Australian Government

Federal Register of Legislation

Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011

In force

Administered by

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Latest version

C2024C00490 (C24)

14 October 2024

Table of contents

Part 1—Preliminary
- 1 Short title
- 2 Commencement
- 3 Objects
- 4 Simplified outline
- 5 Definitions
- 6 Vacancy in the office of an Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee member
- 7 Electronic notice transmitted to the Regulator
- 7A Extended accounting period
- 8 Crown to be bound
- 9 Extension to external Territories
- 9A Extension to exclusive economic zone and continental shelf
- 9B Application to foreign ships
Part 2—Issue of Australian carbon credit units in respect of offsets projects
- Division 1—Introduction
  - 10 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Issue of Australian carbon credit units in respect of offsets projects
- 11 Issue of Australian carbon credit units in respect of offsets projects
- Division 3—Certificate of entitlement
- 12 Application for certificate of entitlement
- 13 Form of application
- 14 Further information
- 15 Issue of certificate of entitlement
- 15A No double counting test
- 16 Unit entitlement—sequestration offsets projects
- 18 Unit entitlement—emissions avoidance offsets project
- 20 Certificate of entitlement not transferable
Part 2A—Purchase of eligible carbon credit units by the Commonwealth
- Division 1—Introduction
  - 20A Simplified outline of this Part
- Division 2—Carbon abatement contracts
- Division 3—Carbon abatement purchasing processes
  - 20F Carbon abatement purchasing process
  - 20G Conduct of carbon abatement purchasing processes
- Division 4—Miscellaneous
Part 3—Eligible offsets projects
- Division 1—Introduction
  - 21 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Declaration of eligible offsets project
  - 22 Application for declaration of eligible offsets project
  - 23 Form of application
  - 24 Further information
  - 25 Withdrawal of application
  - 26 Application may be split
  - 27 Declaration of eligible offsets project
  - 27A Suspension of processing of applications for declarations of eligible offsets projects
  - 28 Declaration may be subject to condition about obtaining regulatory approvals
  - 28A Declaration may be subject to condition about obtaining consents from eligible interest holders
- Division 3—Variation of declaration of eligible offsets project
  - 29 Voluntary variation of declaration of eligible offsets project in relation to the project area or project areas
  - 30 Voluntary variation of declaration of eligible offsets project in relation to the project proponent
  - 31 Voluntary variation of conditional declaration of eligible offsets project—condition of declaration has been met
  - 31A No variation of declaration of eligible offsets project as a 100 year or 25 year permanence period project
- Division 4—Revocation of declaration of eligible offsets project
  - Subdivision A—Voluntary revocation of declaration of eligible offsets project
    - 32 Voluntary revocation of declaration of eligible offsets project—units issued
    - 33 Voluntary revocation of declaration of eligible offsets project—no units issued
  - Subdivision B—Unilateral revocation of declaration of eligible offsets project
  - 34 Unilateral revocation of declaration of eligible offsets project—condition of declaration has not been met
  - 35 Unilateral revocation of declaration of eligible offsets project—eligibility requirements not met etc.
  - 36 Unilateral revocation of declaration of eligible offsets project—project proponent ceases to pass the fit and proper person test
  - 37 Unilateral revocation of declaration of eligible offsets project—person responsible for carrying out project ceases to be the project proponent
  - 38 Unilateral revocation of declaration of eligible offsets project—false or misleading information
- Division 5—Entries in title registers
- 39 Entries in title registers—general
- 40 Entries in title registers—land subject to carbon maintenance obligation
- Division 7—Net total number of Australian carbon credit units issued in relation to an eligible offsets project
- 42 Net total number of Australian carbon credit units issued in relation to an eligible offsets project
- Division 8—Eligible interest in an area of land
- 43 Eligible interest in an area of land—applicable carbon sequestration right
