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This consultation is now closed.

We have published the outcomes on this page.

We’re seeking your views on the draft Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) (Audit Thresholds) Instrument 2025.

The draft instrument was developed based on feedback from an initial Audit Thresholds Instrument consultation in late 2024. Submissions overwhelmingly supported the inclusion of alternative assurance arrangements for low-risk projects under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) (Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings–FullCAM) Methodology Determination 2024. 

No other changes to audit requirements have been incorporated into the draft instrument. This means that under the draft instrument, existing and future projects will be subject to the same audit requirements as those in the Audit Thresholds Instrument 2015.

Background

The Audit Thresholds Instrument is used to set the audit schedule for Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme projects. It prescribes thresholds for different types of audits, including scheduled audits and triggered audits. It also sets requirements for alternative assurance projects that may be eligible for a reduced number of audits.

Timeline

  • Consultation opened: 22 January 2025
  • Consultation closed: 5 February 2025

Consultation documents 

Outcomes

We received 23 completed submissions for this consultation from a range of stakeholders. Overall, people agreed audits for ACCU Scheme projects strike the right balance between supporting participation and abatement, ensuring integrity of abatement, and facilitating a risk-based approach to compliance. 

Due to this, the only change to audit requirements under the 2025 instrument is to include a new class of alternative assurance projects. These will be low risk environmental plantings 2024 projects under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) (Environmental and Mallee Plantings–FullCAM) Methodology Determination 2024.

Eligibility criteria include:

  • projects must not be more than 200 ha (total size of all carbon estimation areas for the project)
  • proponents must be the owner, leaseholder or native title holder of the proposed project land
  • the project must be modelled as a mixed species block planting in FullCAM.

Projects that meet these criteria will be eligible to ‘opt in’ to alternative assurance arrangements which have zero scheduled audits. Projects will be subject to geospatial tool monitoring. 

No other changes to audit requirements have been made under the 2025 instrument. There will be no changes to audit requirements for existing and future projects not ‘opting in’ to be part of the new low risk class.

Published responses

We only publish submissions from respondents who gave permission. However, all responses were included in our analysis of this consultation. 

Read our response to the submissions for the draft Audit Thresholds Instrument 2025.

Contact 

StrategyCoordination@cer.gov.au

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