The Environment Protection Reform Bills passed Parliament on 28 November 2025.
The reforms improve protections for Australia’s nationally significant heritage places. These are under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Also known as the EPBC Act.
They include changes to how National and Commonwealth Heritage places are assessed and listed. These changes make it easier to:
- fix or update errors in heritage listings
- add or amend heritage values
- expand heritage place boundaries
- discontinue an assessment of a heritage listing
- list places with separate physical areas under a single listing when they share heritage values
- invite nominations from time to time, rather than once a year.
There have been no other changes to how places are listed or managed. This includes no changes to Management Plan requirements.
Changes
Fix or update errors in heritage listings
The reforms allow the Minister for the Environment and Water to update details in:
- National Heritage listings
- Commonwealth Heritage listings.
Updates may be needed, for example, when:
- errors are identified
- a place’s name changes
- new research improves understanding of a place’s significance.
Add or amend heritage values
The minister may add values to a heritage place if it meets the relevant criteria. This is subject to advice from the Australian Heritage Council.
An assessment and consultation is still required. However, the process is easier and faster.
Expanding heritage place boundaries
The reforms allow heritage place boundaries to be expanded. This includes adding new areas or aligning boundaries with World Heritage listings.
Having a single boundary can make places easier to manage when they appear on more than one heritage list.
Discontinue the assessment of a heritage listing
The reforms allow the minister to stop an assessment where it is not appropriate to continue. This will:
- make better use of public resources
- allow earlier consideration of the views of the community and First Nations peoples.
Places with separate physical areas (non-contiguous)
The reforms clarify that a heritage place can include separate physical areas in different locations.
These areas must share at least one heritage value that meets the listing criteria.
Invite nominations from time to time
The reforms allow the minister to invite nominations at any time, including less often than annually.
National Environmental Standard for Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES Standard)
The MNES Standard sets out clear objectives for protected matters under the EPBC Act. This includes National Heritage places, World Heritage properties, and Commonwealth Heritage.
Read more on National Environmental Standards.