We take compliance action to ensure the integrity of our schemes. Our compliance update keeps you informed of activities related to our compliance and enforcement priorities 2024-2025. The update sets out our expectations of compliance by scheme participants and highlights the areas of focus for compliance action.
Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme
Projects that have missed reporting deadlines
In our last compliance update, we flagged that over the coming months we would be reviewing and verifying the status of projects that have missed or are near their reporting deadline.
Since then, project proponents of 70 projects have been told they missed their reporting deadline. This is approximately 3% of active ACCU projects. These project proponents are required to provide the CER with a plan to bring their project back into compliance. Where this does not occur, we will commence the process to revoke the project.
Legal right and eligible interest holder consent
It is the project proponent’s responsibility to gain and maintain legal right for the duration of the ACCU project’s crediting and permanence periods.
All eligible interest holder consents must be received before the end of the first reporting period. Project proponents must notify us within 90 days of any changes to their project’s legal right status. If these requirements are not met, ACCUs will not be issued and the project may be revoked.
We hosted a Be ACCUrate webinar on 26 June 2025 to help proponents understand their obligations.
Post-crediting period obligations for sequestration projects
Some sequestration projects are approaching the end of their crediting periods, which is a first in the ACCU Scheme. All sequestration projects have post-crediting period obligations that must be complied with. These obligations apply to sequestration projects throughout the permanence period (either 25 or 100 years).
After a project’s crediting period ends, proponents must continue to submit reports at least once every 5 years until the end of the permanence period. Our enforcement powers last until the end of the permanence period, which includes ACCU relinquishment powers.
Our permanence period monitoring may include:
- remote sensing and intelligence from other sources
- audits, potentially at the proponent’s cost.
We have published new guidance on post-crediting period obligations for sequestration projects on our website. You can find all ACCU Scheme guidance in the guidance library.
National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) Scheme and Safeguard Mechanism
Enforceable undertaking with Fitzroy (CQ) Pty Ltd
Fitzroy (CQ) Pty Ltd (Fitzroy) has met its first obligation from the enforceable undertaking they entered into with us in April 2025.
On 1 April 2025:
- the Carborough Downs Coal Mine (Carborough Downs) facility had an excess emissions situation of 546,906 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e), at the conclusion of a 3-year multi-year monitoring period that finished on 30 June 2024
- the Ironbark No. 1 (Ironbark) facility had an excess emissions situation of 36,173 CO2-e in relation to the 2023–24 compliance period.
On 30 June 2025, Fitzroy surrendered 172,900 prescribed carbon units for its Carborough Downs and Ironbark safeguard facilities. This surrender covered the full excess position of 36,173 for Fitzroy’s Ironbark facility.
The EU commits Fitzroy to acquitting its obligations progressively, with its final surrender required by no later than 15 December 2025.
2024–25 NGER reporting
NGER emissions and energy reports for 2024–25 must be submitted by 11:59 pm (AEDT) on Friday, 31 October 2025. Reports must be submitted through the new Emissions and Energy Reporting System (EERS), accessed through Online Services. We expect all NGER reporters to submit accurate reports on time. There are no extensions available to the statutory reporting deadline and there are penalties, including infringement notices, for non-compliance.
To support reporters to submit on-time, accurate and complete NGER reports, we have established a reporter support page on our website with a range of resources. These include updated reporting guidance, calculators and training videos.
Beach Energy Limited enforceable undertaking
We have accepted an enforceable undertaking from Beach Energy Ltd (Beach Energy) under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007.
The undertaking commits Beach Energy, at its own cost, to:
- commission reasonable assurance audits of its NGER reports for the 2024–25, 2025–26 and 2026–27 NGER reporting periods
- engage an external consultant to:
- improve its system of control
- prepare and review the NGER reports
- implement improvements to its internal systems and procedures.
This undertaking is a result of Beach Energy inadvertently misstating components of their NGER reports across previous reporting periods.
Renewable Energy Target (RET)
Residential batteries inspection program
To support the launch of the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, a proactive inspections program will inspect a sample of installed batteries to ensure eligible residential battery installations are correctly installed. This extends the existing SRES solar PV compliance framework to batteries. The results of the program will be provided to the state and territory electrical and safety regulators and Solar Accreditation Australia. Non-compliant installers risk losing their accreditations.
Success of 2025 Quarter 1 Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) surrender
The statutory deadline for surrendering STCs for Q1 2025 was 28 April. 100% of certificates were surrendered on time, which continues the strong level of compliance.
Unaccredited solar installer convicted
Following our investigation, Craig Burmeister has received a criminal conviction, was fined $5,500 and was sentenced to complete 200 hours of community service over 2 years. Mr Burmeister pleaded guilty to charges relating to 11 solar PV installations.
Mr Burmeister, who was not accredited to design or install solar PV systems at the time, procured other accredited installers and his employees to sign off on and claim STCs for installations he completed.
Under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES), STCs can only be claimed when the installation is carried out or supervised by an accredited installer. Procuring others to commit fraud does not shield individuals from prosecution, as those who assist or encourage an offence are treated as having committed the offence themselves.
On 12 June 2025, Mr Burmeister appeared before the Wagga Wagga Local Court. The Magistrate remarked that Mr Burmeister’s offending undermined the integrity and effectiveness of the scheme, and in doing so, caused a greater regulatory burden on other scheme participants.
On 10 December 2019, he was convicted for similar offences related to 8 solar PV installations and was on a good behaviour bond at the time of his most recent offences.
Tanway Engineering Pty Ltd suspended and an individual deemed ineligible
We have taken compliance action against accredited installer Mr Rohit Kumar Jafal and registered agent Tanway Engineering Pty Ltd (Tanway). This follows their respective criminal convictions in the Perth Magistrates Court for electrical licensing offences.
Mr Jafal is ineligible to install solar PV systems under the SRES until 6 September 2025, a period of 3 months.
We have permanently suspended the registration of Tanway under the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 (the Act).
South Australian electrician convicted for providing false or misleading documents
Following our investigation, Liam Sheppard, an electrician in South Australia, has been convicted and fined for providing false or misleading documents in the SRES.
Mr Sheppard pleaded guilty to charges relating to 62 solar PV installations. Mr Sheppard falsely claimed to have installed or supervised these installations. In doing so, he submitted false or misleading STC assignment forms and certificates of electrical safety to registered agents. The agents relied on this information to improperly create certificates for these installations.
On 3 April 2025, after more than 3 years of legal proceedings, Mr Sheppard was convicted and received a reduced fine of $3,500 due to his personal circumstances. Mr Sheppard likely incurred costs associated with his legal representation. Receiving such a conviction can severely damage professional reputation and future career prospects.