Biography
South West region MLC Jackie Jarvis is the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Forestry, and Small Business and has Member for the South West Region in the Legislative Council since 2021.
Jarvis lives in Margaret River and has established her Electorate Office in the town.
Prior to entering politics, Jarvis started her career in the finance industry before moving to Margaret River in 1998 and establishing a commercial vineyard and livestock farming enterprise with her husband Matt. They launched the Jarvis Estate wine brand in 2002.
As a farmer and regional businesswoman, Jarvis has a long career advocating for communities in the bush through her work as CEO of the WA Rural, Regional and Remote Women's Network, as well as my time as Commissioner for the Forest Products Commission and on the boards of the South West Development Commission and Australian Landcare Council.
While raising their three daughters, Jarvis managed the administration of the farm and the marketing, sale, and export of wine. In 2004, she was named Winner of the Best HomeBased Export Business by the International Business Council of WA.
Jarvis returned to off-farm work when her youngest daughter started school and built a new career focussed on agribusiness and regional development.
She was a director of the Foundation for Agriculture Women from 2005 to 2008 and served as a Committee Member on the WA Planning Commission's South West Region Committee from 2005 to 2009.
Jarvis was the inaugural chair of Regional Development Australia South West, an initiative of the Commonwealth Government, from 2009 to 2011.
During this time, she worked as a Small Business Specialist with ANZ. In 2013, Jarvis was appointed by the Hon. Terry Redman MLA to the Rural, Remote and Regional (RRR) Women’s Network Ministerial Reference Group.
She became deputy chair of the group in 2016. Also in 2013, Jarvis became the WA State Manager for MADEC Australia and oversaw a pilot project, the Regional Migrant Employment Support Program, and the agriculture workforce program The Harvest Trail.
Her work attracting resettled refugees to work in agriculture saw her named 2014 WA Rural Woman of the Year and national runner-up.
Jarvis was appointed to the board of the Forest Products Commission (FPC) in July 2014 and remained an FPC Commissioner until 2020.
From late 2014 to early 2017, Jarvis worked as an agricultural policy consultant with a variety of organisations including the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA, the Department of Agriculture and Food WA, and the Australian Grain Institute.
In March 2017, she became the Principal Policy Adviser (Agriculture) to the Minister for Regional Development, Agriculture and Food, Hon. Alannah MacTiernan MLC on secondment from the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
In November 2017, Jarvis took up the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Rural, Regional, Remote Women's Network of WA and served on the Board of the South West Development Commission from 2018 to 2019.
She was announced as the Rural Community Leader of the Year at the 2019 Australian Farmer of the Year awards.
In August 2019, Jarvis returned to the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development as the Manager of Industry Capacity and Workforce. She held this role until March 2021 when she was elected to WA Parliament as Member for South West Region.
In the Legislative Council, Jarvis is a Deputy Chair of Committees and is a member of the Standing Committee on Estimates and Financial Operations, the Joint Standing Committee on Audit and the Select Committee into Cannabis and Hemp. In December 2021, she was appointed as the Chair of the Vasse Taskforce.
Jarvis was appointed to the McGowan cabinet as Minister for Agriculture and Food; Forestry and Small Business in December 2022 and is passionate about continuing to provide a strong voice for regional communities in WA.
Portfolios
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Departments, agencies and offices under the responsibility of Hon
Jackie
Jarvis
MLC
Agriculture and Food
- Agricultural Produce Commission
- Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
- Rural Business Development Corporation
- Veterinary Surgeons' Board
- Western Australian Meat Industry Authority
