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ARTICLE · 01 JULY 2026

Environmental Law Reforms: Implications Of Upcoming Changes

Corrs Chambers Westgarth
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Australia's environmental compliance landscape undergoes a major transformation on 1 July 2026, as the next stage of EPBC Act reforms establishes two new regulatory bodies and introduces stricter compliance requirements. With half a billion dollars in federal funding supporting these changes, businesses face new audit mechanisms, heightened penalties, and expanded data-sharing obligations that will fundamentally reshape how environmental approvals are managed and enforced.

AustraliaEnvironment
Louise Camenzuli
Louise Camenzuli
Anna White
Anna White
Louise Lee
Louise Lee
Kate Gill-Herdman
Kate Gill-Herdman
Alissa Yanik-Woods
Alissa Yanik-Woods
Annabelle Cleary
Annabelle Cleary
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The environmental compliance landscape changes on 1 July 2026, with the next stage of reforms to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act) set to commence. This follows the suite of Bills passed in November 2025. Supported by half a billion dollars in federal funding, including a new cash injection from the 2026-27 Federal Budget, this second tranche of reforms will establish two new bodies: the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) and the Head of Environment Information Australia (EIA). 

This comes as two further draft National Environmental Standards (NES), part of the EPBC Act reforms – the NES for Data and Information and the NES for Community Engagement – are released for public consultation. Subordinate regulations are also to come into effect on 1 July 2026.

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