This method is closed – new projects can’t be registered.
The native forest from managed regrowth method expired on 31 March 2024.
Projects that started their crediting period before the method expired aren’t affected. They’ll continue for the duration of their crediting period.
You can refer to our guidance for ACCU Scheme participants impacted by the expiry or sunsetting of an ACCU Scheme method for more information.
Projects under this method can earn Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs) by regenerating native forest on land cleared for pastoral use.
This method is suitable if:
- land has been cleared for pastoral use and prior to that clearing the land had forest cover
- land has regrowth and potential to become forest cover
- you can prove you've made a decision to change how you manage land and won't clear the land again.
Legislation
Before you plan or register your project, make sure you read and understand the legislative requirements and the method.
Exclusions
Certain activities are excluded from this method:
- direct seeding or planting
- commercial harvesting, but up to 10% of fallen timber may be removed from the project area each year for personal use
- lime or fertiliser use.
Grazing is restricted to ensure it doesn't prevent the regrowth of native forest.
Projects with a negative impact on agricultural production or regional communities are ineligible under this method as determined by the Minister for Agriculture.
Relevant legislation
- Division 3.3 of the method
Method requirements
Project activities include:
- stopping vegetation clearing
- excluding livestock
- changing the timing and extent of grazing
- managing non-native plant species or feral animals on their land.
Projects under this method and their activities are subject to permanence obligations.
All regeneration must arise from existing natural seed beds, rootstocks or lignotubers in the project area.
You must provide a geospatial map of the project area that meets the requirements of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water's Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) Mapping Guidelines. The area is divided into a combination of 2 different zones:
- carbon estimation areas (CEA), which are the areas of your project where carbon's stored
- exclusion zones, such as a road, building or dam.
Relevant legislation
- Parts 2 and 3 of the method
You must notify the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry if your project:
- is registered under or expands an existing human-induced regeneration of a permanent even-aged native forest method
- has an area that’s more than 15 hectares and covers more than one third of the located farm.
25 years.
Relevant legislation
- Part 5 of the Act
You must calculate abatement using the department's online tool, Full Carbon Accounting Model (FullCAM).
Use our guide to the 2020 FullCAM – transition arrangements to find out more about FullCAM and which version of the tool you should use.
FullCAM provides a project baseline of abatement when estimating changes in carbon stock which represents what would happen if your project didn’t occur.
Once the total change in carbon stock is known, net abatement is calculated by subtracting any emissions from fires and fuel used to run the project.
Your project's baseline may be either zero or non-zero, depending on the carbon mass of trees in your CEAs.
The carbon mass is either material or not material, based on whether it’s more or less than a set level.
The set level is 5% of what the carbon mass of trees would be 100 years after the project began.
Zero baseline
A zero baseline only needs calculating once in a project. It applies if:
- comprehensive clearing has occurred
- carbon mass hasn’t been present for 10 years prior to your project.
Non-zero baseline
A non-zero-baseline is calculated as the long-term average of carbon stock for the project area. It must be recalculated for each reporting period.
It applies if the:
- vegetation is managed for pastoral use
- carbon mass has reached a material level in 10 years prior to your project.
Relevant legislation
- Part 4 of the method
You must monitor your project by using on-ground observation or remote-sensing imagery.
You must monitor:
- management and disturbance events
- compliance with the method and the department's CFI Mapping Guidelines
- requirements for any specific calibrations are met.
You must also meet general monitoring requirements of the Act.
Relevant legislation
- Part 17 of the Act
- Section 5.3 of the method
You must keep records relating to:
- the decision to run a project
- clearing and regrowth
- plant species being regenerated
- stratification into CEAs
- project baseline
- fires
- fuel use
- FullCAM modelling
- forest management
- the project area.
You must also keep records according to the general record-keeping requirements of the Act and the rule.
Relevant legislation
- Part 17 of the Act
- Part 17 of the rule
- Division 5.3 of the method
You must submit reports anywhere between 6 months to 5 years. Reports must be submitted within 6 months after the end of the reporting period.
A minimum of 5 reporting periods in a crediting period is required.
Your reports must include:
- net abatement amounts
- related baseline and carbon stock data
- data on emissions from biomass burning and fuel use
- project area, forest management and forest cover information
- FullCAM files and output data.
Projects under this method are regeneration projects. They're required to submit additional information demonstrating how the CEAs are progressing towards being able to achieve forest cover at certain gateways, being approx. year 5 and year 10.
Learn more about gateways and demonstrating progress towards and achieving forest cover in the guidelines on stratification evidence and records for HIR and NFMR.
You must also remember to meet the general reporting and notification requirements of the Act, the rule and the method.
Relevant legislation
- Part 6 of the Act
- Part 6 of the rule
- Section 9AA and section 70(3A) of the rule
- Division 5.4 of the method
We provide you with an audit schedule when your project's declared.
You must provide audit reports according to this schedule.
We schedule at least 3 audits and additional audits can be triggered.
For more information on audit requirements, you can refer to our audit information.
Relevant legislation
- Part 19 of the Act
- Part 6 of the rule
Documents and resources
- Guidance for ACCU Scheme participants impacted by the expiry or sunsetting of an ACCU Scheme method
- Guidelines on stratification evidence and records for HIR and NFMR
- Carbon Farming Initiative Mapping Guidelines
- Full Carbon Accounting Model (FullCAM)
- Guidance for using FullCAM in native forest from managed regrowth projects