Lisa Neville


Lisa Mary Neville is an Australian politician, currently serving as the member for Bellarine in the Victorian Legislative Assembly. She represents the Labor Party. She currently is the Minister for Police and Minister for Water.

Early life and education

Neville was born in Newcastle, New South Wales. Her father worked for the airline Qantas, and the family moved around Australia and Papua New Guinea before settling in Brisbane. Neville attended Mount Alvernia College, and then completed an arts degree at Griffith University. At university, she was involved in student unionism, initially with the Queensland Union of Students and then as general secretary and president of the National Union of Students in Melbourne. She worked as a community visitor, inspecting residential facilities for the elderly and disabled on behalf of the state Public Advocate.

Political career

Neville first entered parliament at the 2002 election winning the marginal Liberal seat of Bellarine. After spending her first term on the backbench, she was promoted to the position of Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Children and Minister for Aged Care after the 2006 election.
Neville was named as the Shadow Minister for Environment, Climate Change and the Arts by leader Daniel Andrews following Labor's loss in the 2010 Victorian state election.
Neville was made Minister for Environment and Climate Change and Minister for Water following the 2014 Victorian state election.
Following a cabinet reshuffle in May 2016 Lisa Neville was appointed as the first female Minister for Police in Victoria, and retained her water portfolio.
In December 2016 Neville announced the recruitment of 2,735 new Victoria Police officers. The largest in the organisation's history as part of Victoria's first Community Safety Statement.

Personal life

Neville was previously married to, and has a son with, Richard Marles, who later became the federal MP for Corio.