If you want to change, update or cancel a registered project under the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme, you need to apply.
It is your responsibility to understand the requirements and conditions of each type of variation. You may need to seek professional advice before you vary your project.
You need to complete the vary a project form in Client Portal to make changes to your:
- project area
- conditional registration
- project proponent
- crediting period start date
- project method.
Vary your project area
If you want to add or remove land from the project area in an area-based project, you need to complete the vary a project form in Client Portal.
If you are adding land to your project, you will need to prove you have the legal right to run the project on this land. You can do this by providing evidence like agreements and registered land titles.
For sequestration projects, you also need signed eligible interest holder consents. You will need to get these from all eligible interest holders of the varied project area.
If a project area has earned ACCUs and you want to remove that land from the project, you need to:
- move that land area to a second sequestration project
- apply to revoke the second sequestration project
- relinquish the ACCUs earned by that land area.
If you want to add land to a project area, you must ensure the net abatement from the added land will not include emissions reductions credited to any other project.
To check if there are other projects registered on the additional land, use the ACCU project and contract register.
If the project method has been varied since your project was declared, you must transfer your project to the varied method. Once you've transferred your project, you can add land to your project area.
If the project method has been revoked or suspended since your project was declared, you must transfer your project to another applicable method. You can then add land to your project area.
When you vary your project area, the changes take effect at the start of the project’s next reporting period. This means you can't claim ACCUs for the current reporting period. You have to wait until the start of the next reporting period.
To include the new area in the reporting process sooner, you can shorten your current reporting period. To do this:
- include the new area and the original area in the abatement calculations for the new reporting period
- submit your project report within 6 months of the end of the shortened reporting period.
Example of a shortened reporting period
Your project’s current reporting period starts 1 September 2015 and ends 2 March 2017.
1 December 2016: you apply to vary the project area by adding new land.
10 January 2017: we approve the application and issue a new project declaration.
11 January 2017: you close the current reporting period and start a new reporting period.
By 10 July 2017: you submit a project report and application for ACCUs for the shortened reporting period. This is for carbon abatement in the original project area only.
The next project report includes abatement from the newly added project area and the original area for the new reporting period.
Vary your conditional registration
If your project registration was subject to one or more conditions, you have to provide evidence you have met them.
You need to do this before the first reporting period ends. If you don't, your project won't be eligible to receive ACCUs.
Complete the vary a project form in Client Portal.
Vary your project proponent
If you are a project proponent you can apply to:
- appoint a new project proponent
- add another project proponent
- remove an existing project proponent.
Complete the vary a project form in Client Portal.
The new proponent can't claim ACCUs until they're approved and the project has been varied.
You must vary the project proponent if the current proponent:
- dies or otherwise ceases to exist
- abandons the project
- applies to voluntarily revoke the project
- is ordered by a court to transfer the project to a new project proponent
- is determined not to be a fit and proper person.
You may vary the project proponent if:
- the current project proponent becomes insolvent
- we revoke the project
- the project was registered on or after 1 July 2020 and we find each person identified on the project declaration doesn't meet the project proponent definition.
We will assess the application to vary your project proponent. We must be satisfied that transferring the project to a new project proponent is appropriate.
In these circumstances, a person can apply to become a new project proponent without consent from the previous proponent.
You must provide evidence the new project proponent:
- can pass the fit and proper person test
- is responsible for carrying out the project
- has the legal right to carry out the project.
We will consult with any registered native title body corporate that has an eligible interest in a project area before deciding to approve or reject an application.
Before you vary the project proponent consider if:
- landowners with land in an area-based project want their land to continue as part of the project under the new proponent
- the project proponent leaving is the project nominee and the proponent will need to appoint a new nominee.
Find out more about choosing a project proponent.
If your project has a carbon abatement contract, varying the project proponent doesn't automatically assign the contract obligations to them.
If you want to transfer contract obligations to someone else, you must notify us in writing. You will have to:
- submit your application
- provide a novation deed.
Vary the crediting period start date
You can vary your project's crediting period start date. This will depend on when your project was registered.
If your project method was varied between your project declaration date and your new crediting period start date, your project will automatically transfer to the varied method. You must run your project as required by the varied method.
- You have one crediting period.
- You can change your crediting period start date once.
- Your new crediting period start date can't be more than 18 months after your project’s declaration date.
- Your crediting period end date will change.
- You can vary your crediting period start date to a date in the past as long as it is within 18 months after the declaration date.
You can vary your crediting period start date to before the original crediting period start date but not before the date your project was declared.
For example a project declared on 10 January 2017 with a crediting period start date of 1 July 2017 can vary its start date to 1 May 2017.
- You have one crediting period.
- You can change your crediting period start date once.
- If your project has a ‘back-dated’ crediting period start date, your new crediting period start date is no more than 18 months after this date.
- If your project was not ‘back-dated’, you can vary your crediting period start date within 18 months after the declaration date (the original crediting period start date for these projects).
- Your crediting period end date will change.
- You have 2 crediting periods:
- one before 12 December 2014 (crediting period start date can be changed)
- one after 12 December 2014 (when all projects transferred from the Carbon Farming Initiative and received new crediting periods and start dates which cannot be changed).
- You can change your first crediting period start date once.
- You cannot change your crediting period end date.
Vary your project method
If your chosen method doesn't fit your activities, you can apply to change to another method. The change will apply from the start of the current reporting period.
You cannot change to a method that is expired or has been cancelled or revoked.
If your project is under an expired or revoked method, you may continue to use that method but you can't register new projects, add new areas or move projects under that method.
If your project has a carbon abatement contract, you must ensure that changing methods doesn't impact your ability to deliver under your contract.
If your project method is varied after your project is declared but before your crediting period start date, your project will automatically transfer to the varied method.
If your crediting period has started before the method changes, you can continue to operate your project under the original method.
For more information go to method variations.
Dividing a project
You can divide a project into parts for reporting.
When you do this you report on each part of the project as if they are independent projects. This includes submitting separate reports and applying for ACCUs for each part.
For more information go to dividing a project into parts for separate reporting.
Revoking your project
You can withdraw or cancel your project at any time.
When you revoke your project, it can no longer receive ACCUs. Revoking your project is final. You cannot reverse your decision.
In some circumstances, parcels of land in a revoked project may be eligible to be included in a new project.
If you have a carbon abatement contract to deliver ACCUs, you must ensure you are able to continue to meet your obligations.
You must revoke your registered project under sections 29 or 30 of the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Rule 2015.
To revoke your project, you must complete an application for voluntary revocation of a registered project form and email it to ERF@cer.gov.au.
Find out more about withdrawing a project in part 3, division 4 of the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011.
If you revoke a sequestration project, you will have to return all ACCUs issued if the carbon has been stored for less than the permanence period (100 or 25 years).
If you have already sold the ACCUs, you must buy the same number and type of ACCUs and return them to us.
Your obligations will continue until your project is officially revoked. This includes relinquishing ACCUs.