The Nature Repair Market is an Australian Government scheme. If you take part in the scheme, you may be able to earn money by improving biodiversity on your land.
It’s voluntary. This means you can choose whether or not to take part.
How it works
The scheme supports projects that improve biodiversity, through activities like planting native trees or restoring habitats.
To register a project, you must apply to the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) and demonstrate that your project will:
- use an approved method
- comply with method requirements.
If you run a successful project, you can apply to CER to issue a biodiversity certificate.
To apply for a certificate, you must have a registered project. The regulator will assess if the intended biodiversity benefit has been achieved or is likely. One biodiversity certificate may be issued per project.
If a certificate is issued for your project, you can keep it or sell it to people or businesses who want to support nature repair.
Stacking projects
You may be able to run a Nature Repair Market project and a carbon project (under the Australian Carbon Credit Unit Scheme) on the same land. This is called ‘stacking’.
Each scheme has different rules, so you’ll need to meet both sets of requirements.
See more information on stacking nature and carbon projects from CER.
What to consider
Participating in the Nature Repair Market is an important business decision.
You can use the free PLANR (Platform for Land and Nature Repair) tool to help you see what’s possible and estimate costs.
CER also has points to consider before participating under the ‘Plan your project’ tab.
Like the ACCU scheme, the Nature Repair market has risks and costs associated, including:
- long term obligations that can limit what farmers and land managers can do with their land in the future
- project costs
- the risk of natural disturbances, such as fires, floods or invasive species, which can impact a project and cause a reversal of a biosecurity outcome.
Before you start, it’s a good idea to get independent advice to see if this scheme is right for you.
How to participate
Visit CER for steps to participate in the Nature Repair Market.
As the market grows, more methods will become available. This will provide more opportunities to participate.
Getting help
Some farmers and land managers may engage third-party service providers to help with design, implementation and navigating requirements for a Nature Repair Market project. If you engage a service provider, make sure their approach matches your goals.
Additional resources
Learn more about the laws related to the Nature Repair Market and some key resources.
Laws and regulations
The requirements of the Nature Repair Market are set by the Australian Government and administered by CER. The Scheme is governed by two key laws:
- Nature Repair Act 2023
- Nature Repair Rules 2024
- The relevant nature repair method
If a Nature Repair Project is going to be stacked with a carbon project (under the Australian Carbon Credit Unit Scheme) on the same land, the carbon project must comply with requirements outlined in:
- Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011
- Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Rule 2015
- The relevant carbon method.
See more
- CER: Full overview of the Nature Repair Market Scheme.
- CER: Specific information on what biodiversity certificates are and how to obtain them.
- DCCEEW: Current and future approved project methods.
- DCCEEW: Access the PLANR tool to help plan your project.
- NRM Regions Australia: Explore resources on environmental markets.
Contact
If you’re interested in running a Nature Repair Market project, contact CER.