Enhancing native vegetation method

To be eligible, land must:

• be located within one or more eligible regions
• meet eligibility requirements under the method.

View the eligibility map.

You can use the Platform for Land and Nature Repair (PLANR) to help with initial eligibility checks and plan projects.

Under this method, there are 4 variable biodiversity project characteristics.

All projects under this method must assess ecosystem condition and commitment to protection. They may also assess the outcomes a project has for threatened species (including any threatened ecological communities) and culturally significant entities, where relevant.

Ecosystem condition

This measures the change in vegetation over the life of the project. This characteristic requires you to describe the condition of your project area through a desk-based assessment and field survey. You must select appropriate project activities to improve ecosystem condition based on recommendations from a suitably qualified person. The suitably qualified person needs to assess what targets are achievable for the project and which project activities can be used to meet those targets. This characteristic requires the use of indicators to measure the change in ecosystem condition.

Commitment to protection

This measures the level of protection of a project site for the duration of the project. By registering your project, you are committing to protecting or conserving biodiversity for the duration of the permanence period. You may also increase your commitment through another arrangement, including covenants. This characteristic requires the use of the ‘duration’ and ‘security’ indicators.

Threatened species

This measures how the project aims to improve conditions for threatened species and threatened ecological communities which occur or are likely to occur at the site. The threatened species characteristic requires you to identify any relevant threatened species and threats to those species. You’ll also need to outline what targeted activities will be undertaken, as identified by a suitably qualified person with expertise appropriate to the species. This characteristic requires the use of indicators to measure threatened flora and fauna species including additional threat management and habitat feature indicators where applicable, which need to be specified by a suitably qualified person for the particular species in your project.

Projects using this characteristic can also elect to have a ‘presence tick’ displayed on the Biodiversity Market Register. The presence tick is used to demonstrate that a threatened species is present in, or using, the project area. When the species is shown to be functionally present in a reporting period, a presence tick is applied on the register for the species.

You will need to use this project characteristic if you plan to register your biodiversity project as offset-capable.

Culturally significant entities

This measures improvements to things, matters, processes or places that are of Indigenous cultural significance. This optional characteristic requires working with relevant Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples to identify any appropriate entities and activities that will contribute to the protection or enhancement of the entity. This characteristic requires the use of indicators to measure improvements to culturally significant entities, as nominated in the project plan. 

For more information on these characteristics, refer to the method.

The following activities can help achieve and maintain your biodiversity outcome and minimise threats. 

Each activity area must include at least one principal activity. Principal activities are:

• enhanced grazing control
• enhanced weed control
• enhanced pest control
• infill planting
• revegetation through environmental planting
• revegetation through facilitated regeneration. 

Projects may also include complementary activities such as:

• habitat enhancement
• grazing (for example, to reduce biomass) 
• threat management activities
• fire management
• ecological thinning. 

The method only allows proponents to select activities recommended by the suitably qualified person in the restoration assessment.
Some complementary activities have limitations to reduce the risk to biodiversity in the project area. The method has limitations on:

• use of fire
• ecological thinning
• livestock grazing.

For more information on activities, refer to the method.

Throughout the permanence period you must ensure certain activities are not carried out in the project area – except where they are necessary for undertaking project activities permitted under the method.

This includes activities that involve:

• destroying or removing native plant biomass, including woody debris and standing dead trees
• removing rocks or soil
• removing fruits, nuts or seeds beyond limits allowed under the method
• disposing, dumping or burning rubbish
• disturbing ground or rock, including through ploughing or ripping
• applying fertiliser, except in limited circumstances permitted under the method.

Some activities are permitted under the method, including:

• moving rocks or woody debris as part of habitat enhancement activities
• limited ecological thinning
• limited collection of fruits, nuts or seeds
• activities undertaken in accordance with traditional Indigenous practices or native title rights.

For the full list of prohibited and permitted activities, refer to the method.

This method is intended to support both voluntary projects and offset-capable projects. If you intend for your project to be offset-capable, you must adopt the threatened species characteristic and meet the relevant requirements for this characteristic. Projects seeking to be offset-capable must meet relevant requirements under the method and Nature Repair Rules.

Being registered as 'offset-capable' means that your biodiversity certificate can be considered for use against an offset liability under the Environmental Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) or other relevant State and Territory offset schemes. The relevant offset decision maker determines whether an offset-capable project is suitable for use as an offset.

For information on whether the project can be used as an offset under the EPBC Act, see the Environmental Offsets Standard. You can learn more about offset-capable projects by contacting naturerepairmarket@dcceew.gov.au.

Indigenous engagement supports meaningful Indigenous participation and strengthens outcomes for Country and community. Genuine engagement recognises the knowledge and expertise of Indigenous people and enables a 2-way exchange, where proponents and Indigenous representatives share knowledge, perspectives and expertise and learn from each other.

In some circumstances under this method, you may be required to engage with Indigenous representatives as part of your project application. This engagement can enable culturally informed project design and minimise cultural harm.

Any engagement must meet the requirements in the method to ensure it’s appropriate, recorded in project documentation and reflects the preferences of the Indigenous representatives. 

Review the Indigenous engagement sections of the method for more information.

Once you register your project, you will need to apply for a variation if you want to make changes or update its details.

