Marmion replaces Norman Moore, who retired at the last election.

Re-elected WA Premier Colin Barnet announced Marmion’s move to direct the state’s crucial minerals portfolio today in a shakeup that saw five new ministers join the cabinet.

Among the changes, Mining and Pastoral Region Member Ken Baston was announced to become Minister for Agriculture and Food, while Riverton Member Mike Nahan will take on the portfolios of Energy and Finance along with Citizenship and Multicultural Interests.

The WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy (CME) has urged the new cabinet to waste no time implementing commitments made during the election campaign.

“The Western Australian resource sector’s major challenge is the rising cost of doing business,” CME chief executive Reg Howard-Smith said in a statement.

“Our attractiveness as a place to develop resources projects is under threat due to additional layers of taxation and charges which are driving up business costs.”

The chamber proposed an expansion of the Department of Mines and Petroleum’s approvals tracking scheme into the departments of water and environment.

It also called for the creation of a separate dedicated environmental regulatory department to look over all environmental approvals.

Howard-Smith praised the assigning of Marmion to the portfolio covering minerals and resources, an appointment which could foreshadow increased overlap in the duties of the environment and mines departments.

“As the minister for theeEnvironment, Marmion was focused on reducing duplication and ensuring timely approvals processes,” he said.

“This commonsense approach was welcomed by the Western Australian resource sector.”