The Plantation Forestry Methodology Determination, also known as the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) Plantation Forestry Method, provides a mechanism to increase carbon sequestration through either the establishment of a new plantation forest, conversion of a short-rotation plantation to a long-rotation plantation, or maintenance of a pre-existing plantation forest that meets the eligibility requirements of the method but was established under another determination.
Proponents who are considering undertaking a new plantation forest or an expansion of an existing plantation forest/s may consider seeking approval from the Clean Energy Regulator to declare the proposed project/s as an eligible offsets project and generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).
New plantations are commonly established on land previously used for agriculture. To complement the eligibility requirements of the ERF Plantation Forestry Method, the Australian Government Minister responsible for Agriculture assesses whether a proposed project/s may lead to an undesirable impact on agricultural production in that region. The requirement applies only to projects involving establishment of a new plantation forest (that is, a project that converts non-forest land to forest). The project could be a new project or the addition of land to an existing project as outlined in the explanatory statement.
To assess the potential for a proposed project to have undesirable impacts on agricultural production, anyone considering undertaking an ERF Plantation Forestry Project that converts non-forest land to forest is required to submit an ERF Plantation Notification to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. Please see the questions below to initially determine if your ERF project requires a Plantation Notification. Following this initial assessment, please read the guidelines which provide information on the requirements to complete a notification and the associated assessment process. These guidelines should be read in conjunction with the relevant legislation.
Where the Agriculture Minister determines that the project would have an undesirable impact on agricultural production in the region, the project is deemed ineligible.
A notification can be submitted on the same day or up to 18 months prior to submitting a project application to the Clean Energy Regulator.
Does your Emissions Reduction Fund project require a Plantation Notification?
The following questions will indicate whether your proposed Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) project requires you to submit a Plantation Notification to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, for consideration by the Agriculture Minister:
- Will the project be conducted under the ERF using the New Farm Forestry Plantation methodology?
If YES, continue to question 3.
If NO, continue to question 2
- Will the project be conducted under the ERF using the Plantation Forestry methodology?
If YES, continue to question 4.
If NO, you do not need to submit a Plantation Notification to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
New Farm Forestry Plantation methodology
- Will your project establish a new farm forestry plantation on land previously used for agriculture?
If YES, a Plantation Notification must be submitted to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment before applying for ERF project registration.
If NO, you do not need to submit a Plantation Notification to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
Plantation Forestry methodology
- Will your project establish a new plantation forest? OR Will your project involve the expansion of area of an existing ERF project with a new plantation forest?
If YES, a Plantation Notification must be submitted to the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment before applying for ERF project registration.
If NO, you do not need to submit a Plantation Notification to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
ERF plantation forestry notification guidelines
Download
| Document | File size |
|---|---|
| ERF plantation forestry notification guidelines PDF | 1.6 MB |
| ERF plantation forestry notification guidelines DOCX | 2 MB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.
Emissions Reduction Fund Regeneration Notifications
Emissions Reduction Fund Human-Induced Regeneration of a Permanent Even-Aged Native Forest (HIR) and the Native Forest from Managed Regrowth (NFMR regeneration methods provide a mechanism to increase carbon sequestration through eligible activities.
Eligible HIR activities include:
- Excluding livestock and taking reasonable steps to keep livestock excluded.
- Managing the timing and extent of grazing.
- Managing feral animals in a humane manner.
- Managing plants that are not native to the project area.
- Implementing a decision to stop mechanical or chemical destruction, or suppression, of native regrowth.
Eligible NFMR activities include:
- Allowing native vegetation to grow and become forest by stopping activities that suppress or destroy regeneration of native vegetation.
- New management practices that allow native trees to regenerate and become forest.
If you are undertaking a new HIR or NFMR project or an expansion of an existing project, seek approval from the Clean Energy Regulator to declare it as an eligible offsets project and generate ACCUs.
To complement the eligibility requirements of the methods, the Australian Government Minister for Agriculture has a role to assess proposed projects. They consider whether projects would lead to an adverse impact on agricultural production or local communities in that region.
For an assessment to be made, you must submit an ERF Regeneration Notification if your proposed project meets the definition of a notifiable regeneration project. A notifiable regeneration project is a project with a proposed project area greater than 15 hectares and covering more than one third of the farm, including the area of any pre-existing projects on the relevant farm.
Where the Agriculture Minister determines that the project would have an adverse impact on agricultural production and the local community in the region, the project is deemed ineligible.
A notification can be submitted on the same day or up to 18 months prior to submitting a project application to the Clean Energy Regulator.
Does your Emissions Reduction Fund project require a Regeneration Notification?
The following questions will indicate whether your proposed Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) project requires you to submit a Regeneration Notification to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, for consideration by the Agriculture Minister:
- Will the project be conducted under the ERF using the Human-Induced Regeneration of a Permanent Even-Aged Native Forest or the Native Forest from Managed Regrowth methodology?
If YES, continue to question 2.
If NO, you do not need to submit a Regeneration Notification to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
- Will the project establish a new regeneration project or involve the expansion of an area of an existing regeneration project?
If YES, continue to question 3.
If NO, you do not need to submit a Regeneration Notification to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
- Will the project be larger than 15 hectares and cover more than a third of the farm, including the area of any pre-existing projects on the farm?
If YES, a Regeneration Notification must be submitted to the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment before applying for ERF project registration.
If NO, you do not need to submit a Regeneration Notification to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
ERF regeneration notification guidelines
Download
| Document | File size |
|---|---|
| ERF notification guidelines PDF | 1.6 MB |
| ERF notification guidelines DOCX | 1.7 MB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.
Contact us
Email: ERF notification
Please be advised: You should receive an email response within 1-3 business days of submitting a notification to the ERF Notification mailbox, confirming if your notification is complete, and therefore able to proceed to the next stage of assessment. If you do not receive a response please contact the Department.