The 51-year-old was appointed by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull after Ley, who had held the role since December 2014, was caught up in an expenses scandal. 

Hunt takes on the role with Australia preparing to host the next edition of the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in 2018.

The country is also considering a bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics, with a feasibility study into a possible Brisbane bid taking place.

In August, Hunt, then serving as Federal Environment Minister, said there would be "no better place in the world" to host the 2028 or 2032 Games than Melbourne.

Another issue for Hunt, previously the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, could be the funding of elite Australian athletes, with the country keen to improve its Olympic performance.

A total of 29 medals at Rio 2016 marked Australia’s worst Summer Olympic tally in 24 years, with the number including just eight golds.

That was less than half the amount the country won at Athens 2004, where Australians topped 17 podiums. 

The decline has prompted Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates to remove the organisation's target of the country finishing in the top five of the Summer Olympic medal table.

An AUD$50 million (£29.9 million/$37.3 million/€35.2 million) online lottery system aimed at boosting funding for sport and keeping the country competitive on the global stage has been proposed.

This would mirror the successful model used in Great Britain, which finished in second place on the Rio 2016 medal table after a solitary gold at Atlanta 1996.

Ley, 55, was investigated for a trip to Gold Coast, where she bought an apartment.

She later described this as an "error of judgement" but insisted she stayed within the rules and that her work in Gold Coast was legitimate. 

However, she opted to step aside on January 13 due to the case becoming a distraction to the Government.

Hunt, Ley and Turnbull are all members of the Liberal Party of Australia.