Former Botany Bay Mayor Ron Hoenig has been appointed the new Minister for Local Government in Premier Chris Minns’ ministerial lineup announced on Tuesday.

Mr Hoenig, who was Mayor of the former City of Botany Bay for 31 years, was elected to parliament at a by-election for the seat of Heffron in 2012.

He was elected as a councillor for Botany in September 1980 after participating in a community protest against Council sacking its garbage staff and awarding the garbage collection contract to the deputy Mayor, a fight he told parliament in his augural speech ‘we won’.

During his time in local government Mr Hoenig came to be regarded by many as one of metropolitan Sydney’s most progressive mayors.

Mr Hoenig, whose mother was a Holocaust survivor, is also a barrister and a former NSW public defender.

In his first speech to Parliament in September 12, 2012, Mr Hoenig expressed a passion about the planning system, saying that only local experts, including councillors and local members, should make planning decisions, not bureaucrats.

Mr Hoenig told Government News he was keen to sink his teeth into the local government portfolio and would be meeting with the Office of Local Government as soon as possible.

“I will be getting across the issues and meeting with my department and relevant agencies as soon as possible to make sure I know not just the programs underway, but also ensure that I understand what the people of NSW and local government representatives need from our government,” he said.

The full Labor Ministry was sworn in on Wednesday:

Chris Minns
Premier

Pru Car  
Deputy Premier
Minister for Education and Early Learning
Minister for Western Sydney

Penny Sharpe
Minister for Climate Change
Minister for Energy
Minister for the Environment
Minister for Heritage

John Graham
Special Minister of State 
Minister for Roads
Minister for the Arts
Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy
Minister for Jobs and Tourism

Daniel Mookhey
Treasurer

Ryan Park
Minister for Health
Minister for Regional Health
Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast

Jo Haylen
Minister for Transport

Paul Scully
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces

Sophie Cotsis
Minister for Industrial Relations
Minister for Work Health and Safety

Yasmin Catley
Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism

Jihad Dib
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government
Minister for Emergency Services
Minister for Youth Justice

Kate Washington
Minister for Families and Communities
Minister for Disability Inclusion

Michael Daley
Attorney General

Tara Moriarty
Minister for Agriculture
Minister for Regional New South Wales
Minister for Western New South Wales

Ron Hoenig 
Minister for Local Government
Vice-President of the Executive Council

Courtney Houssos
Minister for Finance
Minister for Natural Resources

Stephen Kamper
Minister for Small Business
Minister for Lands and Property
Minister for Multiculturalism
Minister for Sport

Rose Jackson
Minister for Water
Minister for Housing
Minister for Homelessness
Minister for Mental Health
Minister for Youth
Minister for the North Coast

Anoulack Chanthivong
Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading
Minister for Industry and Trade
Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology
Minister for Corrections

Timothy Crakanthorp
Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education
Minister for the Hunter

David Harris
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty
Minister for Gaming and Racing
Minister for Veterans
Minister for Medical Research
Minister for the Central Coast

Jodie Harrison
Minister for Women
Minister for Seniors
Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Jennifer Aitchison
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads

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