You must also let us know if certain project conditions change, including when:

• an event or conduct causes, or is likely to cause, a reversal of the biodiversity outcome
• you make changes to your project plan
• an Aboriginal person or Torres Strait Islander withdraws or changes consent to the use of Indigenous Knowledge or values in the design or implementation of the project
• a disturbance event affects the project area
• an activity is carried out in the project area that is prohibited under the method.

Engage a suitably qualified person

You will need to engage one or more suitably qualified persons to help design and conduct parts of your project. 

The suitably qualified person must:

• have qualifications in ecology, botany, ecological restoration, Indigenous land and sea management, or another discipline relevant to the project
• have at least 5 years of relevant professional experience after obtaining their qualification
• have worked in their profession within the previous 5 years.

Different suitably qualified persons may contribute to different aspects of a project, provided each has qualifications and experience relevant to the work they are undertaking.

Some project requirements must be undertaken by the suitably qualified person, or certified by them: 

• The field survey and the ecosystem assessment process of the starting state assessment must be completed by a suitably qualified person. 
• For projects adopting the threatened species characteristic, there are additional requirements to be completed by a suitably qualified person with appropriate expertise for the species.
• The remainder of the starting state assessment, and the preparation of the site assessment report and project plan, must be either undertaken by:
  • a suitably qualified person 
  • the project proponent and then certified by a suitably qualified person. 

This ensures that assessments of ecosystem condition, field survey data, and site level ecological judgements are informed by appropriate scientific expertise and uphold the ecological integrity of the project.

Starting state assessment

Before registering a project, you must complete a starting state assessment of the project area.

The starting state assessment provides the baseline information used to design your project and track progress. It includes:

• assessing the condition of native vegetation within the project area
• identifying and describing reference ecosystems
• determining ecosystem condition states and ecosystem scores 
• assessing land eligibility
• assessing the level of commitment to protection
• undertaking a threatened species survey, which involves conducting surveys that are likely to identify any threatened species present in the area
• undertaking Indigenous engagement, where appropriate.

The results of the assessment are documented in a site assessment report that must be submitted with your project registration application. Contact us for a draft site assessment report template to assist you with your project.

The starting state assessment must be informed by field surveys. We recommend you use the department’s site assessment and monitoring template for this purpose. Documents you submit must comply with the Nature Repair Market Data Submission Guidelines.

You must use NBAS, accessed through PLANR, to calculate your ecosystem scores. Find more information in the Enhancing native vegetation NBAS settings document.

Project plan

When applying to register a project, you must submit a project plan. The project plan explains how the project will achieve and maintain its biodiversity outcome. It must:

• be prepared or certified by a suitably qualified person
• describe the project activities that will be undertaken in each activity area
• include a timetable for project delivery
• include details on the restoration assessment
• identify restoration targets and the proposed project outcome
• include information on Indigenous engagement and culturally significant entities, where applicable
• be maintained and kept up to date throughout the permanence period.  

We can only approve your registration if we are satisfied the project is likely to achieve its proposed biodiversity outcome.

We recommend you use our project plan template to develop your project plan. Contact us for a draft to help you with your project.

The project area is the land where the biodiversity project will be carried out.

When you apply for project registration through Online Services, you will be required to:

• supply the location details of the project
• declare your project area boundaries by providing geospatial files with your application
• provide geospatial data and mapping required by the method including for activity areas, sub areas, sampling plots and relevant threatened species 
• demonstrate that you have the right to carry out your project and identify if there are any eligible interest holders.

Your geospatial data and mapping need to comply with the Nature Repair Mapping Guidelines.

You can use PLANR to map your project area boundary and export a shapefile to upload with your biodiversity project registration application.

Monitoring requirements under this method track the progress of improvements in biodiversity throughout the project’s permanence period.

You must submit biodiversity project reports for reporting periods ranging from 6 months to 5 years, depending on the type of biodiversity project report being submitted. Find out more about project reporting. 

Monitoring must be carried out each reporting period by a suitably qualified person. Biodiversity reports must comply with the data submission guidelines. 

We recommend you use the department’s site assessment and monitoring template to capture your monitoring data.

To receive a biodiversity certificate, you must meet the requirements of the method and Act. This includes submitting the required reports and demonstrating that the applicable requirements for biodiversity outcomes and relevant characteristic thresholds have been met.

When applying for a biodiversity certificate, you must engage a registered greenhouse and energy auditor to audit the related biodiversity report. Learn more about audits in our schemes.

You must meet record-keeping requirements throughout the life of your project. Effective record keeping will help with project reporting and demonstrate ongoing compliance with the scheme requirements. 

This includes maintaining accurate and complete records of all project activities, data from monitoring, and management actions throughout the permanence period. Examples of these records include: 

• evidence of the project meeting registration requirements under the method
• evidence that project activities have been done according to the project plan
• monitoring data from permanent sampling plots and field surveys, including photos
• evidence of consents and Indigenous engagement activities.

This method allows proponents to design projects that deliver biodiversity and carbon benefits. The ability to stack projects depends on the specific methods chosen, project designs, activities proposed, and site circumstances. Project proponents should consider the requirements, eligible activities, and interactions between methods when assessing potential stacking opportunities. 

If you're interested in running stacked projects, it’s best to reach out to us early at naturerepairmarket@cer.gov.au.

The Nature Repair Market scheme is designed to enable participation with other schemes. You must ensure you meet the requirements of each individual scheme.