New ministry to deliver better housing, transport, and environmental outcomes

The Government has confirmed the establishment of a new Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT), to support the Government’s ambitious reform agenda in housing, transport, urban development and the environment.

The new Ministry will bring together the Ministry for the Environment, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the Ministry of Transport, and local government functions from the Department of Internal Affairs into one coherent new agency.

A Chief Executive will be appointed in the first half of 2026, with the Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport fully operational by July 2026.