerals Council welcomed Harwin’s appointment as mining minister, and said it looked forward to working with him on the “challenges facing the industry and the energy policy challenges facing NSW”.
NSW Minerals Council chief executive Stephen Galilee said mining remained crucial to the state, with coal both its most valuable export and the source of 85% of its energy needs.
“Similarly, our metals mines in places like Broken Hill, Cobar in Far Western NSW, and Orange, Dubbo and Parkes in Central NSW also bring in significant export revenue and support thousands of direct jobs and thousands more through local supply businesses,” he said.
“The NSW mining industry looks forward to working with Minister Harwin as he takes on the challenges facing our industry.
“We also thank the former minister for industry, resources and energy, the Hon. Anthony Roberts for his service, a minister who understood the importance of mining to our state and worked hard to support mining communities.
“This will be a key challenge for Minister Harwin and the NSW Government.”