- 44 Eligible interest in an area of land—Torrens system land
- 45 Eligible interest in an area of land—Crown land that is not Torrens system land
- 45A Eligible interest in an area of land—native title land
- Division 10—Native title land
- 46 Registered native title bodies corporate—deemed project proponent
- 47 Regulator to notify Crown lands Minister of declaration of eligible offsets project
- 48 Designation of special native title account
- 49 Issue of Australian carbon credit units to special native title account
- 50 Units held in special native title account
- 51 Regulations or legislative rules about consulting common law holders etc.
- Division 11—Freehold land rights land
- 52 Regulator to notify Crown lands Minister of declaration of eligible offsets project
- Division 12—Types of projects
- 53 Emissions avoidance offsets projects
- 53A Area based emissions avoidance projects
- 54 Sequestration offsets projects
- 56 Excluded offsets projects
- Division 13—Restructure of eligible offsets projects
- 57 Restructure of eligible offsets projects
Part 4—Fit and proper person test
- 59 Simplified outline of this Part
- 60 Fit and proper person test
Part 5—Crediting period
- 68 Simplified outline of this Part
- 69 Crediting period—basic rule
- 70 Crediting period—general transitional rule
- 71 Crediting period—transitional rule for avoided deforestation projects
Part 6—Reporting and notification requirements
- Division 1—Introduction
  - 75 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Reporting requirements
- Division 3—Notification requirements
Part 7—Requirements to relinquish Australian carbon credit units
- Division 1—Introduction
- Division 2—General relinquishment requirements
  - 88 Requirement to relinquish—false or misleading information
- Division 3—Relinquishment requirements for sequestration offsets projects
Part 8—Carbon maintenance obligation
- Division 1—Introduction
  - 96 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Carbon maintenance obligation
- Division 3—Injunctions
Part 9—Methodology determinations
- Division 1—Introduction
  - 105 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Methodology determinations
- Division 3—Offsets integrity standards
  - 133 Offsets integrity standards
Part 10—Multiple project proponents
- Division 1—Introduction
  - 134 Simplified outline
- Division 2—References to project proponents
  - 135 References to project proponents
- Division 3—Nominee of multiple project proponents
- Division 4—Obligations of multiple project proponents
  - 145 Obligations of multiple project proponents
Part 11—Australian carbon credit units
- Division 1—Introduction
  - 146 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Issue of Australian carbon credit units
- Division 3—Property in, and transfer of, Australian carbon credit units
Part 12—Publication of information
- Division 1—Introduction
  - 159 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Information about units
- Division 3—Information about units purchased by the Commonwealth
  - 163 Information about carbon abatement purchasing processes
  - 163A Annual reports about purchases of eligible carbon credit units
- Division 4—Information about relinquishment requirements
- Division 4A—Information about Australia’s international obligations
  - 166A Information about Australia’s international obligations
- Division 5—Emissions Reduction Fund Register
  - 167 Emissions Reduction Fund Register
  - 168 Entries in the Register
Part 13—Fraudulent conduct
- 170 Simplified outline
- 171 Units issued as a result of fraudulent conduct—court may order relinquishment
Part 15—Relinquishment of Australian carbon credit units
- Division 1—Introduction
  - 174 Simplified outline
- Division 2—How Australian carbon credit units are relinquished
  - 175 How Australian carbon credit units are relinquished
  - 176 Deemed relinquishment
- Division 3—Compliance with relinquishment requirements
Part 16—Information gathering powers
- 184 Simplified outline
- 185 Regulator may obtain information or documents
- 186 Copying documents—compensation
- 187 Copies of documents
- 188 Regulator may retain documents
- 189 Self incrimination
Part 17—Record keeping and project monitoring requirements
- Division 1—Introduction
  - 190 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Record keeping requirements
- Division 3—Project monitoring requirements
  - 194 Project monitoring requirements—methodology determinations
Part 18—Monitoring powers
