Phil Costa

Infobox Politician
honorific-prefix = The Honorable
name = Phillip Costa
honorific-suffix =MP


imagesize =
caption =
order = Minister for Water
Minister for Rural Affairs
Minister for Regional Development
term_start = 8 September 2008
term_end =
predecessor = Nathan Rees (Water)
Tony Kelly (Rural Affairs, Regional Development)
birth_date = Birth date and age|1949|7|24|df=y
birth_place = Guildford, New South Wales
death_date =
death_place =
constituency = Wollondilly
party = Australian Labor Party
spouse =
profession = School principal


footnotes =
website =

Phillip (Phil) Costa (born 24 July 1949 at Guildford, New South Wales) is an Australian politician representing Wollondilly in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. He is Minister for Water, Minister for Rural Affairs and Minister for Regional Development in the New South Wales State Government.

Prior to his election he was a primary school teacher and principal of public schools in the Oaks and Buxton. [http://www.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au/council/1172/1201.html] He was named the Citizen of the Year in Wollondilly Shire in 1984.

He was elected to Wollondilly Shire Council in the 1980's and was served as Mayor from 2005 to 2007, immediately prior to the 2007 State election. [http://wollondilly.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/tshirts-spell-unity-to-a-t/1234671.aspx] He was Deputy Mayor from 1999 to 2005 and has been Mayor since 2005.

Costa initially planned to stand as an independent candidate in the 2007 State Election but was persuaded by Premier Morris Iemma to stand instead for the Australian Labor Party. [http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/another-costa-joins-state-labor/2006/10/04/1159641370478.html] He was elected to the Legislative Assembly on 24 March 2007 with 53% of the vote. [http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/state_government_elections/electoral_districts/all_districts_/wollondilly/results_2007/district_summary] From 2007 to 2008 he was a member of the State Parliament's Standing Committee on Parliamentary Privilege and Ethics 20 Jun 2007 and Chair of the Standing Committee on Broadband in Rural and Regional Communities. [http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf/c8a9b0fc61cd9910ca256e7c000acca0/b1b3b34f46b2edc9ca2572a70014b520!OpenDocument] .

On 8 September 2008 he was appointed Minister for Water, Minister for Rural Affairs and Minister for Regional Development in the Cabinet of incoming Premier Nathan Rees.

Costa is married with two adult children. He is not related to Parliamentary colleague and former Treasurer Michael Costa.

References

External links

* [http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf/0/B1B3B34F46B2EDC9CA2572A70014B520 Parliamentary website]
* [http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20070509005 Inaugural speech in NSW Parliament]