Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced a significant reshuffle in the energy, industry and environment portfolios with Greg Hunt moving into a new role.
Hunt is now the Minister for Innovation, Industry and Science while the Environment portfolio has gone to Josh Frydenberg.
He will have responsibility for the renewable energy target, and agencies such as the billion dollar Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
Turnbull has combined environment and energy, a move welcomed by industry groups including the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA)
GBCA CEO, Romilly Madew, said a new ministry that integrates environment and energy will help Australia seize the opportunities of a zero carbon economy.
She described the integration of the two portfolios as a big picture approach to energy productivity.
"We need a sophisticated and mature approach to energy productivity – and this appointment is a good start," Madew said.
The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) executive manager of government relations, Phil Wilkinson, said the Cabinet reshuffle is good news for the HVACR industry.
"Having both Frydenburg and Hunt involved in the areas that cover our industry is a positive as we have worked closely with both departments on emissions reduction issues for many years; our industry issues will be well understood," he said.
"Having energy and the environment together makes sense too. From our point of view the energy and environment issues are two sides of the same problem.
"If we as an industry are to reduce our emissions and play our part in achieving net zero emissions in the built environment by 2050 we have to work with the supply side to make it happen."
Wilkinson said the industry also has some work to do with the new Assistant Minister for Vocational Education and Skills, Karen Andrews.
He said substandard RTOs that are delivering poor training are tarnishing a competent workforce.
Refrigerants Australia, executive director, Greg Picker, said he was sorry to see Hunt move to a new portfolio.
"He had a deep and genuine interest in our industry and he took proactive steps to ensure that future regulation was developed that protected the environment, provided industry with long term certainty and reduced the regulatory burden," Picker said. "He has simply been a champion.
"Refrigerants Australia is hopeful that the new arrangements will allow the government to more easily develop comprehensive policy solutions that cover both environmental and energy issues."
While climate activists welcomed the merger of energy and the environment, they weren't so sure about the appointment of Frydenberg. The new Environment Minister is a vocal supporter of nuclear energy and the coal industry.