- Division 1—Simplified outline
  - 195 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Appointment of inspectors and issue of identity cards
  - 196 Appointment of inspectors
  - 197 Identity cards
- Division 3—Powers of inspectors
  - Subdivision A—Monitoring powers
  - Subdivision B—Powers of inspectors to ask questions and seek production of documents
    - 201 Inspector may ask questions and seek production of documents
    - 202 Self incrimination
- Division 4—Obligations and incidental powers of inspectors
- Division 5—Occupier’s rights and responsibilities
  - 209 Occupier entitled to observe execution of warrant
  - 210 Occupier to provide inspector with facilities and assistance
- Division 6—Monitoring warrants
  - 211 Monitoring warrants
- Division 7—Powers of magistrates
  - 212 Powers of magistrates
Part 19—Audits
- Division 1—Introduction
  - 213 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Audits
  - 214 Compliance audits
  - 215 Other audits
Part 20—Liability of executive officers of bodies corporate
- 216 Simplified outline
- 217 Civil penalties for executive officers of bodies corporate
- 218 Reasonable steps to prevent contravention
Part 21—Civil penalty orders
- 219 Simplified outline
- 220 References to Court
- 221 Civil penalty orders
- 222 Who may apply for a civil penalty order
- 223 Two or more proceedings may be heard together
- 224 Time limit for application for an order
- 225 Civil evidence and procedure rules for civil penalty orders
- 226 Civil proceedings after criminal proceedings
- 227 Criminal proceedings during civil proceedings
- 228 Criminal proceedings after civil proceedings
- 229 Evidence given in proceedings for a civil penalty order not admissible in criminal proceedings
- 230 Mistake of fact
- 231 State of mind
- 232 Continuing contraventions
Part 22—Offences relating to administrative penalties
- 233 Simplified outline
- 234 Scheme to avoid existing liability to pay administrative penalty
- 235 Scheme to avoid future liability to pay administrative penalty
Part 23—Enforceable undertakings
- 236 Simplified outline
- 237 Acceptance of undertakings
- 238 Enforcement of undertakings
Part 24—Review of decisions
- Division 1—Introduction
  - 239 Simplified outline
- Division 2—Decisions of the Regulator
Part 26—Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee
- Division 1—Establishment and functions of the Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee
- Division 2—Membership of the Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee
Part 27—Secrecy
- 270 Secrecy
- 271 Disclosure or use for the purposes of this Act or a legislative instrument under this Act
- 272 Disclosure to the Minister
- 273 Disclosure to the Secretary etc.
- 275 Disclosure to a Royal Commission
- 276 Disclosure to certain persons and bodies
- 277 Disclosure to certain financial bodies
- 278 Disclosure with consent
- 279 Disclosure to reduce threat to life or health
- 280 Disclosure of publicly available information
- 281 Disclosure of summaries or statistics
- 282 Disclosure for purposes of law enforcement—protected audit information
- 283 Disclosure for purposes of law enforcement—protected ERAC information
- 284 Disclosure for purposes of review of Act
Part 28—Miscellaneous
- 286 Miscellaneous functions of the Regulator
- 287 Computerised decision making
- 288 Regulator’s power to require further information
- 289 Information previously given to the Regulator
- 290 Actions may be taken by an agent of a project proponent
- 291 Delegation by the Minister
- 292 Delegation by a State Minister or a Territory Minister
- 293 Delegation by the Secretary
- 294 Concurrent operation of State and Territory laws
- 295 Law relating to legal professional privilege not affected
- 296 Arrangements with States and Territories
- 297 Liability for damages
- 298 Executive power of the Commonwealth
- 299 Notional payments by the Commonwealth
- 300 Compensation for acquisition of property
- 301 Native title rights not affected
- 302 Racial Discrimination Act not affected
- 303 Alternative constitutional basis
- 304 Prescribing matters by reference to other instruments
- 305 Administrative decisions under the regulations
- 305A Administrative decisions under the legislative rules
- 306 Periodic reviews of operation of this Act etc.
- 307 Regulations
- 308 Legislative rules
Endnotes
- Endnote 1—About the endnotes
- Endnote 2—Abbreviation key
- Endnote 3—Legislation history
- Endnote 4—Amendment history