Human-induced regeneration of a permanent even-aged native forest (closed)

This method is a variation of the original version first released in 2013

Key changes from the original version are:

• changing from Reforestation Modelling Tool (RMT) to Full Carbon Accounting Model (FullCAM)
• it carries forward negative abatement from one reporting period to the next
• it clarifies arrangements for adding new project areas, transferring a project from another method and transferring project areas from another method
• it allows projects to be conducted on conservation land

Projects that have started their crediting period can continue to use the version of the method they're originally registered to.

The method the project is registered under continues to apply until the end of the crediting period.

As this method is now closed, you cannot add or change areas to your project.

Project activities are only eligible when implemented on land where native forest's been suppressed for at least 10 years before project start date.

Activities can be:

• excluding livestock and taking reasonable steps to keep livestock excluded
• managing the timing and extent of grazing
• managing feral animals in a humane manner
• managing plants that are not native to the project area
• stopping the mechanical or chemical destruction, or suppression, of native forest regeneration.

A CEA is part of the project area where eligible activities are implemented to regenerate native forest. The amount of modelled regeneration within CEAs is used to calculate abatement.

Livestock grazing can be permitted only to the extent where it doesn’t impact the regenerated vegetation. This requires:

• managing the timing and extent of grazing in a CEA
• ensuring forest cover is achieved.

A project activity conducted on conservation land is limited to:

• managing feral animals in a humane manner
• removing plants non-native to the project area.

Activities on conservation land must demonstrate being beyond what is usually required in managing conservation land.

Activities undertaken must also connect back to the demonstrated suppressor and be linked to removing that suppression. This is called a casual relationship. You must be able to demonstrate this casual relationship when reporting.

Relevant legislation

• Section 7 of the method
• Section 12 of the method
• Sections 14 to 23 of the method

25 years

Relevant legislation

• Part 5 of the Act

Net abatement for each reporting period is calculated by the change in amount of carbon stored in all CEAs. This is minus emissions from fire and fuel used while implementing eligible activities. Net abatement is adjusted if there’s any negative carry over from previous reporting periods.

If your project was registered under the original variation of this method, you must use the Reforestation Modelling Tool (RMT) to calculate abatement.

For projects under the later variation, you must use FullCAM to calculate the amount of carbon stored and the emissions from biomass burning in all CEAs in the project area.

There are variations of FullCAM that you can use. They depend on when your project started.

You can refer to our guide to the 2020 FullCAM – transition arrangements to find which version of FullCAM to use.

Relevant legislation

• Sections 25 to 37 of the method

You must monitor CEAs for:

• compliance with project operation requirements, including monitoring:
  • removal of biomass
  • restriction on mechanical or chemical destruction of native vegetation
  • restriction on livestock and restriction on use of lime and fertiliser
• management activities and disturbance events such as fire.

You must also meet general monitoring requirements of the Act.

Relevant legislation:

• Part 17 of the Act
• Part 17 of the rule
• Sections 42 to 43 of the method

You must keep records relating to:

• project baseline suppression activities
• plant species being regenerated
• stratification into CEAs
• the modelling commencement date
• project activities
• fires
• fuel use
• FullCAM modelling.

You must keep records according to the general record-keeping requirements of the Act and rule.

Relevant legislation

• Part 17 of the Act
• Part 17 of the rule
• Sections 40– to 41 of the method​
• Section 44 of the method

There will be a minimum of 5 reporting periods for a project in a 25-year crediting period. You must submit an offsets report within 6 months after the end of each reporting period. 

Your reports must include:

• net abatement amounts
• CEAs and modelling points on a geospatial map
• data on emissions from biomass burning and fuel use
• FullCAM files and output data
• project activities and how they're undertaken
• evidence to demonstrate compliance with the relevant gateway requirements, when applicable.

You can use our recommendation 8 guidance to ensure your reports demonstrate a causal relationship between HIR activities and the suppressors. 

Remember to also 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
• Sections 9AA and 70(3A) of the rule
• Section 15 of the method
• Sections 38 to 39​​ of the method

You must submit additional information to demonstrate the CEA's progress towards achieving forest cover. These are known as gateway checks. 

You must undertake gateway checks at regular intervals after your regeneration project starts, including:

• regeneration checks approximately every 5 years until all CEAs pass their forest cover attainment check
• a forest cover attainment check approximately 15 years after the project declaration or modelling start date. 

Gateway checks are an important milestone that provide us with assurance, and to yourself as the project proponent, that CEAs are meeting the eligibility requirements to be issued ACCUs. 

When your HIR project has a gateway check due, your next offsets report must include evidence to demonstrate compliance with the gateway requirements. Our team can only issue ACCUs after we have assessed the gateway evidence and are satisfied that your project is compliant with legislative requirements.

If your gateway evidence doesn't demonstrate enough legislative compliance, we will request more information. We will only issue ACCUs after we're certain the project is compliant.

The minimum turnaround on gateway checks assessment is 90 days. This turnaround may be longer if not enough evidence was provided with the application, and we need to ask for more information.

Learn more about gateway checks, including how to demonstrate progress towards and achieve forest cover in the guidelines on stratification evidence and records for HIR and NFMR.

Associate Professor (Honorary) Cris Brack from the Australian National University conducts regular independent reviews of HIR gateway checks.

These reviews provide additional assurance on the integrity and performance of the HIR project portfolio.

The outcomes also inform our compliance responses for specific projects and help us improve scheme administration processes.

These reviews consider:

• information and evidence provided in the projects’ offsets reports
• geospatial data
• our assessment of gateway checks
• reasonable assurance audit reports provided by independent auditors.

The first report was published in December 2023. We publish review reports approximately every 6 months.

Review reports

• Independent review of gateway checks, August 2024
• Independent review of gateway checks, December 2023 (PDF 948KB)

We provide an audit schedule when every ACCU project is declared. You must provide audit reports according to this schedule.

We schedule at least 3 audits. Extra audits can be triggered. For more information on audit requirements, refer to our audit information.

In addition to standard audits, HIR projects are subject to section 215 (s215) gateway audits from an independent auditor. Learn more about HIR gateway audit requirements.

An s215 gateway audit needs to occur with each offsets report that includes a gateway check. You'll receive a written notice if you’re subject to an s215 gateway audit.

The notice includes:

• who the appointed auditor is
• the period the audit covers
• the scope and matters to be covered by the audit
• when the audit will occur.

We will cover the cost of the audit.

If enough evidence is provided in support of your gateway check, we may be able to issue ACCUs before the outcomes of the audit are known. Any findings from the audit can be addressed in the next offsets report for the project. Read more about s215 gateway audits

For more information on audit requirements, you can refer to our audit information.

Relevant legislation

• Part 19 of the Act
• Part 6 Division 3 of the rule