# Albanese's Nature Positive law stands up a federal environment regulator from July
> Tranche 2 of the EPBC reforms creates a national EPA as Australia takes a negotiator role at Türkiye's COP31

**Meta:** type: story · date: 2026-06-18 · heads: El juego largo, Quién decide · 5 takes · 3 lenses · 2 regions

## Summary

The second tranche of [Anthony Albanese](/es/entity/anthony-albanese)'s Nature Positive environment reforms commences 1 July
2026, standing up a federal environmental regulator. Tranche 1 commenced 20 February 2026; Tranche
2 establishes a national Environment Protection Agency, enables appointment of a head of
Environment Information Australia, and adds compliance tools and penalties to the EPBC framework.
Climate Minister [Chris Bowen](/es/entity/chris-bowen) takes a "President of Negotiations" role at COP31 (Antalya,
Türkiye, 9–20 November 2026) after Australia conceded the host bid to Türkiye in November 2025. The
package tests Labor's environmental delivery and its standing with Pacific partners.

## By the numbers

- 1 Jul 2026 — Tranche 2 commencement (national EPA).
- 20 Feb 2026 — Tranche 1 commencement.
- 9–20 Nov 2026 — COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.

## Why it matters

A federal environment regulator with real penalties reshapes approvals for mining, housing and
energy projects — a core economic-environmental fault line. Australia's surrendered COP host bid
leaves it leading negotiations rather than the summit, sharpening scrutiny of whether its climate
credibility with Pacific neighbours holds.

## What to watch

- The new EPA's first enforcement actions and approval decisions.
- Any third tranche and the fate of the broader reform.
- Australia's negotiator role and Pacific outcomes at COP31.

## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens)

### unlabelled
- **DCCEEW (Nature Positive reforms)** (Australia, en) — Official department statement on progressing the Nature Positive law reforms — Tranche 1 commenced 20 Feb 2026; Tranche 2 from 1 July 2026 stands up a national Environment Protection Agency and a head of Environment Information Australia.
  Source: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/about/news/progressing-nature-positive-law-reforms
- **DCCEEW (EPBC Act reform)** (Australia, en) — 
  Source: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/epbc/epbc-act-reform
- **Al Jazeera** (Qatar, en) — 
  Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/20/turkiye-to-host-cop31-climate-summit-after-australia-concedes-bid

### legal / practitioner
- **MinterEllison** (Australia, en) — Details the Stage 2 architecture — the new federal regulator, enhanced compliance tools, penalties and the appointment of a head of Environment Information Australia — and the timeline for business affected by the EPBC overhaul.
  > "Stage 2 of the Nature Positive Plan progresses, establishing a national Environment Protection Agency."
  Source: https://www.minterellison.com/articles/stage-2-nature-positive-plan-progresses

### foreign-policy think tank
- **Lowy Institute** (Australia, en) — Sets out Australia's role at COP31 after conceding the host bid to Türkiye, arguing Canberra's climate credibility with Pacific partners now rides on the negotiator role Bowen takes and on domestic delivery.
  > "After the compromise: Australia's COP31 blueprint for the Pacific."
  Source: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/after-compromise-australia-s-cop31-blueprint-pacific

## Across the graph
- Related: [[albanese-division-296-super-tax]]
- Entities: Anthony Albanese, Australia, Chris Bowen

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Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/es/n/albanese-nature-positive-tranche-2