Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Rule 2015
Summary
The Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Rule 2015 is the principal subordinate legislation governing Australia's Carbon Farming Initiative, administered by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011. The instrument is in force as version F2026C00356. It establishes requirements for issuing Australian carbon credit units, eligible offsets project declarations, Commonwealth carbon abatement contracts, permanence period discount numbers, and regulatory audit requirements.
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What changed
The Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Rule 2015 establishes the regulatory framework for Australia's Carbon Farming Initiative, authorising the issuance of Australian carbon credit units in respect of offsets projects and Commonwealth purchase of eligible carbon credit units under the Emissions Reduction Fund. The instrument specifies eligibility requirements for certificate of entitlement applications, audit requirements, permanence period discount numbers for plantation forestry and savanna sequestration projects, and the conduct of carbon abatement purchasing processes.
Project developers, landowners, and entities seeking to declare eligible offsets projects must comply with the application requirements including identity evidence, information and document requirements, and special provisions for Aboriginal persons and Torres Strait Islanders. The Commonwealth may enter into carbon abatement contracts for the purchase of eligible carbon units subject to specified duration limits and prohibited project categories.
Archived snapshot
Apr 24, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
- Interactions
Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Rule 2015
In force Administered by
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
This item is authorised by the following title:
- Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011 Latest version View as made version F2026C00356 C27 11 April 2026
View document Legislative instrument Filter active Table of contents
- Part 1—Preliminary
- 1 Name
- 3 Authority
- 4 Definitions
- 4A Crown lands Minister
- 4B Specified statutory authorities
- 5 Service of documents
- 5A Electronic notices transmitted to Regulator
- 6 Extended accounting period
- Part 2—Issue of Australian carbon credit units in respect of offsets projects
- 7 Form of application for certificate of entitlement—information to accompany application
- 8 Form of application for certificate of entitlement—audit requirements
- 9 Issue of certificate of entitlement—eligibility requirements
- 9AA Issue of certificate of entitlement—eligibility requirements for regeneration projects
- 9A Permanence period discount number—certain plantation forestry projects
- 9B Permanence period discount number and risk of reversal buffer number—savanna sequestration projects and tidal restoration projects
- Part 2A—Purchase of eligible carbon credit units by the Commonwealth
- 10 Duration of carbon abatement contracts
- 10A Eligible offsets projects in relation to which Regulator must not enter into carbon abatement contracts for purchase of eligible carbon units
- 11 Conduct of carbon abatement purchasing process
- 11A Australian carbon credit units purchased by the Commonwealth under carbon abatement contracts
- 11AB Regulator may sell Australian carbon credit units in Commonwealth Emissions Reduction Fund Delivery Account
- 11AC Indexation of price of Australian carbon credit units for sale by Regulator
- 11B Approving forms for the conduct of carbon abatement purchasing process
- Part 3—Eligible offsets projects
- Division 1—Application for declaration of eligible offsets project
- Subdivision A—Preliminary
- 12 Operation of this Division
- Subdivision B—General information and document requirements
- 13 Information and documents to accompany application
- Subdivision C—Information and documents required to establish applicant’s identity
- 15 Information to accompany application
- 16 Identity evidence to accompany application
- 17 Form etc. of documents
- 18 Aboriginal persons or Torres Strait Islanders
- Division 2—Declaration of eligible offsets project
- Subdivision A—Content of declaration
- 19 Identification of project area
- Subdivision B—Criteria for declaration
- 20 Eligibility requirements—designated large facilities
- 20AA Excluded offsets projects—general
- 20A Eligibility requirement—project area not to be used to offset or compensate for adverse impact on vegetation
- 20B Excluded offsets project—certain new plantation forests
- 20C Excluded offsets project—notifiable regeneration projects
- 21 Additionality requirements—requirements in lieu of government program requirement
- Division 2A—Variation of declaration of eligible offsets project
- Subdivision A—Operation of this Division
- 22 Operation of this Division
- Subdivision B—Voluntary variation of declaration of eligible offsets project
- 23 Project area (or project areas)
- 23A Project area or areas—savanna fire management projects
- 24 Project proponent
- 25 Removal of condition
- 26 Regulator may request further information
- 27 Applicant may withdraw application
- Division 2B—Revocation of declaration of eligible offsets project
- Subdivision A—Operation of this Division
- 28 Operation of this Division
- Subdivision B—Voluntary revocation of declaration of eligible offsets project
- 29 Voluntary revocation of declaration of eligible offsets project—units issued
- 30 Voluntary revocation of declaration of eligible offsets project—no units issued
- 30A Linked applications for revocation in relation to savanna emissions avoidance project and declaration of new savanna sequestration project
- 30B Linked applications for removal of project area from a savanna emissions avoidance project and declaration of new savanna sequestration project
- 30C When units are taken to be issued in relation to a project
- 31 Regulator may request further information
- Subdivision C—Unilateral revocation of declaration of eligible offsets project
- 32 Unilateral revocation of declaration of eligible offsets project
- 33 Consultation
- Division 2C—Eligible interest in an area of land
- 34 Land transferable to an Aboriginal land council
