Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has appointed Greg Hunt as acting Minister for Cities, but has not said if a new Minister will be permanently appointed to the role.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has appointed Minister Greg Hunt to the role of acting Minister for Cities and the Built Environment.
The former Minister for Cities, Jamie Briggs, resigned in December after he was accused by a public servant of inappropriate behaviour while on official duties in Hong Kong.
Turnbull's initial appointment of a Minister for Cities was widely lauded as a positive step in driving successful urban development.
The Minister for Cities was always intended to work with Hunt, the Environment Minister, "to develop a new Australian Government agenda for our cities in cooperation with states, local governments, and urban communities."
Turnbull hasn't said if he will appoint a new Minister for Cities and the Planned Environment. When announcing the creation of the new ministry in September last year, Turnbull said, "Making sure that Australia is a wonderful place to live in, that our cities and indeed our regional centres are wonderful places to live, is an absolutely key priority of every level of government."
Turnbull's wife, Lucy Turnbull, also has strong views about urban development. The couple have elevated the national conversation about urban planning since Turnbull became Prime Minister.