NFF supports reforms that strengthen confidence in the ACCU Scheme and improve the integrity and transparency of carbon markets. Integrity reforms must be designed with the practical realities of agricultural participation in mind. Farmers and landholders already face complex Scheme rules, long project timeframes, substantial transaction costs, audit obligations, consent requirements (in some instances), permanence obligations, and broader market uncertainty.
In summary, our key recommendations are that the proposed expansion of Eligible Interest Holder (EIH) consent requirements for registered Native Title claimants be replaced with a Right to Negotiate style process similar to that applied under the Future Acts Regime, that the Carbon Abatement Integrity Committee (CAIC) be supported with a more independent Secretariat, that R&D newness provisions are properly scoped to support (and not stifle) agricultural innovation and industry leadership, and that the proposed amendments providing greater flexibility for Animal Effluent Management (AEM) and other emissions avoidance projects be strongly supported.
The NFF’s full submission can be found here.
Chrissy Kerin
Stacey Davidson