Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011

In force

Administered by

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Superseded version

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C2020C00281 C17

06 September 2020 - 13 September 2022

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 5—Emissions Reduction Fund 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
- Endnote 5—Editorial changes

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Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011

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