- Division 3—Types of projects
- 50 Area-based emissions avoidance projects
- Division 4—Restructure of eligible offsets projects
- 51 Operation of this Division
- 52 Adjusting the net total number of Australian carbon credit units
- 53 Adjusting crediting period—transferee offsets project
- 54 Adjusting reporting period—transferee offsets project
- Part 4—Fit and proper person test
- Division 1—Events that have happened
- 60 Operation of this Division
- 61 Events for individuals, bodies corporate and executive officers of bodies corporate
- 62 Events for individuals
- 63 Events for bodies corporate
- 64 Events for executive officers of bodies corporate
- Division 2—Other matters
- 65 Operation of this Division
- 66 Other matters for individuals and bodies corporate
- Part 5—Crediting Period
- Division 1—Limit on deferral of start of crediting period
- 66A Operation of this Division
- 66B Limit on deferral of start of crediting period
- 66C Limit on deferral of start of crediting period-certain savanna sequestration projects and savanna emissions avoidance projects
- 66D Limit on deferral of start of crediting period—certain methodology determinations
- Part 6—Reporting and notification requirements
- Division 1—Minimum length of first and subsequent reporting periods
- 67 Operation of this Division
- 68 Minimum number of months applicable to offsets reports
- 68A Minimum number of months applicable to offsets reports for transitioning soil carbon projects
- Division 2—General requirements for offsets reports
- 69 Manner and form of offsets reports
- 70 Information that must be set out in offsets reports
- 71 Documents that must accompany offsets reports
- Division 3—Audit reports to accompany offsets reports
- Subdivision A—Operation of this Division
- 72 Operation of this Division
- Subdivision B—Audit schedules
- 73 Audit schedules
- Subdivision C—Scheduled (initial and subsequent) audits
- 74 Initial audits
- 75 Subsequent audits—number
- 76 Subsequent audits—scope
- Subdivision D—Triggered audits
- 77 Threshold audits
- 78 Variance audits
- 79 Qualified or other conclusion audits
- 79A Forest cover audits of regeneration projects
- Subdivision E—Conduct of audits
- 80 Conduct of audits
- Division 3A—Declaration that offsets reporting requirements does not apply
- 80A Regulator may declare offsets reporting requirements does not apply to project
- 80B Regulator may request further information
- Division 4—Notification requirements
- Subdivision A—Significant reversals
- 81 Significant reversals relating to natural disturbances
- 82 Significant reversals relating to conduct
- Subdivision B—Other notification requirements
- 83 Operation of this Subdivision
- 84 Changes relating to project proponent
- 85 Errors in offsets reports
- 86 Acts causing reversal of removal of carbon dioxide
- 87 Changes relating to operation of project
- Part 7—Requirements to relinquish Australian carbon credit units
- 88 Requirement to relinquish—significant reversals relating to an event other than natural disturbances or conduct
- 89 Requirement to relinquish—significant reversals relating to natural disturbances and conduct
- Part 9—Methodology determinations
- 90 Request to approve application of methodology determination to a project with effect from the start of a reporting period
- Part 10—Multiple project proponents
- 91 Designation of nominee account
- Part 11—Australian carbon credit units
- 92 Transmission of Australian carbon credit units by operation of law
- 93 Transmission of Australian carbon credit units to a foreign account
- Part 12—Publication of information
- 93A Publication of relevant information
- Part 15—Relinquishment of Australian carbon credit units
- 94 Market value of Australian carbon credit units
- 95 Set-off of amounts payable under carbon abatement contracts
- Part 17—Record-keeping and project monitoring requirements
- 100 Record-keeping requirements—general
- 101 Record-keeping requirements—preparation of offsets report
- Part 18—Monitoring powers
- 102 Identity cards
- Part 19—Audits
- 103 Compliance audits—requirements for reimbursement
- Part 26—Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee
- Division 1—Functions
- 104 Operation of this Division
- 105 Additional functions
- Division 2—Meetings
- 110 Operation of this Division
- 111 Procedure at meetings
- 112 Quorum at meetings
- 113 Presiding at meetings
- 114 Manner of deciding questions
- Part 29—Application and transitional provisions
- Division 1—Application and transitional provisions relating to the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Amendment Rule (No. 1) 2019
- 120 Applications for certificate of entitlement before or within 28 days of commencement
- 121 Offsets reports submitted before or within 28 days of commencement
- 122 Project area variations for certain expired, varied or revoked methods
- 123 Application of requirements for new regeneration projects
- 124 Application of requirements for information that must be set out in offsets reports
- 125 Application of excluded offsets project requirements to existing applications
- Division 2—Application and transitional provisions relating to the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Amendment (No. 1) Rules 2023
- 126 Application of section 20 to applications for declarations for eligible offsets projects
- Division 3—Application provisions relating to the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Amendment (Information Requirements) Rules 2023
- 127 Application of amendments
- Division 4—Application provisions relating to the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Amendment (Identity Evidence) Rule 2025
- 128 Amendments made by the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Amendment (Identity Evidence) Rule 2025
- Schedule 1—Documents for establishing applicant’s identity
- Part 1—Documents for identifying individuals who are Australian citizens or residents
- 1 Category A documents
- 2 Category B documents
- Part 2—Documents for identifying individuals who are not residents
- 3 Category A documents
- 4 Category B documents
- Endnotes
- Endnote 2—Abbreviation key
- Endnote 3—Legislation history
- Endnote 4—Amendment history
Named provisions
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